A method for preparing a patterned substrate includes selectively etching any one segment block of a self-assembled block copolymer from a laminate having a substrate; wherein a block copolymer membrane is formed on the substrate and the substrate contains the self-assembled block copolymer. According to the method, the self-assembled pattern of the block copolymer can be efficiently and accurately transferred on the substrate to prepare a patterened substate.

Systems and methods are provided herein for etch features on a substrate, while maintaining a near-unity critical dimension (CD) shrink ratio. The features etched may include, but are not limited to contacts, vias, etc. More specifically, the techniques described herein use a pulsed plasma to control the polymer build-up ratio between the major CD and minor CD of the feature, and thus, control the CD shrink ratio when etching features having substantially different major and minor dimensions. The CD shrink ratio is controlled by selecting or adjusting one or more operational parameters (e.g., duty cycle, RF power, etch chemistry, etc.) of the plasma etch process(es) to control the amount of polymer build-up at the major and minor dimensions of the feature.

Methods open etch stop layers in an integrated environment along with metallization processes. In some embodiments, a method for opening an etch stop layer (ESL) prior to metallization may include etching the ESL with an anisotropic process using direct plasma to form helium ions that are configured to roughen the ESL for a first duration of approximately 10 seconds to approximately 30 seconds, forming aluminum fluoride on the ESL using remote plasma and nitrogen trifluoride gas for a second duration of approximately 10 seconds to approximately 30 seconds, and exposing the ESL to a gas mixture of boron trichloride, trimethylaluminum, and/or dimethylaluminum chloride at a temperature of approximately 100 degrees Celsius to approximately 350 degrees Celsius to remove aluminum fluoride from the ESL and a portion of a material of the ESL for a third duration of approximately 30 seconds to approximately 60 seconds.

Plasma-assisted methods and apparatus are disclosed. The methods and apparatus can be used to provide activated species formed in a remote plasma unit to a reaction chamber to assist ignition of a plasma within a reaction chamber coupled to the remote plasma unit.

A method of processing a substrate is provided. The substrate includes an etching target region and a patterned region. The patterned region is provided on the etching target region. In the method, an organic film is formed on a surface of the substrate. Subsequently, the etching target region is etched by plasma generated from a processing gas. The organic film is formed in a state that the substrate is placed in a processing space within a chamber. When the organic film is formed, a first gas containing a first organic compound is supplied toward the substrate, and then, a second gas containing a second organic compound is supplied toward the substrate. An organic compound constituting the organic film is generated by polymerization of the first organic compound and the second organic compound.

The present disclosure provides forming nanostructures utilizing multiple patterning process with good profile control and feature transfer integrity. In one embodiment, a method for forming features on a substrate includes forming a first mandrel layer on a material layer disposed on a substrate. A first spacer layer is conformally formed on sidewalls of the first mandrel layer, wherein the first spacer layer comprises a doped silicon material. The first mandrel layer is selectively removed while keeping the first spacer layer. A second spacer layer is conformally formed on sidewalls of the first spacer layer and selectively removing the first spacer layer while keeping the second spacer layer.

A silicon-containing composition includes: a first polysiloxane; a second polysiloxane different from the first polysiloxane; and a solvent. The first polysiloxane includes a group which includes at least one selected from the group consisting of an ester bond, a carbonate structure, and a cyano group. The second polysiloxane includes a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms.

A method for manufacturing a metal fluoride-containing organic polymer film includes forming an organic polymer film on a base body. The method includes exposing the organic polymer film to an organometallic compound containing a first metal, thereby infiltrating the organic polymer film with the organometallic compound. The method includes exposing the organic polymer film infiltrated with the organometallic compound to hydrogen fluoride, thereby providing a fluoride of the first metal in the organic polymer film.

According to one embodiment, a pattern forming method includes forming an organic film on a processing target material, the organic film comprising a convex part and a remaining film part adjacent to the convex part and thinner than the convex part. The method further includes irradiating the organic film with an electron beam to decrease a dry etching rate of the organic film. The method further includes removing the remaining film part by dry etching of the organic film. The method further includes forming a pattern on the processing target material by dry etching using the organic film from which the remaining film part has been removed as a mask.

Provided is a method of high-density pattern forming, which includes: providing a substrate; forming a hard mask layer on the substrate; forming a sacrificial layer on the hard mask layer; forming photoresists arranged at intervals on the sacrificial layer; etching the sacrificial layer to enable the sacrificial layer to form a mandrel corresponding to the photoresist one by one, wherein a cross-sectional size of the mandrel gradually decreases from an end of the mandrel away from the hard mask layer to an end close to the hard mask layer; forming an isolation layer on the mandrel; removing the isolation layer on the top of the mandrel, the isolation layer covering the hard mask layer, and the mandrel to form an isolation sidewall pattern; and transferring the isolation sidewall pattern to the hard mask layer.