IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,503,764
Granted Patent B2
US 12,503,764 · App. 17/951,551 · Granted Dec 23, 2025

Substrate processing method

Inventors: ChangWan Lee (Daejeon, KR); KyungEun Lee (Suwon-si, KR); HakJoon Lee (Seoul, KR); SungKyu Kang (Hwaseong-si, KR)
Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
C23C16/45536C23C16/045C23C16/56H01L21/02164H01L21/02219H01L21/02274H01L21/0228H01L21/76837
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,503,764
App. No.
17/951,551
Granted
Dec 23, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A substrate processing method for gap-filling a recess between a first protrusion and a second protrusion of a pattern structure includes: changing a profile of a layer formed on the pattern structure, wherein the changing of the profile of the layer includes: in an upper area, increasing a width of the recess to suppress formation of a void in the upper area; and, in a lower area, reducing the width of the recess to contact the layer, thereby inducing formation of a void under the lower area, and thus allows a position of the void to be adjusted.

Claims (38)

1 . A substrate processing method comprising:

providing a pattern structure having a first protrusion and a second protrusion, wherein upper surfaces of the first protrusion and the second protrusion each have a planar portion and an edge portion surrounding the planar portion;

forming a first layer having a first thickness on the pattern structure, wherein a first recess of a first width is formed between the first protrusion and the second protrusion by the formation of the first layer; and

after forming the first layer, using ion bombardment, changing a profile of the first layer, wherein the profile of the first layer is changed such that a width of the first recess in a first upper area adjacent to edge portions of the first protrusion and the second protrusion is greater than the first width, a width of the first recess in a first lower area below the first upper area is less than the first width, and a width of the first recess in an area below the first lower area is greater than the width of the first recess in a first lower area,

wherein the forming of the first layer comprises applying a first plasma formed between a showerhead and a susceptor and the changing of the profile of the first layer comprises applying a second plasma between the showerhead and the susceptor, and

wherein a plasma power is applied to the showerhead and/or the susceptor.

2 . The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein a cycle including the forming of the first layer and the changing of the profile of the first layer is repeated a plurality of times to achieve gap-filling of a space between the first protrusion and the second protrusion.

3 . The substrate processing method of claim 2 , wherein the cycle comprises:

forming a second layer on the first layer, wherein a second recess is formed between the first protrusion and the second protrusion by the formation of the second layer; and

changing a profile of the second layer, wherein during the changing of the profile of the second layer, a width of the second recess in a second upper area increases relative to a width of the second region in the second upper area after forming the second layer, and a width of the second recess in a second lower area below the second upper area decreases relative to a width of the second region in the second lower area after forming the second layer.

4 . The substrate processing method of claim 3 , wherein the second lower area is below the first lower area.

5 . The substrate processing method of claim 3 , wherein, due to a decrease in the width of the second recess in the second lower area, a first portion on a side surface of the first protrusion of the second layer and a second portion on a side surface of the second protrusion of the second layer come into contact with each other to form a void.

6 . The substrate processing method of claim 5 , wherein the void is included in the second lower area.

7 . The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein a matching network is connected to the showerhead and the susceptor.

8 . The substrate processing method of claim 7 , wherein an intensity of the second plasma is greater than an intensity of the first plasma.

9 . The substrate processing method of claim 7 , wherein a frequency of the second plasma is lower than a frequency of the first plasma.

10 . The substrate processing method of claim 7 , wherein a frequency of the first plasma is a first range of frequencies, and

a frequency of the second plasma includes the first range of frequencies and a second range of frequencies that is lower than the first range.

11 . The substrate processing method of claim 7 ,

wherein the matching network is configured to perform a first matching operation for the first range of frequencies and a second matching operation for the second range of frequencies.

12 . The substrate processing method of claim 7 , wherein the applying of the first plasma is performed for a first time period,

the applying of the second plasma is performed for a second time period, and

by adjusting a ratio between the first time period and the second time period, a position of a void remaining in the pattern structure is changed.

13 . The substrate processing method of claim 7 , wherein a first sub-cycle including the applying of the first plasma during the forming of the first layer is performed a plurality of times,

a second sub-cycle including the applying of the second plasma during the changing of the profile of the first layer is performed a plurality of times, and

by adjusting a ratio between the number of repetitions of the second sub-cycle and the number of repetitions of the first sub-cycle, a position of a void in the pattern structure changed.

14 . The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the first layer comprises supplying a source gas, supplying a reactant gas, and applying a first plasma, and

the changing of the profile of the first layer comprises supplying the reactant gas and applying a second plasma different from the first plasma.

15 . The substrate processing method of claim 14 , wherein the supplying of the source gas, the supplying of the reactant gas, and the applying of the first plasma are performed for a same time period.

16 . The substrate processing method of claim 15 , wherein the supplying of the source gas and the supplying of the reactant gas are pre-supplied before the same time period.

17 . The substrate processing method of claim 14 , wherein the forming of the first layer further comprises at least one of:

supplying a purge gas, between the supplying of the source gas and the supplying of the reactant gas; and

supplying a purge gas after the supplying of the reactant gas.

18 . The substrate processing method of claim 1 , comprising:

forming a second layer; and

forming a third layer,

wherein forming the first layer and forming the third layer comprise providing a source gas, a reactant gas, and a plasma during a period, and

wherein forming the second layer comprises sequentially supplying a source gas and a reactant gas.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 28, 2022
From: LEE, CHANGWAN; LEE, KYUNGEUN; LEE, HAKJOON; KANG, SUNGKYU
To: ASM IP HOLDING B.V.
Reel/Frame 061235/0140 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63249464 · Sep 28, 2021
Related Publication 20230096453A1 · Mar 30, 2023
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