An etching method includes: (a) providing a substrate including a base film and a mask having an opening and formed on the base film; (b) etching the base film using plasma; and (c) supplying hydrogen fluoride to the substrate under a pressure of 13.3 Pa or higher.

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.

Examples of a substrate processing apparatus include a stage, a driving unit for rotating the stage, an electrode facing only a part of an outer edge of the stage, a high-frequency power supply unit for supplying high-frequency power to the electrode, and a gas supply device for supplying gas to a gap between the electrode and the stage.

Examples of a substrate processing apparatus include a stage, a driving unit for rotating the stage, an electrode facing only a part of an outer edge of the stage, a high-frequency power supply unit for supplying high-frequency power to the electrode, and a gas supply device for supplying gas to a gap between the electrode and the stage.

A method of processing a target object is provided. In the method, the target object including a first protrusion portion, a second protrusion portion, an etching target layer and a groove portion, the etching target layer having a region belonging to the first protrusion portion and a region belonging to the second protrusion portion, the groove portion being provided on a main surface of the target object, being provided on the etching target layer and being defined by the first protrusion portion and the second protrusion portion, and an inner surface of the groove portion being included in the main surface of the target object is prepared, and a first sequence is repeatedly performed N times (N is an integer equal to or larger than 2). The first sequence includes (a) forming a protection film conformally on the main surface; and (b) etching a bottom portion of the groove portion with plasma of a gas generated after the process a is performed. A mask is formed on the region belonging to the first protrusion portion while the mask is not formed on the region belonging to the second protrusion portion, and a deposition film is formed on the mask.

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.

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.

Provided herein is a method for producing hollow contact areas for insertion bonding, formed on a semiconductor substrate comprising a stack of one or more metallization layers on a surface of the substrate. Openings are etched in a dielectric layer by plasma etching, using a resist layer as a mask. The resist layer and plasma etch parameters are chosen to obtain openings with sloped sidewalls having a pre-defined slope, due to controlled formation of a polymer layer forming on the sidewalls of the resist hole and the hollow contact opening formed during etching. According to a preferred embodiment, metal deposited in the hollow contact areas and on top of the dielectric layer is planarized using chemical mechanical polishing, leading to mutually isolated contact areas. The disclosure is also related to components obtainable by the method and to a semiconductor package comprising such components.

An etching method of the invention includes: a resist pattern-forming step of forming a resist layer on a target object, the resist layer being formed of a resin, the resist layer having a resist pattern; an etching step of etching the target object via the resist layer having the resist pattern; and a resist protective film-forming step of forming a resist protective film on the resist layer. The etching step is repetitively carried out multiple times. After the etching steps are repetitively carried out multiple times, the resist protective film-forming step is carried out.

A method of processing a target object is provided. In the method, the target object including a first protrusion portion, a second protrusion portion, an etching target layer and a groove portion, the etching target layer having a region belonging to the first protrusion portion and a region belonging to the second protrusion portion, the groove portion being provided on a main surface of the target object, being provided on the etching target layer and being defined by the first protrusion portion and the second protrusion portion, and an inner surface of the groove portion being included in the main surface of the target object is prepared, and a first sequence is repeatedly performed N times (N is an integer equal to or larger than 2). The first sequence includes (a) forming a protection film conformally on the main surface; and (b) etching a bottom portion of the groove portion with plasma of a gas generated after the process a is performed. A mask is formed on the region belonging to the first protrusion portion while the mask is not formed on the region belonging to the second protrusion portion, and a deposition film is formed on the mask.