Abstract: A vertical layer stack including a bit-line-level dielectric layer and an etch stop dielectric layer can be formed over an array region. Bit-line trenches are formed through the vertical layer stack. Bit-line-trench fill structures are formed in the bit-line trenches. Each of the bit-line-trench fill structures includes a stack of a bit line and a capping dielectric strip. At least one via-level dielectric layer can be formed over the vertical layer stack. A bit-line-contact via cavity can be formed through the at least one via-level dielectric layer and one of the capping dielectric strips. A bit-line-contact via structure formed in the bit-line-contact via cavity includes a stepped bottom surface including a top surface of one of the bit lines, a sidewall segment of the etch stop dielectric layer, and a segment of a top surface of the etch stop dielectric layer.

Abstract: A deposition chamber includes a vacuum enclosure, an electrostatic chuck having a flat top surface located within a vacuum enclosure, a lift-and-rotation unit extending through or laterally surrounding the electrostatic chuck at a position that is laterally offset from a vertical axis passing through a geometrical center of the electrostatic chuck, a gas supply manifold configured to provide influx of gas into the vacuum enclosure, and a pumping port connected to the vacuum enclosure.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an electrostatic chuck and located within a vacuum enclosure. A plurality of conductive plates can be embedded in the electrostatic chuck, and a plurality of plate bias circuits can be configured to independently electrically bias a respective one of the plurality of conductive plates. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of spot lamp zones including a respective set of spot lamps can be provided between a bottom portion of the vacuum enclosure and a backside surface of the electrostatic chuck. The plurality of conductive plates and/or the plurality of spot lamp zones can be employed to locally modify chucking force and to provide local temperature control.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an electrostatic chuck and located within a vacuum enclosure. A plurality of conductive plates can be embedded in the electrostatic chuck, and a plurality of plate bias circuits can be configured to independently electrically bias a respective one of the plurality of conductive plates. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of spot lamp zones including a respective set of spot lamps can be provided between a bottom portion of the vacuum enclosure and a backside surface of the electrostatic chuck. The plurality of conductive plates and/or the plurality of spot lamp zones can be employed to locally modify chucking force and to provide local temperature control.

Abstract: A vertical layer stack including a bit-line-level dielectric layer and an etch stop dielectric layer can be formed over an array region. Bit-line trenches are formed through the vertical layer stack. Bit-line-trench fill structures are formed in the bit-line trenches. Each of the bit-line-trench fill structures includes a stack of a bit line and a capping dielectric strip. At least one via-level dielectric layer can be formed over the vertical layer stack. A bit-line-contact via cavity can be formed through the at least one via-level dielectric layer and one of the capping dielectric strips. A bit-line-contact via structure formed in the bit-line-contact via cavity includes a stepped bottom surface including a top surface of one of the bit lines, a sidewall segment of the etch stop dielectric layer, and a segment of a top surface of the etch stop dielectric layer.

Abstract: An anisotropic etch apparatus contains an electrostatic chuck located in a vacuum enclosure and including a lower electrode, an upper electrode overlying the lower electrode and located in the vacuum enclosure, a main radio frequency (RF) power source configured to provide an RF bias voltage between the lower electrode and the upper electrode, and a plurality of conductive edge ring segments surrounding the electrostatic chuck and configured for at least one of independent vertical movement relative to the electrostatic chuck or for independently receiving a different RF bias voltage.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an electrostatic chuck and located within a vacuum enclosure. A plurality of conductive plates can be embedded in the electrostatic chuck, and a plurality of plate bias circuits can be configured to independently electrically bias a respective one of the plurality of conductive plates. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of spot lamp zones including a respective set of spot lamps can be provided between a bottom portion of the vacuum enclosure and a backside surface of the electrostatic chuck. The plurality of conductive plates and/or the plurality of spot lamp zones can be employed to locally modify chucking force and to provide local temperature control.

Abstract: A deposition chamber includes a vacuum enclosure, an electrostatic chuck having a flat top surface located within a vacuum enclosure, a lift-and-rotation unit extending through or laterally surrounding the electrostatic chuck at a position that is laterally offset from a vertical axis passing through a geometrical center of the electrostatic chuck, a gas supply manifold configured to provide influx of gas into the vacuum enclosure, and a pumping port connected to the vacuum enclosure.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an electrostatic chuck and located within a vacuum enclosure. A plurality of conductive plates can be embedded in the electrostatic chuck, and a plurality of plate bias circuits can be configured to independently electrically bias a respective one of the plurality of conductive plates. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of spot lamp zones including a respective set of spot lamps can be provided between a bottom portion of the vacuum enclosure and a backside surface of the electrostatic chuck. The plurality of conductive plates and/or the plurality of spot lamp zones can be employed to locally modify chucking force and to provide local temperature control.

Abstract: A first material layer, a second material layer, and a photoresist layer may be formed over a substrate. The second material layer may be patterned by transfer of a lithographic pattern therethrough. A conformal spacer layer may be formed over the patterned second material layer in a chamber enclosure of an in-situ deposition-etch apparatus. Spacer films may be formed by anisotropically etching the conformal spacer layer in the chamber enclosure of the in-situ deposition-etch apparatus. The first material layer may be anisotropically etched using a combination of the patterned second material layer and the spacer films as an etch mask in the in-situ deposition-etch apparatus. A high fidelity pattern may be transferred into the first material layer with reduced line edge roughness, reduced line width roughness, and without enlargement of lateral dimensions of openings in the first material layer.

