Method and system for forming patterned structures using multiple patterning process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12074022-B2
Application number	US-202117410983-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2021
Priority date	Aug 27, 2020
Publication date	Aug 27, 2024
Grant date	Aug 27, 2024

Abstract

Methods of forming patterned structures suitable for a multiple patterning process are disclosed. Exemplary methods include forming a layer overlying the substrate by providing a precursor to the reaction chamber for a precursor pulse period, providing a reactant to the reaction chamber for a reactant pulse period, applying a first plasma power having a first frequency (e.g., less than 1 MHz) for a first plasma power period, and optionally applying a second plasma power having a second frequency for a second plasma power period, wherein the first frequency is different than the second frequency.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming patterned structures using a multiple patterning process, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a substrate within a reaction chamber, the substrate comprising a surface comprising patterned features; and
forming a layer overlying the substrate, wherein the step of forming the layer comprises:
providing a precursor to the reaction chamber for a precursor pulse period;
providing a reactant to the reaction chamber for a reactant pulse period;
applying a first plasma power having a first frequency less than 1 MHz for a first plasma power period; and
optionally applying a second plasma power having a second frequency for a second plasma power period,
wherein the first frequency of the first plasma power is less than 1 MHz and the second frequency of the second plasma power is higher compared to the first frequency of the first plasma power.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of applying the first plasma power and the step of applying the second plasma power overlap.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency is between about 300 kHz and about 500 kHz.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second frequency is between about 13 MHz and about 14 MHz or about 26 MHz and about 28 MHz.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the layer comprises a cyclical deposition process.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reactant pulse period and one or more of the first plasma power period and the second plasma power period overlap.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor pulse period and one or more of the first plasma power period and the second plasma power period do not overlap.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a duration of one or more of the first plasma power period and the second plasma power period is greater than 0 and less than 0.5 seconds per cycle or about 0 to about 0.5 seconds per pulse.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a plasma power during the first plasma power period is less than 500 W/300 mm wafer.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a plasma power during the second plasma power period is about 50 W/300 mm wafer to about 500 W/300 mm wafer.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing an inert gas during the step of providing a reactant to the reaction chamber for a reactant pulse period, wherein a ratio of inert gas to the reactant is greater than or equal to 2.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the inert gas comprises one or more of argon, helium, alone or in any combination.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor comprises one or more of silicon and a metal.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reactant comprises one or more of oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer comprises one or more of an oxide and a nitride.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the layer comprises a metal oxide, a silicon oxide, a silicon metal oxide, a metal nitride, a silicon nitride, or a silicon metal nitride.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patterned features comprise one or more of photoresist, carbon hardmask material, amorphous silicon, or polysilicon.

18. A method of manipulating mechanical property of a layer comprising the method of claim 1 .

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising a step of manipulating an inert gas:reactant flow ratio, wherein an inert gas:reactant flow ratio is greater than 2.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising a step of manipulating a power of the first plasma power.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plasma power is continuous or pulsed during the first plasma power period.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second plasma power is continuous or pulsed during the second plasma power period.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein a flowrate of an inert gas during the step of forming the layer is greater than 3 slm.

24. The method of any claim 1 , wherein a pressure within the reaction chamber is 450±50 Pa.

25. A device structure formed according to a method of claim 1 , comprising:
a first layer;
a second layer to be etched formed on the first layer;
patterned features formed on the second layer; and
a layer formed on the patterned features, wherein the layer is an oxide or a nitride having a film stress of −200 MPa or less.

Assignees

• Asm Ip Holding Bv

Inventors

• Inoue Naoki
• Nakano Ryu
• Yamada Shinya
• Tsuchiya Mao

Classifications

• H10P14/69433

  the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz · CPC title

• H10P14/69215

  the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2 · CPC title

• H10P14/6938

  the material containing at least one metal element, e.g. metal oxides, metal oxynitrides or metal oxycarbides · CPC title

• H10P14/6928

  the material containing silicon and at least one metal element, e.g. metal silicate based insulators or metal silicon oxynitrides · CPC title

• H10P76/4085

  characterised by the processes involved to create the masks · CPC title