Sulfur doped carbon hard masks

US9320387B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-9320387-B2
Application numberUS-201414270001-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateMay 5, 2014
Priority dateSep 30, 2013
Publication dateApr 26, 2016
Grant dateApr 26, 2016

How to read this patent

A practical reading order for non-experts. Skip the full description unless you need deep technical detail.

  1. Title

    What the patent document calls the invention.

  2. Abstract

    A short plain-language summary of the technical disclosure.

  3. Assignees and inventors

    Who owns or filed the patent and who is credited as inventor.

  4. Key dates

    Filing, priority, publication, and grant dates set the timeline.

  5. First independent claim

    The legal scope of protection — read this for what is actually claimed.

  6. CPC / IPC classifications

    Technology tags used to group this patent with similar filings.

  7. Citations and related patents

    Prior art links and similar publications in this corpus.

Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

Provided are methods of forming ashable hard masks (AHMs) with high etch selectivity and low hydrogen content using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Methods involve exposing a first layer to be etched on a semiconductor substrate to a carbon source and sulfur source, and generating a plasma to deposit a sulfur-doped AHM or amorphous carbon-based film on the first layer.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of forming an ashable hard mask on a first layer to be etched on a semiconductor substrate, comprising: providing a precursor gas comprising a carbon source and a sulfur source to a deposition chamber housing the semiconductor substrate, and generating a plasma from the precursor gas to thereby deposit a sulfur-doped ashable hard mask on the first layer by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process. 2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deposited sulfur-doped ashable hard mask has an atomic sulfur content of between about 0.5% and about 5%. 3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the deposited sulfur-doped ashable hard mask has an atomic carbon content of between about 60% and about 90%. 4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the deposited sulfur-doped ashable hard mask has an atomic hydrogen content of between about 13% and about 26%. 5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sulfur-doped ashable hard mask is between about 1000 Å and about 90,000 Å thick. 6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sulfur-doped ashable hard mask has a stress of between about −40 MPa and about −400 MPa. 7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first layer is selected from the group consisting of an oxide layer, a nitride layer, and a polysilicon layer. 8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon source is methane, acetylene, or propylene. 9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sulfur source is hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) or carbon disulfide (CS 2 ). 10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sulfur source is carbon disulfide (CS 2 ) and the carbon source is acetylene (C 2 H 2 ). 11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon source and sulfur source are combined upstream from the deposition chamber. 12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon source and the sulfur source are provided separately to the deposition chamber. 13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising patterning the sulfur-doped ashable hard mask layer. 14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising etching the first layer in accordance with the pattern of the sulfur-doped ashable hard mask. 15. A method of forming a sulfur-doped amorphous carbon-based film on a semiconductor substrate, comprising: providing the semiconductor substrate in a deposition chamber, exposing the semiconductor substrate to a precursor gas comprising a carbon source and a sulfur source, and depositing a sulfur-doped amorphous carbon-based film on the semiconductor substrate by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process. 16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sulfur-doped amorphous carbon-based film has an atomic sulfur content of between about 0.5% and about 5%. 17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sulfur source is hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) or carbon disulfide (CS 2 ).

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • of masks comprising organic materials · CPC title

  • Devices having filling level indicating means · CPC title

  • Inorganic per-compounds (C11D3/3902 takes precedence) · CPC title

  • Insoluble free body dispenser · CPC title

  • Bio- or photodegradable packaging materials · CPC title

Patent family

Related publications grouped by family.

External sources

Frequently asked questions

Answers are generated from the same data shown on this page.

What does patent US9320387B2 cover?
Provided are methods of forming ashable hard masks (AHMs) with high etch selectivity and low hydrogen content using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Methods involve exposing a first layer to be etched on a semiconductor substrate to a carbon source and sulfur source, and generating a plasma to deposit a sulfur-doped AHM or amorphous carbon-based film on the first layer.
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Lam Res Corp
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification A47J31/60. Mapped technology areas include Human Necessities.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Apr 26 2016 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 2 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).