US 12,087,595 B2
Metal deposition and etch in high aspect-ratio features
Baiwei Wang, Milpitas, CA (US); Rohan Puligoru Reddy, San Jose, CA (US); Xiaolin C. Chen, San Ramon, CA (US); Zhenjiang Cui, San Jose, CA (US); and Anchuan Wang, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/689,092.
Prior Publication US 2023/0290647 A1, Sep. 14, 2023
Int. Cl. H01L 21/3213 (2006.01); H10B 41/27 (2023.01); H10B 41/35 (2023.01); H10B 43/27 (2023.01); H10B 43/35 (2023.01)
CPC H01L 21/32136 (2013.01) [H10B 41/27 (2023.02); H10B 41/35 (2023.02); H10B 43/27 (2023.02); H10B 43/35 (2023.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of etching comprising:
depositing a metal-containing material or a carbon-containing material along surfaces of an exposed metal within a high aspect-ratio structure defined on a substrate;
flowing a fluorine-containing precursor and a secondary gas into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the secondary gas comprises oxygen or nitrogen, and wherein a flow rate ratio of the fluorine-containing precursor to the secondary gas is greater than or about 1:1;
contacting the substrate with the fluorine-containing precursor and the secondary gas; and
etching the exposed metal within the high aspect-ratio structure.
 
12. A method of etching comprising:
depositing a metal-containing material or a carbon-containing material along surfaces of an exposed metal within a high aspect-ratio structure defined on a substrate;
flowing a first fluorine-containing precursor and a secondary gas into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber;
contacting the substrate with the first fluorine-containing precursor and the secondary gas, wherein the substrate comprises an exposed metal, and wherein the substrate defines a memory hole in a 3D NAND structure, and wherein the exposed metal extends laterally into recesses formed perpendicular to the memory hole;
etching the exposed metal within the memory hole;
forming a plasma of an oxygen-containing precursor;
contacting the exposed metal with plasma effluents of the oxygen-containing precursor to produce oxidized metal;
flowing a second fluorine-containing precursor into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber; and
removing the oxidized metal.
 
20. A method of etching comprising:
depositing a metal-containing material or a carbon-containing material along surfaces of an exposed metal within a high aspect-ratio structure defined on a substrate;
flowing a first fluorine-containing precursor and a secondary gas into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the secondary gas comprises oxygen or nitrogen;
contacting the substrate with the first fluorine-containing precursor and the secondary gas, wherein the substrate comprises an exposed metal, and wherein the substrate defines a high aspect-ratio structure;
etching the exposed metal within the high aspect-ratio structure;
contacting the exposed metal with an oxygen-containing precursor to produce oxidized metal;
flowing a second fluorine-containing precursor into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber; and
removing the oxidized metal, wherein the method is performed with a chamber operating temperature of less than or about 500° C.