	US 12,312,696 B2
	Thermal atomic layer etching processes
Tom E. Blomberg, Vantaa (FI); Varun Sharma, Helsinki (FI); Suvi Haukka, Helsinki (FI); Marko Tuominen, Espoo (FI); and Chiyu Zhu, Helsinki (FI)
Assigned to ASM IP Holding B.V., Almere (NL)
Filed by ASM IP HOLDING B.V., Almere (NL)
Filed on Jul. 10, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/349,444.
Application 18/349,444 is a continuation of application No. 17/646,274, filed on Dec. 28, 2021, granted, now 11,739,427.
Application 17/646,274 is a continuation of application No. 16/881,718, filed on May 22, 2020, granted, now 11,230,769, issued on Jan. 25, 2022.
Application 16/881,718 is a continuation of application No. 16/390,385, filed on Apr. 22, 2019, granted, now 10,662,533, issued on May 26, 2020.
Application 16/390,385 is a continuation of application No. 15/835,212, filed on Dec. 7, 2017, granted, now 10,273,584, issued on Apr. 30, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/485,330, filed on Apr. 13, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/455,989, filed on Feb. 7, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/449,945, filed on Jan. 24, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/432,318, filed on Dec. 9, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2024/0026548 A1, Jan. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. C23F 4/02 (2006.01); C09K 13/00 (2006.01); C09K 13/08 (2006.01); C09K 13/10 (2006.01); C23F 1/12 (2006.01); H01J 37/32 (2006.01); H01L 21/3065 (2006.01); H01L 21/311 (2006.01); H01L 21/3213 (2006.01)

CPC C23F 4/02 (2013.01) [C09K 13/00 (2013.01); C09K 13/08 (2013.01); C09K 13/10 (2013.01); C23F 1/12 (2013.01); H01J 37/32009 (2013.01); H01J 37/3244 (2013.01); H01L 21/3065 (2013.01); H01L 21/31116 (2013.01); H01L 21/31122 (2013.01); H01L 21/32135 (2013.01); H01L 21/31138 (2013.01)]

7 Claims

1. A method of etching a substrate by chemical atomic layer etching, the method comprising a plurality of etching cycles, each etching cycle comprising:

exposing a substrate having a metal target material to an oxygen source reactant or N₂O gas in a reaction chamber;

removing excess oxygen source reactant or N₂O gas from the reaction chamber;

after removing the excess oxygen source reactant or N₂O gas from the reaction chamber, treating the substrate with a vapor-phase halide reactant in the reaction chamber; and

removing excess vapor-phase halide reactant and vapor-phase reaction by-products from the reaction chamber,

wherein the vapor-phase reaction by-products include atoms of the metal target material thereby etching the metal target material from the substrate, and

wherein the vapor-phase halide reactant is a member selected from the group consisting of: a reactant including sulfur, carbon, and one or more halide atoms; a reactant including sulfur, phosphorus, and one or more halide atoms; a reactant including sulfur, nitrogen and one or more halide atoms; a compound including oxygen, sulfur, and a halide plus hydrogen or a hydrocarbon group; a reactant including sulfur, oxygen, and a halide; a reactant including nitrogen, carbon, sulfur, a halide, and oxygen; a reactant including carbon, sulfur, a halide, hydrogen, and oxygen; a reactant including nitrogen, carbon, sulfur, a halide, hydrogen, and oxygen; and a reactant including halogen, nitrogen, and sulfur.