Fin patterns with varying spacing without fin cut

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9984877-B2
Application number	US-201715627685-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2017
Priority date	May 12, 2016
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

Methods of forming semiconductor fins include forming first spacers on a first sidewall of each of a plurality of mandrels using an angled deposition process. A second sidewall of one or more of the plurality of mandrels is masked. Second spacers are formed on a second sidewall of all unmasked mandrels. The second sidewall of the one or more of the plurality of mandrels is unmasked. The mandrels are etched away. Fins are formed from a substrate using the first and second spacers as a mask.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming semiconductor fins, comprising:
forming first spacers on a first sidewall of each of a plurality of mandrels using first oxygen gas cluster ion beam, the plurality of mandrels being amorphous silicon;
masking a finless region by forming a mask directly on a second sidewall of one or more of the plurality of mandrels;
forming second spacers on a second sidewall of all unmasked mandrels from the plurality of mandrels using second oxygen gas cluster ion beam;
unmasking the finless region;
anisotropically etching spacer material from horizontal surfaces of each of the plurality of mandrels after unmasking the finless region;
etching away each of the plurality of mandrels; and
forming said semiconductor fins from a substrate using the first and second spacers as a pattern mask, such that no semiconductor fins are formed in the finless region.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the second spacers on the second sidewalls comprises an isotropic process.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein no semiconductor fin is removed after formation of the semiconductor fins.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein masking the finless region further comprises forming the mask to directly contact a first spacer on an adjacent mandrel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a nitride pad layer that is directly on a semiconductor layer.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the nitride pad layer includes silicon nitride.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first oxygen gas cluster ion beam or the second oxygen gas cluster ion beam has an angle relative to the substrate under the mandrels between about 10° and about 80°.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second oxygen gas cluster ion beam includes an angled deposition process.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein unmasking the finless region includes unmasking the second sidewall of the one or more of the plurality of mandrels.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising patterning a mandrel material using a hard mask to form the plurality of mandrels prior to forming the first spacers.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first spacers on the first sidewall include silicon dioxide.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein masking the finless region includes forming the mask in regions where the semiconductor fins are not needed.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the second spacers encapsulates all the unmasked mandrels in spacer material from the first and second spacers.

14. A method of forming semiconductor fins, comprising:
forming first spacers on a first sidewall of each of a plurality of mandrels using first oxygen gas cluster ion beam, the plurality of mandrels being amorphous silicon;
masking a finless region by forming a mask directly on a second sidewall of one or more of the plurality of mandrels and in direct contact with a first spacer on an adjacent mandrel from the plurality of mandrels;
forming second spacers on a second sidewall of all unmasked mandrels from the plurality of mandrels using second oxygen gas cluster ion beam;
unmasking the finless region to expose the second sidewall on all masked mandrels from the plurality of mandrels;
anisotropically etching spacer material from horizontal surfaces of each of the plurality of mandrels after unmasking the finless region;
etching away each of the plurality of mandrels; and
forming said semiconductor fins from a substrate using the first and second spacers as a pattern mask, such that no semiconductor fins are formed in the finless region.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein forming the second spacers on the second sidewalls comprises an isotropic process.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein no semiconductor fin is removed after formation of the semiconductor fins.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first oxygen gas cluster ion beam or the second oxygen gas cluster ion beam has an angle relative to the substrate under the mandrels between about 10° and about 80°.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein unmasking the finless region includes unmasking the second sidewall of the one or more of the plurality of mandrels.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein masking the finless region includes forming the mask in regions where the semiconductor fins are not needed.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein forming the second spacers encapsulates all the unmasked mandrels in spacer material from the first and second spacers.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bergendahl Marc A
• Cheng Kangguo
• Sporre John R
• Teehan Sean

Classifications

• H10P14/6308

  of Group IV semiconductors · CPC title

• H10P50/695

  characterised by the process involved to create the mask, e.g. lift-off masks or sidewalls or to modify the mask · CPC title

• H10P76/4085 Primary

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

• H10D30/024 Primary

  of fin field-effect transistors [FinFET] · CPC title

• H01L29/6653

  Electricity · mapped topic