Patent ID: 11935758
Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
Field: Semiconductors (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A method for atomic layer etching a metal containing layer, wherein the metal containing layer fills features in a patterned mask and covers tops of the patterned mask, comprising:
a) modifying at least a region of a surface of the metal containing layer to form a modified metal containing region by exposing a surface of the metal containing layer to a modification gas, wherein adjacent to the modified metal containing region remains an unmodified metal containing region;
b) selectively removing the modified metal containing region with respect to the unmodified metal containing region by exposing the surface of the metal containing layer to an inert bombardment plasma generated from an inert gas; and
c) cyclically repeating steps a and b until the tops of the patterned mask are exposed.