US 12,131,948 B2
Techniques for void-free material depositions
M. Arif Zeeshan, Manchester, MA (US); Kelvin Chan, San Ramon, CA (US); Shantanu Kallakuri, Ithaca, NY (US); Sony Varghese, Manchester, MA (US); and John Hautala, Beverly, MA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 21, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/224,904.
Application 18/224,904 is a continuation of application No. 17/028,259, filed on Sep. 22, 2020, granted, now 11,749,564.
Prior Publication US 2023/0369112 A1, Nov. 16, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01L 21/768 (2006.01); H01L 21/48 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/76879 (2013.01) [H01L 21/486 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
providing a substrate comprising a plurality of fins, wherein the plurality of fins each include a first sidewall opposite a second sidewall, and a bottom trench surface extending between the first and second sidewalls;
providing a seed layer over the substrate, including directly over the first sidewall and the second sidewall of the plurality of fins and directly atop the bottom trench surface;
removing the seed layer from the first sidewall and the second sidewall using an angled ion etch oriented at a non-zero angle of inclination relative to a perpendicular extending from the bottom trench surface, wherein ions of the angled ion etch are directed into an entire height of the first and second sidewalls without being directed into the bottom trench surface, and wherein the seed layer remains only along the bottom trench surface following the angled ion etch; and
forming a fill material over the substrate, wherein the fill material is formed to a height below a top surface of the plurality of fins without a removal process performed on the fill material.