US 12,256,645 B2
Chemical etch nonvolatile materials for MRAM patterning
Wenbing Yang, Campbell, CA (US); Tamal Mukherjee, Fremont, CA (US); Zhongwei Zhu, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Samantha SiamHwa Tan, Newark, CA (US); Ran Lin, Fremont, CA (US); Yang Pan, Los Altos, CA (US); Ziad El Otell, Leuven (BE); and Yiwen Fan, Fremont, CA (US)
Assigned to Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/622,167
Filed by Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US)
PCT Filed Jul. 20, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/042812
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 22, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/021486, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 4, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/881,131, filed on Jul. 31, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0376174 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. H10N 50/01 (2023.01); H01J 37/32 (2006.01); H10N 50/10 (2023.01); H10N 50/80 (2023.01); H10N 50/85 (2023.01)
CPC H10N 50/01 (2023.02) [H01J 37/32449 (2013.01); H10N 50/10 (2023.02); H10N 50/80 (2023.02); H10N 50/85 (2023.02); H01J 2237/334 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for etching a metal containing substrate, comprising:
a) exposing a metal containing substrate situated in a chamber to a halogen-containing gas comprising an element selected from the group consisting of silicon, germanium, carbon, titanium, and tin, and igniting a plasma to modify a surface of the metal containing substrate and form a modified surface of a complex of a halogen, metal from the metal containing substrate, and the element from at least one of silicon, germanium, carbon, titanium, and tin; and
b) exposing the metal containing substrate to an activated activation gas to etch at least part of the modified surface, wherein the exposing the metal containing substrate to the activated activation gas to etch at least part of the modified surface forms volatile by-products, wherein the volatile by-products are a complex comprising a halogen, metal from the metal containing substrate, and at least one of silicon, germanium, carbon, titanium, and tin.