Abstract: A first material layer, a second material layer, and a photoresist layer may be formed over a substrate. The second material layer may be patterned by transfer of a lithographic pattern therethrough. A conformal spacer layer may be formed over the patterned second material layer in a chamber enclosure of an in-situ deposition-etch apparatus. Spacer films may be formed by anisotropically etching the conformal spacer layer in the chamber enclosure of the in-situ deposition-etch apparatus. The first material layer may be anisotropically etched using a combination of the patterned second material layer and the spacer films as an etch mask in the in-situ deposition-etch apparatus. A high fidelity pattern may be transferred into the first material layer with reduced line edge roughness, reduced line width roughness, and without enlargement of lateral dimensions of openings in the first material layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a stack of alternating layers comprising insulating layers and spacer material layers over a substrate, forming a memory opening through the stack, forming a layer stack including a memory material layer, a tunneling dielectric layer, and a first semiconductor material layer in the memory opening, forming a protective layer over the first semiconductor channel layer, physically exposing a semiconductor surface underneath the layer stack by anisotropically etching horizontal portions of the protective layer and the layer stack at a bottom portion of the memory opening, removing a remaining portion of the protective layer selective to the first semiconductor channel layer, and forming a second semiconductor channel layer on the first semiconductor channel layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a stack of alternating layers comprising insulating layers and spacer material layers over a substrate, forming a memory opening through the stack, forming a layer stack including a memory material layer, a tunneling dielectric layer, and a first semiconductor material layer in the memory opening, forming a protective layer over the first semiconductor channel layer, physically exposing a semiconductor surface underneath the layer stack by anisotropically etching horizontal portions of the protective layer and the layer stack at a bottom portion of the memory opening, removing a remaining portion of the protective layer selective to the first semiconductor channel layer, and forming a second semiconductor channel layer on the first semiconductor channel layer.

Abstract: A method of making multi-level contacts. The method includes providing an in-process multilevel device including at least one device region and at least one contact region. The contact region includes a plurality of electrically conductive layers configured in a step pattern. The method also includes forming a conformal etch stop layer over the plurality of electrically conductive layers, forming a first electrically insulating layer over the etch stop layer, forming a conformal sacrificial layer over the first electrically insulating layer and forming a second electrically insulating layer over the sacrificial layer. The method also includes etching a plurality of contact openings through the etch stop layer, the first electrically insulating layer, the sacrificial layer and the second electrically insulating layer in the contact region to the plurality of electrically conductive layers.

Abstract: A method of making multi-level contacts. The method includes providing an in-process multilevel device including at least one device region and at least one contact region. The contact region includes a plurality of electrically conductive layers configured in a step pattern. The method also includes forming a conformal etch stop layer over the plurality of electrically conductive layers, forming a first electrically insulating layer over the etch stop layer, forming a conformal sacrificial layer over the first electrically insulating layer and forming a second electrically insulating layer over the sacrificial layer. The method also includes etching a plurality of contact openings through the etch stop layer, the first electrically insulating layer, the sacrificial layer and the second electrically insulating layer in the contact region to the plurality of electrically conductive layers.

Abstract: A method of making multi-level contacts. The method includes providing an in-process multilevel device including at least one device region and at least one contact region. The contact region includes a plurality of electrically conductive layers configured in a step pattern. The method also includes forming a conformal etch stop layer over the plurality of electrically conductive layers, forming a first electrically insulating layer over the etch stop layer, forming a conformal sacrificial layer over the first electrically insulating layer and forming a second electrically insulating layer over the sacrificial layer. The method also includes etching a plurality of contact openings through the etch stop layer, the first electrically insulating layer, the sacrificial layer and the second electrically insulating layer in the contact region to the plurality of electrically conductive layers.

Abstract: A method of making multi-level contacts. The method includes providing an in-process multilevel device including at least one device region and at least one contact region. The contact region includes a plurality of electrically conductive layers configured in a step pattern. The method also includes forming a conformal etch stop layer over the plurality of electrically conductive layers, forming a first electrically insulating layer over the etch stop layer, forming a conformal sacrificial layer over the first electrically insulating layer and forming a second electrically insulating layer over the sacrificial layer. The method also includes etching a plurality of contact openings through the etch stop layer, the first electrically insulating layer, the sacrificial layer and the second electrically insulating layer in the contact region to the plurality of electrically conductive layers.

Abstract: A method of making multi-level contacts. The method includes providing an in-process multilevel device including at least one device region and at least one contact region. The contact region includes a plurality of electrically conductive layers configured in a step pattern. The method also includes forming a conformal etch stop layer over the plurality of electrically conductive layers, forming a first electrically insulating layer over the etch stop layer, forming a conformal sacrificial layer over the first electrically insulating layer and forming a second electrically insulating layer over the sacrificial layer. The method also includes etching a plurality of contact openings through the etch stop layer, the first electrically insulating layer, the sacrificial layer and the second electrically insulating layer in the contact region to the plurality of electrically conductive layers.

Abstract: A method of making multi-level contacts. The method includes providing an in-process multilevel device including at least one device region and at least one contact region. The contact region includes a plurality of electrically conductive layers configured in a step pattern. The method also includes forming a conformal etch stop layer over the plurality of electrically conductive layers, forming a first electrically insulating layer over the etch stop layer, forming a conformal sacrificial layer over the first electrically insulating layer and forming a second electrically insulating layer over the sacrificial layer. The method also includes etching a plurality of contact openings through the etch stop layer, the first electrically insulating layer, the sacrificial layer and the second electrically insulating layer in the contact region to the plurality of electrically conductive layers.