US 11,996,294 B2
Cryogenic atomic layer etch with noble gases
Alvaro Garcia De Gorordo, Mountain View, CA (US); Zhonghua Yao, Santa Clara, CA (US); Sunil Srinivasan, San Jose, CA (US); and Sang Wook Park, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to APPLIED MATERIALS, INC., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/983,560.
Application 17/983,560 is a continuation of application No. 17/371,176, filed on Jul. 9, 2021, granted, now 11,515,166.
Application 17/371,176 is a continuation of application No. 16/905,246, filed on Jun. 18, 2020, granted, now 11,087,989, issued on Aug. 10, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0071505 A1, Mar. 9, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01L 21/306 (2006.01); H01L 21/02 (2006.01); H01L 21/3065 (2006.01); H01L 21/311 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/3065 (2013.01) [H01L 21/02112 (2013.01); H01L 21/02263 (2013.01); H01L 21/0234 (2013.01); H01L 21/02348 (2013.01); B81C 2201/0138 (2013.01); H01L 21/0228 (2013.01); H01L 21/30655 (2013.01); H01L 21/31116 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of processing a substrate, the method comprising:
flowing a noble gas into a processing region of a processing chamber;
forming a first layer from the noble gas on a substrate;
flowing a fluorine-containing gas comprising SF6, NF3, F2, C4H8, CHF3, or combinations thereof into the processing region;
forming a fluorine-containing layer from the fluorine-containing gas on the first layer;
exposing the substrate, the first layer comprising the noble gas, and the fluorine-containing layer to energy to form a passivation layer while maintaining the substrate at conditions encompassing a triple point temperature of the noble gas; and
etching the substrate with ions.