IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,660,541
Granted Patent B2
US 12,660,541 · App. 17/835,056 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Surface processing method and processing system

Inventors: Koichi Takatsuki (Nirasaki City, JP); Tadahiro Ishizaka (Nirasaki City, JP); Mikio Suzuki (Nirasaki City, JP); Toshio Hasegawa (Nirasaki City, JP)
Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
H10P50/285C23C16/0236C23C16/06C23C16/45525H10P14/43H10W20/056
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,660,541
App. No.
17/835,056
Granted
Jun 16, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is provided a method of performing a surface processing on a substrate having a metal layer formed on a bottom portion of a recess formed in an insulating film, the method including: supplying a halogen-containing gas into a processing chamber in which the substrate is loaded; and removing a metal oxide from the bottom portion of the recess using the halogen-containing gas.

Claims (18)

1 . A method of performing a surface processing on a substrate having a tungsten layer formed on a bottom portion of a recess formed in an insulating film, wherein a surface of the insulating film is directly exposed to a side surface of the recess, the method comprising:

supplying a chlorine-containing gas into a processing chamber in which the substrate is loaded so as to supply the chlorine-containing gas to the recess; and

removing a tungsten oxide film from the bottom portion of the recess using the chlorine-containing gas at an etching rate higher than an etching rate of the insulating film which is exposed to the recess, thereby maintaining a shape of the recess,

wherein the chlorine-containing gas is at least one of tungsten chloride, thionyl chloride, and chlorine fluoride,

wherein the removing the tungsten oxide film is performed using a chemical etching method in which no plasma is used, and

wherein the tungsten oxide film is removed by being directly exposed to the chlorine-containing gas and chemically reacting with the chlorine-containing gas.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the insulating film is a silicon-containing film.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the silicon-containing film is at least one of a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after the removing the tungsten oxide film from the bottom portion of the recess, forming a tungsten film on the bottom portion of the recess by alternately supplying a tungsten chloride gas and a hydrogen gas.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein in the forming the tungsten film, a chlorine-containing substance, which has remained in the processing chamber as a reaction product generated during the removing the tungsten oxide film, is reacted with the hydrogen gas, and is removed.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

embedding a ruthenium from the bottom portion of the recess by supplying a ruthenium-containing gas toward the bottom portion of the recess.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the embedding the ruthenium is performed without having to use an oxygen gas.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the ruthenium-containing gas is any of a gas containing Ru 3 (CO) 12 , (2,4-dimethylpentadienyl)(ethylcyclopentadienyl)ruthenium: (Ru(DMPD)(EtCp)), bis(2,4-dimethylpentadienyl)Ruthenium: (Ru(DMPD) 2 ), 4-dimethylpentadienyl(methylcyclopentadienyl)Ruthenium: (Ru(DMPD)(MeCp)), Bis(Cyclopentadienyl)Ruthenium: (Ru(C 5 H 5 ) 2 ), Cis-dicarbonylbis(5-methylhexane-2,4-dionate)ruthenium(II), and bis(ethylcyclopentadienyl)Ruthenium(II): Ru(EtCp) 2 .

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the removing the tungsten oxide film and the embedding the ruthenium are continuously performed without exposing the substrate to air.

10 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the removing the tungsten oxide film and the forming the tungsten film on the bottom portion of the recess are performed in a same processing chamber.

11 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the forming the tungsten film on the bottom portion of the recess is performed using an atomic layer deposition method in which no plasma is used.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 9, 2022
From: TAKATSUKI, KOICHI; ISHIZAKA, TADAHIRO; SUZUKI, MIKIO; HASEGAWA, TOSHIO
To: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
Reel/Frame 060148/0001 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2018-189432 · Oct 4, 2018 · national
JP 2019-107422 · Jun 7, 2019 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16587760 · Sep 30, 2019
Related Publication 20220301882A1 · Sep 22, 2022
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