IP Library Granted Patent US 12695063
Granted Patent B2
US 12695063 · App. 18/757,613 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Plasma processing method and plasma processing apparatus

Inventors: Takayuki Katsunuma (Miyagi, JP); Masanobu Honda (Miyagi, JP)
Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
H01J37/32449H01J2237/3321H01J2237/3346
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12695063
App. No.
18/757,613
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A substrate processing method includes preparing a substrate. The substrate includes a first region and a second region providing an opening on the first region. The substrate processing method further includes forming a top deposit on a top of the second region by using a first plasma generated from a first gas. The substrate processing method further includes forming a first film on a surface of the top deposit and a sidewall surface defining the opening, the first film having a thickness decreasing along a depth direction of the opening.

Claims (18)

1 . A substrate processing method comprising:

(a) preparing a substrate including a first region and a second region formed on the first region, the second region providing an opening on the first region;

(b) forming a top deposit on a top of the second region, by using a plasma generated from a gas;

(c) forming a first film on a surface of the top deposit and a sidewall surface defining the opening, the first film having a thickness decreasing along a depth direction of the opening; and

(d) after (c), adsorbing a precursor onto the substrate and modifying the precursor on the substrate, thereby forming a second film on the substrate.

2 . The substrate processing method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first region is a silicon-containing film and the top deposit contains carbon, boron, or a metal, or the first region is an organic film and the top deposit contains boron or a metal.

3 . The substrate processing method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

(e) after (d), etching the first region.

4 . The substrate processing method according to claim 3 , wherein in the etching the first region in (e), the top deposit is formed of a material having an etching rate lower than that of a material of the second region.

5 . The substrate processing method according to claim 2 , wherein the second film is a tungsten-containing film, a tin-containing film, an aluminum-containing film, or a hafnium-containing film.

6 . The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the sidewall surface of the opening has a width that decreases along its depth direction and is inclined with respect to a vertical direction.

7 . The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein in (b), the top deposit is formed by a plasma CVD method.

8 . The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein in (c), the first film is formed by an unsaturated ALD or CVD method.

9 . The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the first film is a silicon oxide film, a carbon-containing film, or a metal-containing film.

10 . The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the second region is a polycrystalline silicon film, an organic film, or a resist film.

11 . The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the first region is a silicon film, a silicon oxide film, a silicon nitride film, a stacked film including a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film, or an amorphous carbon film.

12 . The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the top deposit includes at least one of silicon, carbon, boron, and a metal.