Patent ID: 9659791
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: C23F,H01J,H01L

Claim:
1. A method of etching a metal layer on a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising: contacting the semiconductor substrate with a pre-treatment plasma, wherein the pre-treatment plasma is formed from a hydrogen-containing precursor; treating the metal layer with the pre-treatment plasma to form a pre-treated metal layer, wherein the treating of the metal layer includes: reacting the pre-treated metal layer with a halogen-containing precursor, wherein the halogen-containing precursor reacts with the pre-treated metal layer to form a halogenated metal layer comprising a halogenated etch product; removing the halogen-containing precursor from the semiconductor substrate; reacting the halogenated etch product on the halogenated metal layer with a carbon-and-nitrogen-containing precursor to form one or more volatile etch products; and removing the carbon-and-nitrogen-containing precursor and the volatile etch products from the semiconductor substrate, wherein the removal of the volatile etch products leaves behind the etched metal layer on the semiconductor substrate.