US 12,068,170 B2
Vapor phase thermal etch solutions for metal oxo photoresists
Lakmal Charidu Kalutarage, San Jose, CA (US); Mark Joseph Saly, Milpitas, CA (US); Bhaskar Jyoti Bhuyan, Milpitas, CA (US); Madhur Sachan, Belmont, CA (US); and Regina Freed, Los Altos, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on May 17, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/198,743.
Application 18/198,743 is a continuation of application No. 18/116,556, filed on Mar. 2, 2023.
Application 18/116,556 is a continuation of application No. 17/348,589, filed on Jun. 15, 2021, granted, now 11,621,172, issued on Apr. 4, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/047,157, filed on Jul. 1, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0290646 A1, Sep. 14, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01L 21/3213 (2006.01); C23F 4/02 (2006.01); G03F 7/004 (2006.01); G03F 7/26 (2006.01); G03F 7/36 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/32135 (2013.01) [C23F 4/02 (2013.01); G03F 7/0042 (2013.01); G03F 7/0043 (2013.01); G03F 7/265 (2013.01); G03F 7/36 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of developing a metal oxo photoresist, comprising:
providing a substrate with the metal oxo photoresist into a vacuum chamber, wherein the metal oxo photoresist comprises exposed regions and unexposed regions;
vaporizing a halogenating agent into the vacuum chamber, wherein the halogenating agent reacts with either the unexposed regions or the exposed regions to produce a volatile byproduct, wherein the halogenating agent comprises MoCl5, TaCl5, NbCl5, or WCl5; and
purging the vacuum chamber.