Granted Patent B2

US 12,469,693 · App. 17/021,760 · Granted Nov 11, 2025

Inventor: Yoshiyuki Kikuchi (Tokyo, JP)

Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.

H01L21/02115B05D1/60B05D3/107C23C16/26H01L21/0271H01L21/31111

Abstract

Claims (32)

1 . A method of forming a structure comprising a hard mask formed of a carbon-containing layer on a surface of a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate on a susceptor within a reaction chamber of a reactor;

heating a carbon precursor to produce a vaporized gas comprising carbon-containing molecules;

providing the vaporized gas to the reaction chamber though a gas distribution device coupled to a plasma power source; and

polymerizing the carbon-containing molecules by applying a plasma power from the plasma power source to the gas distribution device to form the carbon-containing layer on the surface of a substrate,

wherein the susceptor forms an electrode that is coupled to ground,

wherein the carbon precursor comprises a carbon compound comprising one or more sp3 hybridization carbon bonds,

wherein the carbon compound is a solid at normal temperature and pressure,

wherein the carbon compound is dissolved in a solvent, and

wherein the carbon compound comprises 10 or more carbon atoms.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon compound comprises a cyclic compound.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a melting temperature of the carbon compound is greater than or equal to 210° C. at a pressure of 100 kPa.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon compound sublimes.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon compound comprises two or more sp3 hybridization carbon-carbon bonds.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon compound comprises three or more sp3 hybridization carbon-carbon bonds.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a molecular weight of the carbon compound ranges from about 130 to about 220 Da.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon compound can be represented by the chemical formula C n H m X z , wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 10, m is an integer greater than or equal to 10, and z is an integer greater than zero.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the carbon compound comprises one or more of N, S, Cl, and Br, in any combination.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein n ranges from about 10 to about 12, m ranges from about 15 to about 22 and z is up to 5.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon compound comprises one or more of NO and SO.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of providing radical molecules comprising one or more of O and F to the reaction chamber.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of separately providing a reactant to the reaction chamber.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising a step of forming activated species from the reactant.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the reactant comprises an oxidizer.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the reactant comprises one or more of ozone, CO, CO 2 , COS, NO x , and SO x .

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon compound is selected from the group consisting of adamantanol and acetamidoadamantane.

18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of curing of the carbon-containing film by exposing the carbon-containing film to UV radiation.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising a step of etching the carbon-containing layer.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the carbon-containing layer is between about 10 and about 100, about 300 and about 1000, or about 1000 and about 2000 nm.

21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an amount of hydrogen in the carbon-containing layer is less than 5 at %.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein an extinction coefficient at 633 nm (k-value) of the carbon-containing layer is less than 0.2.

23 . The method of claim 21 , wherein a density of the carbon-containing layer is greater than 2.6 g/cc.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (400)