Abstract: A method for fabricating features on a substrate having reduced dimensions. The features are formed by defining a first mask on regions of the substrate. The first mask is defined using lithographic techniques. A second mask is then conformably formed on one or more sidewalls of the first mask. The features are formed on the substrate by removing the first mask and then etching the substrate using the second mask as an etch mask.

Abstract: A process for etching a substrate 25 in an etching chamber 30, and simultaneously cleaning a thin, non-homogeneous, etch residue deposited on the surfaces of the walls 45 and components of the etching chamber 30. In the etching step, process gas comprising etchant gas is used to etch a substrate 25 in the etching chamber 30 thereby depositing etch residue inside the chamber 30. Cleaning gas is added to the process gas for a sufficient time and in a volumetric flow ratio that is sufficiently high, to react with and remove substantially all the etch residue deposited by the process gas. The present method advantageously cleans the etch residue in the chamber 30, during the etching process, and without use of separate cleaning, conditioning, and seasoning process steps.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer is provided for reducing CD microloading variation. OCD metrology is used to inspect a wafer to determine pre-etch CD microloading, by measuring the CD of dense and isolated photoresist lines. Other parameters can also be measured or otherwise determined, such as sidewall profile, photoresist layer thickness, underlying layer thickness, photoresist pattern density, open area, etc. The inspection results are fed forward to the etcher to determine process parameters, such as resist trim time and/or etch conditions, thereby achieving the desired post-etch CD microloading. In certain embodiments, the CD and profile measurements, trim, etch processing and post-etch cleaning are performed at a single module in a controlled environment. All of the transfer and processing steps performed by the module are performed in a clean environment, thereby increasing yield by avoiding exposing the wafer to the atmosphere and possible contamination between steps.

Abstract: We have discovered a method of preventing or suppressing the buckling of amorphous hard mask structures used to etch feature sizes smaller than about 50 nm. We have determined that buckling of the hard mask can be prevented by controlling the aspect ratio of mask features to be within a certain range when the features are sub 40-50 nm in size. In the case of amorphous hard mask structures, generally the aspect ratio of a feature should be controlled to be less than about 3 when the feature size is sub 40-50 nm in size; and, depending on the substrate to which the hard mask is adhered, the aspect ratio may need to be as low as about 1.0 or lower to ensure that there is no buckling of the hard mask sidewalls.

Abstract: A substrate is placed in a process zone and an energized process gas is maintained in the process zone to process the substrate. A light beam is reflectively diffracted from a pattern of features of the substrate being processed, the reflected beam is monitored, and a signal is generated in relation to the monitored beam. During processing, a width of the features of the substrate can change. The generated signal is evaluated to detect the occurrence of a change in the width of the features.

Abstract: A method for controlling etch processes during fabrication of semiconductor devices comprises tests and measurements performed on non-product and product substrates to define an N-parameter CD control graph that is used to calculate a process time for trimming a patterned mask to a pre-determined width. An apparatus for performing such a method.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer is provided for reducing dimensional variation by feeding forward information relating to photoresist mask CD and profile to adjust the next process the inspected wafer will undergo (e.g., a photoresist trim process). After the processing step, dimensions of a structure formed by the process, such as the CD of a gate formed by the process, are measured, and this information is fed back to the process tool to adjust the process for the next wafer to further reduce dimensional variation. By taking into account photoresist CD and profile variation when choosing a resist trim recipe, post-etch CD is decoupled from pre-etch CD and profile. With automatic compensation for pre-etch CD, a very tight distribution of post-etch CD is achieved. In certain embodiments, the CD and profile measurements, trim, etch processing and post-etch cleaning are performed at a single module in a controlled environment.

Abstract: A process for etching a substrate 25 in an etching chamber 30, and simultaneously cleaning a thin, non-homogeneous, etch residue deposited on the surfaces of the walls 45 and components of the etching chamber 30. In the etching step, process gas comprising etchant gas is used to etch a substrate 25 in the etching chamber 30 thereby depositing etch residue inside the chamber 30. Cleaning gas is added to the process gas for a sufficient time and in a volumetric flow ratio that is sufficiently high, to react with and remove substantially all the etch residue deposited by the process gas. The present method advantageously cleans the etch residue in the chamber 30, during the etching process, and without use of separate cleaning, conditioning, and seasoning process steps.