US 12,456,621 B2
Inert gas implantation for hard mask selectivity improvement
Daniela Anjos Rigsby, Tualatin, OR (US); Ragesh Puthenkovilakam, Portland, OR (US); Alice G. Hollister, Houston, TX (US); and Lie Zhao, Lake Oswego, OR (US)
Assigned to Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/997,697
Filed by Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US)
PCT Filed Apr. 22, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/028588
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 1, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/225790, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 11, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/020,370, filed on May 5, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0223263 A1, Jul. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. H01L 21/033 (2006.01); C23C 16/26 (2006.01); C23C 16/50 (2006.01); C23C 16/56 (2006.01); H01J 37/32 (2006.01); H01L 21/02 (2006.01); H01L 21/311 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/0337 (2013.01) [C23C 16/26 (2013.01); C23C 16/50 (2013.01); C23C 16/56 (2013.01); H01J 37/32926 (2013.01); H01L 21/02115 (2013.01); H01L 21/02274 (2013.01); H01L 21/0234 (2013.01); H01L 21/02592 (2013.01); H01L 21/0332 (2013.01); H01L 21/31116 (2013.01); H01L 21/31144 (2013.01); H01J 2237/332 (2013.01); H01J 2237/334 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of preparing an amorphous carbon hard mask, the method comprising:
(i) depositing amorphous carbon material on a substrate in a plasma deposition chamber at a deposition temperature;
(ii) exposing the amorphous carbon material to an inert gas plasma at an elevated treatment temperature greater than the deposition temperature in the plasma deposition chamber, wherein the inert gas plasma comprises ions and/or radicals of helium, neon, argon, krypton, or xenon; and
(iii) repeating operations (i) and (ii) to achieve a desired thickness for an amorphous carbon hard mask.