| US 7,541,291 B2 | ||
| Reduction of feature critical dimensions | ||
| Sean S. Kang, Fremont, Calif. (US); Sangheon Lee, San Jose, Calif. (US); Wan-Lin Chen, Sunnyvale, Calif. (US); Eric A. Hudson, Berkeley, Calif. (US); S. M. Reza Sadjadi, Saratoga, Calif. (US); and Gan Ming Zhao, Cupertino, Calif. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, Calif. (US) | ||
| Filed on Jun. 22, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/821,422. | ||
| Application 11/821422 is a continuation of application No. 10/648953, filed on Aug. 26, 2003, granted, now 7,250,371. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0293050 A1, Dec. 20, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. H01L 21/302 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 438—717 [438/696; 438/702; 257/E21.233; 257/E21.325] | 29 Claims |
| 1. A method for forming a feature in a layer, comprising:
forming a photoresist layer over the layer;
patterning the photoresist layer to form photoresist features with photoresist sidewalls, where the photoresist features have
a first critical dimension;
depositing a conformal layer over the sidewalls of the photoresist features to reduce the critical dimensions of the photoresist
features, comprising:
a first deposition with a first gas chemistry to form a first deposition plasma; comprising:
providing a flow of the first deposition gas;
forming the first deposition gas into a plasma; and
stopping the flow of the first deposition gas; and
a second deposition with a second gas chemistry to form a second deposition plasma, wherein the first gas chemistry is different
than the second gas chemistry, comprising:
providing a flow of a second deposition gas different than the first deposition gas;
forming the second deposition gas into a plasma; and
stopping the flow of the second deposition gas, so that the flow of the first deposition gas and the flow of the second deposition
gas alternates instead of being simultaneous; and
etching features into the layer, wherein the layer features have a second critical dimension, which is less than the first
critical dimension.
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