Patent ID: 11948796
Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Field: Semiconductors (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  C | IPC C  H

Claim 7:
8. A method of processing a substrate in a process chamber, comprising:
exposing the substrate having a recessed structure with vertical sidewalls into a process volume of the process chamber;
introducing precursor gases into the process chamber;
growing an epitaxial layer on a horizontal portion of the substrate between each of the vertical sidewalls; and
etching the epitaxial layer on surfaces of each of the vertical sidewalls, wherein:
growing the epitaxial layer and etching the epitaxial layer occur simultaneously,
growth of the epitaxial layer on the top surfaces occurs at a greater rate than etch, and
etch of the epitaxial layer on the sidewall surfaces occurs at a greater rate than growth.