Thin tin oxide films are used as spacers in semiconductor device manufacturing. In one implementation, formation of spacers involves deposition of a tin oxide layer on a semiconductor substrate having multiple protruding features. The deposition is performed in a deposition apparatus having a controller with program instructions configured to cause sequential contacting of the semiconductor substrate with a tin-containing precursor and an oxygen-containing precursor such as to coat the semiconductor substrate having the protruding features with a tin oxide layer. Next, tin oxide film is removed from horizontal surfaces, without being completely removed from the sidewalls of the protruding features. Next, the material of protruding features is etched away, leaving tin oxide spacers on the semiconductor substrate.

Thin tin oxide films can be used in semiconductor device manufacturing. In one implementation, a method of processing a semiconductor substrate includes: providing a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of protruding features residing on an etch stop layer material, and an exposed tin oxide layer in contact with both the protruding features and the etch stop layer material, where the tin oxide layer covers both sidewalls and horizontal surfaces of the protruding features; and then completely removing the tin oxide layer from horizontal surfaces of the semiconductor substrate without completely removing the tin oxide layer residing at the sidewalls of the protruding features. Next, the protruding features can be removed without completely removing the tin oxide layer that resided at the sidewalls of the protruding features, thereby forming tin oxide spacers.

A plasma processing method includes: providing a substrate including a silicon-containing film and a mask film having an opening pattern, on a substrate support; and etching the silicon-containing film using the mask film as a mask, with a plasma generated by a plasma generator provided in the chamber. The etching includes: supplying a processing gas containing one or more gases including carbon, hydrogen, and fluorine into the chamber; generating a plasma from the processing gas by supplying a source RF signal to the plasma generator; and supplying a bias RF signal to the substrate support unit. In the etching, the silicon-containing film is etched by at least hydrogen fluoride generated from the processing gas, while forming a carbon-containing film on at least a part of a surface of the mask film.

An apparatus for processing a substrate is provided. The apparatus includes a chamber having at least one gas inlet and at least one gas outlet, a substrate support in the chamber, a plasma generator and a controller configured to cause (a) placing a substrate on the substrate support, the substrate including a target layer having a recess, (b) exposing the substrate to a silicon-containing precursor, thereby forming an adsorption layer on a sidewall of the recess, (c) generating a plasma from a gas mixture in the chamber, the gas mixture including an oxygen-containing gas and a halogen-containing gas, (d) exposing the substrate to the plasma, thereby forming a protection layer on the adsorption layer while etching a bottom of the recess and (e) repeating (b) to (d) in sequence.

A method of processing a target object is provided. The target object includes a first protrusion portion, a second protrusion portion, and a groove portion provided on a main surface of the target object and defined by the first protrusion portion and the second protrusion portion and an inner surface of the groove portion is included in the main surface of the target object. The method comprises forming a protection film conformally on the main surface of the target object after the forming of the protection film conformally, repeatedly performing a plasma etching on a bottom portion of the groove portion of the target object and performing the forming of the protection film and the performing of the plasma etching N times (N is an integer equal to or larger than 2). The protection film is formed depending on a shape of the groove portion which has been changed by the plasma etching.

A gas supply ring for use in a substrate processing apparatus includes an inner face, an outer face, a first face between the inner face and the outer face, and a second face between the inner face and the outer face and opposite to the first face. The outer face has at least one gas inlet and the first face has an outer groove in communication with the at least one gas inlet. The second face has first and second middle grooves in communication with the outer groove. The first face further has first to fourth inner grooves disposed medial to the outer groove. The inner face has a plurality of gas outlets and each of the gas outlets is in communication with any one of the first to fourth inner grooves.

A disclosed etching method includes (a) forming a protective film on a surface in a chamber. The etching method further includes (b) etching an etch film of a substrate by using hydrogen fluoride within the chamber. The substrate includes the etch film and a mask provided on the etch film. The protective film is formed of the same type of material as a material of the mask.

Plasma processing apparatus for processing a workpiece are provided. In one example embodiment, a plasma processing apparatus for processing a workpiece includes a processing chamber, a plasma chamber separated from the processing, and an inductively coupled plasma source configured to generate a plasma in the plasma chamber. The apparatus includes a pedestal disposed within the processing chamber configured to support a workpiece. The apparatus includes an insert disposed in the plasma chamber movable to one or more vertical positions within the plasma chamber. Methods for processing of workpieces are also provided.

Thin tin oxide films can be used in semiconductor device manufacturing. In one implementation, a method of processing a semiconductor substrate includes: providing a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of protruding features residing on an etch stop layer material, and an exposed tin oxide layer in contact with both the protruding features and the etch stop layer material, where the tin oxide layer covers both sidewalls and horizontal surfaces of the protruding features; and then completely removing the tin oxide layer from horizontal surfaces of the semiconductor substrate without completely removing the tin oxide layer residing at the sidewalls of the protruding features. Next, the protruding features can be removed without completely removing the tin oxide layer that resided at the sidewalls of the protruding features, thereby forming tin oxide spacers.

Plasma processing apparatus and methods are provided. In one example implementation, the plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber. The plasma processing apparatus includes a pedestal disposed in the processing chamber. The pedestal is operable to support a workpiece. The plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma chamber disposed above the processing chamber in a vertical direction. The plasma chamber includes a dielectric sidewall. The plasma processing apparatus includes a separation grid separating the processing chamber from the plasma chamber. The plasma processing apparatus includes a first plasma source proximate the dielectric sidewall. The first plasma source is operable to generate a remote plasma in the plasma chamber above the separation grid. The plasma processing apparatus includes a second plasma source. The second plasma source is operable to generate a direct plasma in the processing chamber below the separation grid.