PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 16052401
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-08
Publication Date: 2019-02
Patent Classification: ["438", "257000"]

Abstract:
Methods and apparatuses for selectively depositing silicon nitride (SiN) via high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP CVD) to form a SiN pad on an exposed flat surface of a nitride layer in a 3D NAND staircase structure with alternating oxide and nitride layers are provided. In some embodiments, selective etching is performed to remove undesirable buildup of SiN on sidewalls of the oxide layers of the staircase structure. Nitride layers of the staircase structure are replaced with tungsten (W) to form tungsten wordlines, while the SiN pads are replaced with tungsten to from landing pads, which prevent punchthrough of the tungsten wordlines on the staircase structure by interconnects extending thereto.

Claim (Index 20):
An apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising:\n a reactor having a process chamber contained therein; a plasma source in fluid communication and coupled with the process chamber; a substrate pedestal positioned within the process chamber, wherein the substrate pedestal receives electrical energy provided by an electrode coupled therewith; one or more gas inlets into the process chamber and flow-control hardware associated thereof, wherein process gases are introduced into the process chamber by the gas inlets; a controller configured to control the reactor, wherein the controller has a processor and a memory, wherein\n the processor and the memory are communicatively connected with one another; \n the processor is at least operatively connected with the flow-control hardware, and \n the memory stores computer-executable instructions for controlling the processor to at least control the flow-control hardware by:\n (a) inletting the process gases to the process chamber, the process gases comprising:\n a silicon-containing reactant; \n a nitrogen-containing reactant, and \n hydrogen gas (H 2 ), wherein the ratio of hydrogen gas to the silicon containing precursor is at least 1:2, \n \n (b) applying a bias to the electrode during (a); \n (c) after (a), lowering the bias applied to the electrode; and \n (d) during (c), inletting hydrogen (H 2 ) gas or (F) fluorine gas.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 35.0
- Percentile: 96.0
- Lexical Diversity: 1.71831
- Patent Class: 438.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['15972554', '15408291', '15894635', '12122614', '14803578']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.8571162654714582
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.5183112153872458
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.823235760463037
- Mean Citation Score: 244.015214
- Max Citation Score: 286.54504
- Similarity Product: 172.97674877683158

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test