IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,312,696
Granted Patent B2
US 12,312,696 · App. 18/349,444 · Granted May 27, 2025

Thermal atomic layer etching processes

Inventors: Tom E. Blomberg (Vantaa, FI); Varun Sharma (Helsinki, FI); Suvi Haukka (Helsinki, FI); Marko Tuominen (Espoo, FI); Chiyu Zhu (Helsinki, FI)
Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
C23F4/02C09K13/00C09K13/08C09K13/10C23F1/12H01J37/32009H01J37/3244H01L21/3065H01L21/31116H01L21/31122H01L21/32135H01L21/31138
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,312,696
App. No.
18/349,444
Granted
May 27, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Thermal atomic layer etching processes are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods comprise at least one etch cycle in which the substrate is alternately and sequentially exposed to a first vapor phase halide reactant and a second vapor halide reactant. In some embodiments, the first reactant may comprise an organic halide compound. During the thermal ALE cycle, the substrate is not contacted with a plasma reactant.

Claims (13)

1. A method of etching a substrate by chemical atomic layer etching, the method comprising a plurality of etching cycles, each etching cycle comprising:

exposing a substrate having a metal target material to an oxygen source reactant or N 2 O gas in a reaction chamber;

removing excess oxygen source reactant or N 2 O gas from the reaction chamber;

after removing the excess oxygen source reactant or N 2 O gas from the reaction chamber, treating the substrate with a vapor-phase halide reactant in the reaction chamber; and

removing excess vapor-phase halide reactant and vapor-phase reaction by-products from the reaction chamber,

wherein the vapor-phase reaction by-products include atoms of the metal target material thereby etching the metal target material from the substrate, and

wherein the vapor-phase halide reactant is a member selected from the group consisting of: a reactant including sulfur, carbon, and one or more halide atoms; a reactant including sulfur, phosphorus, and one or more halide atoms; a reactant including sulfur, nitrogen and one or more halide atoms; a compound including oxygen, sulfur, and a halide plus hydrogen or a hydrocarbon group; a reactant including sulfur, oxygen, and a halide; a reactant including nitrogen, carbon, sulfur, a halide, and oxygen; a reactant including carbon, sulfur, a halide, hydrogen, and oxygen; a reactant including nitrogen, carbon, sulfur, a halide, hydrogen, and oxygen; and a reactant including halogen, nitrogen, and sulfur.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal target material is a member selected from the group consisting of Ti, Ta, Al, Zr, Hf, and W.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal target material is a member selected from the group consisting of Ir, Ru, Rh, Mo, Cu, Sb, Al, Ti, Co, Ni, Ta, Al, Zr, Hf, and W.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal target material is a member selected from the group consisting of W, Pt, Cu, Ni, Co, Ti, Zn, Nb, Mo, and Ta.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal target material is present as a film on the substrate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the exposing includes exposing the substrate to oxygen or ozone as the oxygen source reactant.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the exposing includes exposing the substrate to N 2 O gas.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 31, 2024
From: BLOMBERG, TOM E.; SHARMA, VARUN; HAUKKA, SUVI; TUOMINEN, MARKO; ZHU, CHIYU
To: ASM IP HOLDING B.V.
Reel/Frame 069095/0720 →
Continuity (9)
Continuation 17646274 · Dec 28, 2021
Continuation 16881718 · May 22, 2020
Continuation 16390385 · Apr 22, 2019
Continuation 15835212 · Dec 7, 2017
Provisional Application 62485330 · Apr 13, 2017
Provisional Application 62455989 · Feb 7, 2017
Provisional Application 62449945 · Jan 24, 2017
Provisional Application 62432318 · Dec 9, 2016
Related Publication 20240026548A1 · Jan 25, 2024
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