Abstract: A method for processing a stack with an etch layer below a mask is provided. The mask is treated by flowing a treatment gas, wherein the treatment gas comprises a sputtering gas and a trimming gas, providing pulsed TCP power to create a plasma from the treatment gas, and providing a pulsed bias, wherein the pulsed bias has a same period as the pulsed TCP power, wherein the pulsed TCP power and pulsed bias provide a first state with a first bias above a sputter threshold and a first TCP power, which causes species from the sputtering gas to sputter and redeposit material from the mask, and provide a second state with a second bias below the sputter threshold and a second TCP power, wherein the second TCP power is greater than the first TCP power, which causes species from the trimming gas to chemically trim the mask.

Abstract: A method for ion-assisted etching a stack of alternating silicon oxide and silicon nitride layers in an etch chamber is provided. An etch gas comprising a fluorine component, helium, and a fluorohydrocarbon or hydrocarbon is flowed into the etch chamber. The gas is formed into an in-situ plasma in the etch chamber. A bias of about 10 to about 100 volts is provided to accelerate helium ions to the stack and activate a surface of the stack to form an activated surface for ion-assisted etching, wherein the in-situ plasma etches the activated surface of the stack.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for etching substrates using self-limiting reactions based on removal energy thresholds determined by evaluating the material to be etched and the chemistries used to etch the material involve flow of continuous plasma. Process conditions permit controlled, self-limiting anisotropic etching without alternating between chemistries used to etch material on a substrate. A well-controlled etch front allows a synergistic effect of reactive radicals and inert ions to perform the etching, such that material is etched when the substrate is modified by reactive radicals and removed by inert ions, but not etched when material is modified by reactive radicals but no inert ions are present, or when inert ions are present but material is not modified by reactive radicals.

Abstract: A method for ion-assisted etching a stack of alternating silicon oxide and silicon nitride layers in an etch chamber is provided. An etch gas comprising a fluorine component, helium, and a fluorohydrocarbon or hydrocarbon is flowed into the etch chamber. The gas is formed into an in-situ plasma in the etch chamber. A bias of about 10 to about 100 volts is provided to accelerate helium ions to the stack and activate a surface of the stack to form an activated surface for ion-assisted etching, wherein the in-situ plasma etches the activated surface of the stack.

Abstract: A substrate is disposed on a substrate holder within a process module. The substrate includes a mask material overlying a target material with at least one portion of the target material exposed through an opening in the mask material. A plasma is generated in exposure to the substrate. For a first duration, a bias voltage is applied at the substrate holder at a first bias voltage setting corresponding to a high bias voltage level. For a second duration, after completion of the first duration, a bias voltage is applied at the substrate holder at a second bias voltage setting corresponding to a low bias voltage level. The second bias voltage setting is greater than 0 V. The first and second durations are repeated in an alternating and successive manner for an overall period of time necessary to remove a required amount of the target material exposed on the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate is disposed on a substrate holder within a process module. The substrate includes a mask material overlying a target material with at least one portion of the target material exposed through an opening in the mask material. A plasma is generated in exposure to the substrate. For a first duration, a bias voltage is applied at the substrate holder at a first bias voltage setting corresponding to a high bias voltage level. For a second duration, after completion of the first duration, a bias voltage is applied at the substrate holder at a second bias voltage setting corresponding to a low bias voltage level. The second bias voltage setting is greater than 0 V. The first and second durations are repeated in an alternating and successive manner for an overall period of time necessary to remove a required amount of the target material exposed on the substrate.

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate in a processing chamber, comprising forming a deposition over the substrate is provided. A silicon containing gas is flowed into the processing chamber. A COS containing gas is flowed into the processing chamber. A plasma is formed from the silicon containing gas and the COS containing gas in the processing chamber, wherein the plasma provides the deposition over the substrate.

Abstract: For a first period of time, a higher radiofrequency power is applied to generate a plasma in exposure to a substrate, while applying low bias voltage at the substrate level. For a second period of time, a lower radiofrequency power is applied to generate the plasma, while applying high bias voltage at the substrate level. The first and second periods of time are repeated in an alternating and successive manner for an overall period of time necessary to produce a desired effect on the substrate. In some embodiments, the first period of time is shorter than the second period of time such that on a time-averaged basis the plasma has a greater ion density than radical density. In some embodiments, the first period of time is greater than the second period of time such that on a time-averaged basis the plasma has a lower ion density than radical density.

Abstract: A photon-assisted plasma processing method for processing a substrate with a process layer is provided. A process gas is flowed into the chamber. The process gas is formed into a plasma. The process layer is exposed to the plasma. The process layer is illuminated with a light with a wavelength of between 200 nm and 1 micron, while exposing the substrate to the plasma.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reverse pulsing are described. One of the methods includes receiving a digital signal having a first state and a second state. The method further includes generating a transformer coupled plasma (TCP) radio frequency (RF) pulsed signal having a high state when the digital signal is in the first state and having a low state when the digital signal is in the second state. The method includes providing the TCP RF pulsed signal to one or more coils of a plasma chamber, generating a bias RF pulsed signal having a low state when the digital signal is in the first state and having a high state when the digital signal is in the second state, and providing the bias RF pulsed signal to a chuck of the plasma chamber.

Abstract: A method for reducing sidewall roughness in an etch layer below a first mask with sidewall roughness in a processing chamber is provided. Sidewalls of the first mask are smoothed, comprising, flowing a processing gas into the processing chamber and forming the processing gas into an in situ plasma in the processing chamber with sufficient energy to sputter and smooth sidewall roughness of the first patterned mask. The etch layer is etched through the first patterned mask.

