Abstract: Methods for etching electrodes formed directly on gate dielectrics are provided. In one aspect, an etch process is provided which includes a main etch step, a soft landing step, and an over etch step. In another aspect, a method is described which includes performing a main etch having good etch rate uniformity and good profile uniformity, performing a soft landing step in which a metal/metal barrier interface can be determined, and performing an over etch step to selectively remove the metal barrier without negatively affecting the dielectric. In another aspect, a method is provided which includes a first non-selective etch chemistry for bulk removal of electrode material, a second intermediate selective etch chemistry with end point capability, and then a selective etch chemistry to stop on the gate dielectric.

Abstract: A two-step method of etching an organic coating layer, in particular, an organic antireflection coating (ARC) layer, is disclosed. During the main etch step, the organic coating layer is etched using a plasma generated from a first source gas which includes a fluorocarbon and a non-carbon-containing, halogen-comprising gas. Etching is performed using a first substrate bias power. During the overetch step, residual organic coating material remaining after the main etch step is removed by exposing the substrate to a plasma generated from a second source gas which includes a chlorine-containing gas and an oxygen-containing gas, and which does not include a polymer-forming gas. The overetch step is performed using a second substrate bias power which is less than the first substrate bias power.

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate disposed in a substrate process chamber having a source power includes transferring the substrate into the substrate process chamber. A trench is etched on the substrate by exposing the substrate to a plasma formed from a first etchant gas by applying RF energy from the source power system and biasing the plasma toward the substrate. Byproducts adhering to inner surfaces of the substrate process chamber are removed by igniting a plasma formed from a second etchant gas including a halogen source in the substrate process chamber without applying bias power or applying minimal bias power. Thereafter, the substrate is removed from the chamber. At least 100 more substrates are processed with the etching-a-trench step and removing-etch-byproducts step before performing a dry clean or wet clean operation on the chamber.

Abstract: We have discovered a method of detecting the approach of an endpoint during the etching of a material within a recess such as a trench or a contact via. The method provides a clear and distinct inflection endpoint signal, even for areas of a substrate containing isolated features. The method includes etching the material in the recess and using thin film interferometric endpoint detection to detect an endpoint of the etch process, where the interferometric incident light beam wavelength is tailored to the material being etched; the spot size of the substrate illuminated by the light beam is sufficient to provide adequate signal intensity from the material being etched; and the refractive index of the material being etched is sufficiently different from the refractive index of other materials contributing to reflected light from the substrate, that the combination of the light beam wavelength, the spot size, and the difference in refractive index provides a clear and distinct endpoint signal.

Abstract: A method of forming a notch silicon-containing gate structure is disclosed. This method is particularly useful in forming a T-shaped silicon-containing gate structure. A silicon-containing gate layer is etched to a first desired depth using a plasma generated from a first source gas. During the etch, etch byproducts deposit on upper sidewalls of the silicon-containing gate layer which are exposed during etching, forming a first passivation layer which protects the upper silicon-containing gate layer sidewalls from etching during subsequent processing steps. A relatively high substrate bias power is used during this first etch step to ensure that the passivation layer adheres properly to the upper silicon-containing gate sidewalls.

Abstract: A two-step method of etching an organic coating layer, in particular, an organic antireflection coating (ARC) layer, is disclosed. During the main etch step, the organic coating layer is etched using a plasma generated from a first source gas which includes a fluorocarbon and a non-carbon-containing, halogen-comprising gas. Etching is performed using a first substrate bias power. During the overetch step, residual organic coating material remaining after the main etch step is removed by exposing the substrate to a plasma generated from a second source gas which includes a chlorine-containing gas and an oxygen-containing gas, and which does not include a polymer-forming gas. The overetch step is performed using a second substrate bias power which is less than the first substrate bias power.

Abstract: A method of forming a notched silicon-containing gate structure is disclosed. This method is particularly useful in forming a T-shaped silicon-containing gate structure. A silicon-containing gate layer is etched to a first desired depth using a plasma generated from a first source gas. During the etch, etch byproducts deposit on upper sidewalls of the silicon-containing gate layer which are exposed during etching, forming a first passivation layer which protects the upper silicon-containing gate layer sidewalls from etching during subsequent processing steps. A relatively high substrate bias power is used during this first etch step to ensure that the passivation layer adheres properly to the upper silicon-containing gate sidewalls.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor processing, and to the plasma etching of organic layers, and in particular antireflective coating layers. We have discovered a particular combination of gases useful in producing chemically reactive plasma species, which provides unexpected control over etched feature critical dimension, etch profile, and uniformity of etch across a substrate surface, despite a difference in the spacing of etched features over the substrate surface. The combination of gases which produces chemically reactive plasma species consists essentially of CxHyFz, a bromine-comprising compound (which is typically HBr), and O2, where x ranges from 1 to 4, y ranges from 0 to 3, and z ranges from 1 to 10. Oxygen atoms may be substituted for hydrogen atoms in the CxHyFz compound to a limited extent Essentially inert gases which do not produce chemically reactive species may be added to the combination of etchant-species producing gases.