IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,550,651
Granted Patent B2
US 12,550,651 · App. 18/106,697 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Selective etching of silicon-containing material relative to metal-doped boron films

Inventors: Han Wang (Sunnyvale, CA); Yu Yang (Sunnyvale, CA); Jing Zhang (Santa Clara, CA); Aykut Aydin (Sunnyvale, CA); Guoqing Li (Santa Clara, CA); Guangyan Zhong (Sunnyvale, CA); Rui Cheng (San Jose, CA); Gene H. Lee (San Jose, CA); Srinivas Guggilla (San Jose, CA); Sinae Heo (Santa Clara, CA); Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian (Santa Clara, CA); Abhijit Basu Mallick (Sunnyvale, CA); Karthik Janakiraman (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
H01L21/31144H01L21/0332
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,550,651
App. No.
18/106,697
Granted
Feb 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Exemplary semiconductor processing methods may include depositing a metal-doped boron-containing material on a substrate disposed within a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The metal-doped boron-containing material may include a metal dopant comprising tungsten. The substrate may include a silicon-containing material. The methods may include depositing one or more additional materials over the metal-doped boron-containing material. The one or more additional materials may include a patterned photoresist material. The methods may include transferring a pattern from the patterned photoresist material to the metal-doped boron-containing material. The methods may include etching the metal-doped boron-containing material with a chlorine-containing precursor. The methods may include etching the silicon-containing material with a fluorine-containing precursor. The metal dopant may enhance an etch rate of the silicon-containing material. The methods may include removing the metal-doped boron-containing material from the substrate with a halogen-containing precursor.

Claims (35)

1 . A semiconductor processing method comprising:

depositing a metal-doped boron-containing material on a substrate disposed within a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the metal-doped boron-containing material comprises a metal dopant comprising tungsten, and wherein the substrate comprises a silicon-containing material;

depositing one or more additional materials over the metal-doped boron-containing material, wherein the one or more additional materials comprise a patterned photoresist material;

transferring a pattern from the patterned photoresist material to the metal-doped boron-containing material;

etching the metal-doped boron-containing material with a chlorine-containing precursor;

etching the silicon-containing material with a fluorine-containing precursor, wherein the metal dopant enhances an etch rate of the silicon-containing material; and

removing the metal-doped boron-containing material from the substrate with a halogen-containing precursor.

2 . The semiconductor processing method of claim 1 , wherein a metal dopant concentration within the metal-doped boron-containing material is maintained at less than or about 80 at. %.

3 . The semiconductor processing method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more additional materials comprise:

an oxide hardmask deposited over the metal-doped boron-containing material;

a carbon hardmask deposited over the oxide hardmask; and

one or more anti-reflective coatings deposited over the carbon hardmask, wherein the patterned photoresist material overlies the one or more anti-reflective coatings.

4 . The semiconductor processing method of claim 1 , wherein the chlorine-containing precursor comprises diatomic chlorine (Cl 2 ).

5 . The semiconductor processing method of claim 1 , further comprising:

during etching of the metal-doped boron-containing material, applying a plasma power to the processing region.

6 . The semiconductor processing method of claim 1 , further comprising:

during etching of the metal-doped boron-containing material, intermittently delivering a silicon-containing precursor and an oxygen-containing precursor to form a passivation material on sidewalls of the metal-doped boron-containing material.

7 . The semiconductor processing method of claim 6 , wherein:

the silicon-containing precursor comprises silicon tetrachloride (SiCl 4 ); or

the oxygen-containing precursor comprises molecular oxygen (O 2 ).

8 . The semiconductor processing method of claim 1 , wherein the fluorine-containing precursor comprises a fluorocarbon.

9 . The semiconductor processing method of claim 1 , wherein the metal dopant facilitates fluorine radical formation during etching of the silicon-containing material.

10 . The semiconductor processing method of claim 1 , wherein the halogen-containing precursor comprises diatomic chlorine (Cl 2 ) or hydrogen bromide (HBr).

11 . A semiconductor processing method comprising:

depositing a metal-doped boron-containing material over a silicon-containing material overlying a substrate disposed within a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the metal-doped boron-containing material comprises a metal;

delivering a fluorine-containing precursor and an oxygen-containing precursor to the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber;

forming a plasma of the fluorine-containing precursor and the oxygen-containing precursor within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber; and

etching the silicon-containing material, wherein the etching removes a portion of the metal-doped boron-containing material, and wherein the metal increases an etch rate of the silicon-containing material.

12 . The semiconductor processing method of claim 11 , wherein the metal-doped boron-containing material further comprises one or more of tungsten, molybdenum, titanium, aluminum, cobalt, ruthenium, tantalum, hafnium, zirconium, silicon, carbon, or nitrogen.

13 . The semiconductor processing method of claim 11 , wherein the metal-doped boron-containing material further comprises tungsten.

14 . The semiconductor processing method of claim 11 , further comprising:

depositing a photoresist material over the metal-doped boron-containing material;

patterning the photoresist material; and

transferring a pattern from the patterned photoresist material to the metal-doped boron-containing material.

15 . The semiconductor processing method of claim 11 , wherein the fluorine-containing precursor comprises a fluorocarbon, and wherein the fluorine-containing precursor passivates sidewalls of the metal-doped boron-containing material.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 20, 2023
From: WANG, HAN; YANG, YU; ZHANG, JING; AYDIN, AYKUT; LI, GUOQING; ZHONG, GUANGYAN; CHENG, RUI; LEE, GENE H.; GUGGILLA, SRINIVAS; VENKATASUBRAMANIAN, ESWARANAND; MALLICK, ABHIJIT BASU; JANAKIRAMAN, KARTHIK; HEO, SINAE
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 065294/0302 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240266185A1 · Aug 8, 2024
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Cited By (1)
US 12,707,911