Abstract: A photon-assisted plasma processing method for processing a substrate with a process layer is provided. A process gas is flowed into the chamber. The process gas is formed into a plasma. The process layer is exposed to the plasma. The process layer is illuminated with a light with a wavelength of between 200 nm and 1 micron, while exposing the substrate to the plasma.

Abstract: A substrate is disposed on a substrate holder within a process module. The substrate includes a mask material overlying a target material with at least one portion of the target material exposed through an opening in the mask material. A plasma is generated in exposure to the substrate. For a first duration, a bias voltage is applied at the substrate holder at a first bias voltage setting corresponding to a high bias voltage level. For a second duration, after completion of the first duration, a bias voltage is applied at the substrate holder at a second bias voltage setting corresponding to a low bias voltage level. The second bias voltage setting is greater than 0 V. The first and second durations are repeated in an alternating and successive manner for an overall period of time necessary to remove a required amount of the target material exposed on the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate is disposed on a substrate holder within a process module. The substrate includes a mask material overlying a target material with at least one portion of the target material exposed through an opening in the mask material. A bi-modal process gas composition is supplied to a plasma generation region overlying the substrate. For a first period of time, a first radiofrequency power is applied to the bi-modal process gas composition to generate a plasma to cause etching-dominant effects on the substrate. For a second period of time, after completion of the first period of time, a second radiofrequency power is applied to the bi-modal process gas composition to generate the plasma to cause deposition-dominant effects on the substrate. The first and second radiofrequency powers are applied in an alternating and successive manner for an overall period of time to remove a required amount of exposed target material.

Abstract: For a first period of time, a higher radiofrequency power is applied to generate a plasma in exposure to a substrate, while applying low bias voltage at the substrate level. For a second period of time, a lower radiofrequency power is applied to generate the plasma, while applying high bias voltage at the substrate level. The first and second periods of time are repeated in an alternating and successive manner for an overall period of time necessary to produce a desired effect on the substrate. In some embodiments, the first period of time is shorter than the second period of time such that on a time-averaged basis the plasma has a greater ion density than radical density. In some embodiments, the first period of time is greater than the second period of time such that on a time-averaged basis the plasma has a lower ion density than radical density.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reverse pulsing are described. One of the methods includes receiving a digital signal having a first state and a second state. The method further includes generating a transformer coupled plasma (TCP) radio frequency (RF) pulsed signal having a high state when the digital signal is in the first state and having a low state when the digital signal is in the second state. The method includes providing the TCP RF pulsed signal to one or more coils of a plasma chamber, generating a bias RF pulsed signal having a low state when the digital signal is in the first state and having a high state when the digital signal is in the second state, and providing the bias RF pulsed signal to a chuck of the plasma chamber.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for etching substrates using self-limiting reactions based on removal energy thresholds determined by evaluating the material to be etched and the chemistries used to etch the material involve flow of continuous plasma. Process conditions permit controlled, self-limiting anisotropic etching without alternating between chemistries used to etch material on a substrate. A well-controlled etch front allows a synergistic effect of reactive radicals and inert ions to perform the etching, such that material is etched when the substrate is modified by reactive radicals and removed by inert ions, but not etched when material is modified by reactive radicals but no inert ions are present, or when inert ions are present but material is not modified by reactive radicals.

Abstract: Methods for anisotropically etching a tungsten-containing material (such as doped or undoped tungsten metal) include cyclic treatment of tungsten surface with Cl2 plasma and with oxygen-containing radicals. Treatment with chlorine plasma is performed while the substrate is electrically biased resulting in predominant etching of horizontal surfaces on the substrate. Treatment with oxygen-containing radicals passivates the surface of the substrate to etching, and protects the vertical surfaces of the substrate, such as sidewalls of recessed features, from etching. Treatment with Cl2 plasma and with oxygen-containing radicals can be repeated in order to remove a desired amount of material. Anisotropic etching can be performed selectively in a presence of dielectric materials such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride.

Abstract: A substrate is disposed on a substrate holder within a process module. The substrate includes a mask material overlying a target material with at least one portion of the target material exposed through an opening in the mask material. A bi-modal process gas composition is supplied to a plasma generation region overlying the substrate. For a first period of time, a first radiofrequency power is applied to the bi-modal process gas composition to generate a plasma to cause etching-dominant effects on the substrate. For a second period of time, after completion of the first period of time, a second radiofrequency power is applied to the bi-modal process gas composition to generate the plasma to cause deposition-dominant effects on the substrate. The first and second radiofrequency powers are applied in an alternating and successive manner for an overall period of time to remove a required amount of exposed target material.

Abstract: A substrate is disposed on a substrate holder within a process module. The substrate includes a mask material overlying a target material with at least one portion of the target material exposed through an opening in the mask material. A bi-modal process gas composition is supplied to a plasma generation region overlying the substrate. For a first period of time, a first radiofrequency power is applied to the bi-modal process gas composition to generate a plasma to cause etching-dominant effects on the substrate. For a second period of time, after completion of the first period of time, a second radiofrequency power is applied to the bi-modal process gas composition to generate the plasma to cause deposition-dominant effects on the substrate. The first and second radiofrequency powers are applied in an alternating and successive manner for an overall period of time to remove a required amount of exposed target material.