Patent US6924191B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6924191B2
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US
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Method for fabricating a gate structure of a field effect transistor
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
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Filing: 2003-06-16
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Granted: 2005-08-02
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Expires: 2023-06-16
Abstract
Abstract A method for fabricating features on a substrate having reduced dimensions. The features are formed by defining a first mask on regions of the substrate. The first mask is defined using lithographic techniques. A second mask is then conformably formed on one or more sidewalls of the first mask. The features are formed on the substrate by removing the first mask and then etching the substrate using the second mask as an etch mask.
Inventors
- 👤 Wei Liu
- 👤 Thorsten B. Lill
- 👤 David S. L. Mui
- 👤 Christopher Dennis Bencher
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 06:46
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P50/00; H10P50/20; H10P50/28; H10P50/282; H10P50/283; H10P50/285; H10D; H10D30/00; H10D30/01; H10D30/021; H10D30/0223; H10D30/0225; H10D64/00; H10D64/01; H10D64/013; H10D64/01302; H10D64/01304; H10D64/01324; H10D64/01326; H10D64/017; H10P50/26; H10P50/264; H10P50/266; H10P50/267; H10P50/268; H10P50/286; H10P50/287; H10P50/71; H10P76/00; H10P76/40; H10P76/408; H10P76/4085; H10P76/4088
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
100 words
A method of defining a feature on a substrate, comprising: (a) providing a substrate having a material layer formed thereon; (b) forming a first mask comprising amorphous carbon on the material layer; (c) forming a second mask conformably on one or more sidewalls of the first mask to a thickness defining a smallest width of the feature; (d) removing the first mask using a plasma comprising at least one of hydrogen bromide (HBr) and oxygen (O 2 ); and (e) plasma etching the material layer using the second mask as an etch mask to define at least one feature therein.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
100 words
A method of defining a feature on a substrate, comprising: (a) providing a substrate having a material layer formed thereon; (b) forming a first mask comprising amorphous carbon on the material layer; (c) forming a second mask conformably on one or more sidewalls of the first mask to a thickness defining a smallest width of the feature; (d) removing the first mask using a plasma comprising at least one of hydrogen bromide (HBr) and oxygen (O 2 ); and (e) plasma etching the material layer using the second mask as an etch mask to define at least one feature therein.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) further comprises: (b1) depositing an amorphous carbon layer on the material layer; (b2) forming a photoresist pattern on the amorphous carbon layer; (b3) transferring the photoresist pattern into the amorphous carbon layer; and (b4) removing the photoresist pattern.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the first mask further comprises a dielectric antireflective coating (DARC).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
88 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) further comprises: (c1) depositing a second mask layer conformably over the first mask; (c2) removing portions of the second mask layer disposed on horizontal surfaces of the first mask and the substrate using a plasma etch process having an overetch period; (c3) forming over the second mask layer a photoresist pattern exposing first regions of the second mask layer; (c4) removing the first region of the second mask layer to form the second mask; and (c5) removing the photoresist pattern.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 the first mask further comprises a dielectric antireflective coating (DARC).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the material layer comprises polysilicon.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of fabricating a gate structure of a field effect transistor comprising: (a) providing a substrate having a gate electrode layer formed on a gate dielectric layer; (b) forming a first mask comprising amorphous carbon on regions of the gate layer above source, drain, and channel regions of the transistor; (c) forming a second mask conformably on one or more sidewalls of the first mask to a thickness defining a length of the channel region; (d) removing the first mask using a plasma comprising at least one of hydrogen bromide (HBr) and oxygen (O 2 ); and (e) completing the gate structure by plasma etching the gate electrode layer and the gate dielectric layer using the second mask as an etch mask.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of fabricating a gate structure of a field effect transistor comprising: (a) providing a substrate having a gate electrode layer formed on a gate dielectric layer; (b) forming a first mask comprising amorphous carbon on regions of the gate layer above source, drain, and channel regions of the transistor; (c) forming a second mask conformably on one or more sidewalls of the first mask to a thickness defining a length of the channel region; (d) removing the first mask using a plasma comprising at least one of hydrogen bromide (HBr) and oxygen (O 2 ); and (e) completing the gate structure by plasma etching the gate electrode layer and the gate dielectric layer using the second mask as an etch mask.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 7 wherein step (b) further comprises: (b1) depositing an amorphous carbon layer on the material layer; (b2) forming a photoresist pattern on the amorphous carbon layer; (b3) transferring the photoresist pattern into the amorphous carbon layer; and (b4) removing the photoresist pattern.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the first mask comprises a dielectric antireflective coating (DARC) formed from at least one of silicon oxynitride (SlON) and silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
88 words
The method of claim 7 wherein step (c) further comprises: (c1) depositing a second mask layer conformably over the first mask; (c2) removing portions of the second mask layer disposed on horizontal surfaces of the first mask and the substrate using a plasma etch process having an overetch period; (c3) forming over the second mask layer a photoresist pattern exposing first regions of the second mask layer; (c4) removing the first regions of the second mask layer to form the second mask; and (c5) removing the photoresist pattern.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the second mask comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) and silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the gate electrode layer comprises polysilicon.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the gate electrode layer comprises one or more films of at least one of silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ), hafnium silicon dioxide (HfSiO 2 ), and aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ).
Claim 16
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of fabricating a field effect transistor on a substrate comprising: (a) providing a substrate having a gate electrode layer formed an a gate dielectric layer; (b) forming a first mask comprising amorphous carbon on regions of the gate electrode layer above source drain, and channel regions of the transistor; (c) forming a second mask conformably on one or more sidewalls of the first mask to a thickness defining a length of the channel region; (d) removing the first mask using a plasma comprising at least one of hydrogen bromide (HBr) and oxygen (O 2 ); and (e) completing the gate structure by plasma etching the gate electrode layer and the gate dielectric layer using the second mask as an etch mask.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of fabricating a field effect transistor on a substrate comprising: (a) providing a substrate having a gate electrode layer formed an a gate dielectric layer; (b) forming a first mask comprising amorphous carbon on regions of the gate electrode layer above source drain, and channel regions of the transistor; (c) forming a second mask conformably on one or more sidewalls of the first mask to a thickness defining a length of the channel region; (d) removing the first mask using a plasma comprising at least one of hydrogen bromide (HBr) and oxygen (O 2 ); and (e) completing the gate structure by plasma etching the gate electrode layer and the gate dielectric layer using the second mask as an etch mask.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 14 wherein step (b) further comprises: (b1) depositing an amorphous carbon layer on the material layer; (b2) forming a photoresist pattern on the amorphous carbon layer; (b3) transferring the photoresist pattern into the amorphous carbon layer; and (b4) removing the photoresist pattern.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the first mask further comprises a dielectric antireflective coating (DARC) formed from at least one of silicon oxynitride (SiON) and silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
88 words
The method of claim 14 wherein step (c) further comprises: (c1) depositing a second mask layer conformably over the first mask; (c2) removing portions of the second mask layer disposed on horizontal surfaces of the first mask and the substrate using a plasma etch process having an overetch period; (c3) forming over the second mask layer a photoresist pattern exposing first regions of the second mask layer; (c4) removing the first regions of the second mask layer to form the second mask; and (c5) removing the photoresist pattern.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the second mask comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) and silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ).
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the gate electrode layer comprises polysilicon.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the gate electrode layer comprises one or more films of at least one of silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ), hafnium silicon dioxide (HfSiO 2 ), and aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ).
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