IP Library Granted Patent US 12,595,555
Granted Patent B2
US 12,595,555 · App. 18/891,092 · Granted Apr 7, 2026

Toposelective vapor deposition using an inhibitor

Inventors: Andrea Illiberi (Leuven, BE); Varun Sharma (Helsinki, FI); Michael Givens (Oud-Heverlee, BE); Marko Tuominen (Helsinki, FI); Shaoren Deng (Ghent, BE)
Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
C23C16/045
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,595,555
App. No.
18/891,092
Filed
Sep 20, 2024
Granted
Apr 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
1713
USPC
427/255.28
Abstract

The current disclosure generally relates to the manufacture of semiconductor devices. Specifically, the disclosure relates to methods of depositing a layer on a substrate comprising a recess. The method comprises providing the substrate comprising a recess in a reaction chamber, depositing inhibition material on the substrate to fill the recess with inhibition material, removing the inhibition material from the substrate for exposing a deposition area and depositing a layer on the deposition area by a vapor deposition process. A vapor deposition assembly for performing the method is also disclosed.

Claims (43)

1 . A method of depositing one or more layers on a substrate comprising a recess, wherein the method comprises:

depositing an inhibition material on the substrate to fill the recess;

removing the inhibition material from a top part of the recess; and

depositing, by a selective vapor deposition process, the one or more layers on the substrate where the inhibition material was removed until the one or more layers fill the top part of the recess to form an air gap in a lower part of the recess.

2 . The method of claim 1 , comprising:

removing, prior to the depositing of the one or more layers, some of the inhibition material from the lower part of the recess where the air gap is formed.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing of the one or more layers comprises multiple phases of depositing the one or more layers, and wherein the method further comprises:

removing, between the multiple phases, some or all of the inhibition material from the lower part of the recess where the air gap is formed.

4 . The method of claim 1 , comprising:

removing the inhibition material from a top surface of the substrate outside of the recess prior to the removing of the inhibition material from the top part of the recess; and

depositing one layer of the one or more layers on the top surface where the inhibition material was removed.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers comprises multiple lavers, and wherein each of the multiple layers comprises a different material.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the selective vapor deposition process is a cyclic vapor deposition process.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the cyclic vapor deposition process comprises supplying at least two precursors in an alternating and sequential manner.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the inhibition material comprises organic material.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the organic material comprises a polymer or polyimide.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the inhibition material inhibits the selective vapor deposition process from depositing the one or more layers on the substrate.

11 . A method of deposition of layers on a substrate comprising a recess filled with an inhibition material, wherein the method comprises:

removing a portion of the inhibition material from the substrate to expose a first deposition area;

depositing a first layer on the first deposition area by a selective vapor deposition process;

removing, after the depositing of the first layer, an additional portion of the inhibition material to expose a second deposition area in a top part of the recess; and

depositing a second layer on the second deposition area to form an air gap in a lower part of the recess covered by the second layer.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

depositing the second layer on the first layer, wherein the first layer and the second layer comprise different materials.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first deposition area and the first layer extend into the recess, and the second layer is deposited over the first layer.

14 . The method of claim 11 , comprising:

removing, prior to the depositing of the second layer, some of the inhibition material from the lower part of the recess where the air gap is formed.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the depositing of the second layer comprises:

depositing an initial portion of the second layer;

removing, after the depositing of the initial portion of the second layer, a remaining portion of the inhibition material from the lower part of the recess where the air gap is formed; and

depositing a remaining portion of the second layer after the removing of the remaining portion of the inhibition material.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the selective vapor deposition process is a cyclic vapor deposition process that comprises supplying at least two precursors in an alternating and sequential manner.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:

the removing of the portion of the inhibition material from the substrate to expose the first deposition area is performed in a first reaction chamber; and

the depositing of the first layer on the first deposition area is performed in a second reaction chamber.

18 . A vapor deposition assembly for depositing a layer on a substrate comprising a recess, the vapor deposition assembly comprising:

a first chamber configured and arranged to deposit an inhibition material on the substrate to fill the recess, and to remove the inhibition material from a top part of the recess; and

a second chamber configured and arranged to deposit, by a selective vapor deposition process, one or more layers on the substrate where the inhibition material was removed until the one or more layers fill the top part of the recess to form an air gap in a lower part of the recess.

19 . The vapor deposition assembly of claim 18 , wherein the vapor deposition assembly is a cluster tool.

20 . The vapor deposition assembly of claim 18 , further comprising:

an inhibition material precursor vessel coupled to the first chamber;

a layer precursor vessel coupled to the second chamber; and

a controller configured to control flow of precursors from the inhibition material precursor vessel and the layer precursor vessel into the first chamber and the second chamber, respectively.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 20, 2024
From: ILLIBERI, ANDREA; SHARMA, VARUN; GIVENS, MICHAEL; TUOMINEN, MARKO; DENG, SHAOREN
To: ASM IP HOLDING B.V.
Reel/Frame 068645/0165 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17457764 · Dec 6, 2021
Provisional Application 63123136 · Dec 9, 2020
Related Publication 20260085402A1 · Mar 26, 2026
References Cited (34)
US 9112003B2 · Haukka et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9490145B2 · Niskanen et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9803277B1 · Longrie et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9805974B1 · Chen et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9895715B2 · Haukka et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10014212B2 · Chen et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10047435B2 · Haukka et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10121699B2 · Wang et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10343186B2 · Pore et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10373820B2 · Tois et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10428421B2 · Haukka et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10453701B2 · Tois et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10566185B2 · Wang et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10695794B2 · Pore et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10872765B2 · Tois et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10900120B2 · Sharma et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11081342B2 · Farm et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11094535B2 · Tois et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11139163B2 · Maes et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11145506B2 · Maes et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11170993B2 · Tois et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 12136552B2 · Illiberi · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20170365513A1 · Yang et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180151345A1 · Haukka et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180323055A1 · Woodruff et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180350587A1 · Jia et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20200035501A1 · Tabata et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200105515A1 · Maes et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200325573A1 · Illiberi et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210301392A1 · Illiberi et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210395888A1 · Cho et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
JP H08222569A · 1996 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020200011898A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020200038425A · 2020 [cited by applicant]