Methods of forming an apparatus for making semiconductor dieves
A method of forming an apparatus comprises conformally forming a spacer material over and between structures overlying a base structure. A liner material is conformally formed on the spacer material. The spacer material is selectively etchable relative to the liner material through exposure to at least one etchant. Portions of the liner material and the spacer material overlying upper surfaces of the structures and upper surfaces of the base structure horizontally between the structures are selectively removed to form spacer structures flanking side surfaces of the structures. An apparatus and an electronic system are also described.
1. A method of forming an apparatus, comprising:
conformally forming a spacer material over and between structures overlying a base structure;
conformally forming a liner material on the spacer material, the spacer material selectively etchable relative to the liner material through exposure to at least one etchant; and
selectively removing portions of the liner material and the spacer material overlying upper surfaces of the structures and upper surfaces of the base structure horizontally between the structures to form spacer structures from the spacer material, the spacer structures substantially completely covering side surfaces of the structures.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the spacer material and the liner material such that an etch rate of the spacer material is within a range of from about three times greater to about fifty times greater than that of the liner material during exposure to an anisotropic dry etchant.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
conformally forming the spacer material over and between the structures overlying the base structure comprises conformally forming TiO x over and between the structures; and
conformally forming the liner material on the spacer material comprises conformally forming SiO x on the spacer material.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein conformally forming the liner material on the spacer material comprises forming the liner material to have a thickness within a range of from about 1 monolayer to about 5 nanometers.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein conformally forming the liner material on the spacer material comprises forming the liner material in situ with the spacer material.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively removing portions of the liner material and the spacer material comprises:
selectively removing regions of the liner material overlying the horizontally-extending surfaces of the spacer material through a first anisotropic dry etching process to expose regions of the spacer material thereunder; and
selectively removing the exposed regions of the spacer material through a second anisotropic dry etching process to form the spacer structures.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second anisotropic dry etching process is performed in situ with the first anisotropic dry etching process.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first anisotropic dry etching process is performed in situ with the formation of at least the liner material.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively removing portions of the liner material and the spacer material comprises forming upper surfaces of the spacer structures to be vertically offset from upper surfaces of the structures.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming an additional liner material between the spacer material and surfaces of the structures and the base structure, the spacer material selectively etchable relative to the additional liner material through exposure to the at least one etchant.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising selecting the additional liner material to have substantially the same material composition as the liner material.
12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising forming the additional liner material, the spacer material, and the liner material in situ with one another.
13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising selectively removing portions of the additional liner material overlying the upper surfaces of the structures and the upper surfaces of the base structure horizontally between the structures in situ with selectively removing the portions of the liner material and the spacer material overlying the upper surfaces of the structures and the upper surfaces of the base structure horizontally between the structures.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
conformally forming additional spacer material on the liner material; and
selectively removing portions of the additional spacer material overlying the portions of the liner material and the spacer material in situ with the selective removal of the portions of the liner material and the spacer material.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising selecting the additional spacer material to have substantially the same material composition as the spacer material.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein conformally forming additional spacer material on the liner material comprises forming the additional spacer material to have substantially the same thickness as the spacer material.
17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selectively removing the structures after forming the spacer structures.