U.S. patent application number 14/521948 was filed with the patent office on 2015-02-12 for catalytic etch with magnetic direction control.
The applicant listed for this patent is International Business Machines Corporation. Invention is credited to David W. Abraham, Roger W. Cheek, Eric A. Joseph, Alejandro G. Schrott, Ying Zhang.
Application Number | 20150044426 14/521948 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51060379 |
Filed Date | 2015-02-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150044426 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Joseph; Eric A. ; et
al. |
February 12, 2015 |
CATALYTIC ETCH WITH MAGNETIC DIRECTION CONTROL
Abstract
A material can be locally etched with arbitrary changes in the
direction of the etch. A ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic
particle is employed to etch the material. A wet etch chemical or a
plasma condition can be employed in conjunction with the
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle to etch a
material through a catalytic reaction between the catalytic
particle and the material. During a catalytic etch process, a
magnetic field is applied to the ferromagnetic-material-including
catalytic particle to direct the movement of the particle to any
direction, which is chosen so as to form a contiguous cavity having
at least two cavity portions having different directions. The
direction of the magnetic field can be controlled so as to form the
contiguous cavity in a preplanned pattern, and each segment of the
contiguous cavity can extend along an arbitrary direction.
Inventors: |
Joseph; Eric A.; (White
Plains, NY) ; Abraham; David W.; (Croton, NY)
; Cheek; Roger W.; (Somers, NY) ; Schrott;
Alejandro G.; (New York, NY) ; Zhang; Ying;
(Yorktown Heights, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
International Business Machines Corporation |
Armonk |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
51060379 |
Appl. No.: |
14/521948 |
Filed: |
October 23, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13735314 |
Jan 7, 2013 |
|
|
|
14521948 |
|
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
428/172 ;
428/156 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 29/0657 20130101;
H01L 21/3065 20130101; H01L 29/16 20130101; Y10T 428/24479
20150115; H01L 21/30604 20130101; Y10T 428/24612 20150115; H01L
21/32137 20130101; H01L 21/3081 20130101; H01L 21/32134
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/172 ;
428/156 |
International
Class: |
H01L 21/308 20060101
H01L021/308; H01L 29/16 20060101 H01L029/16; H01L 29/06 20060101
H01L029/06 |
Claims
1. A patterned structure comprising: a substrate having a surface;
and a plurality of contiguous cavities extending from said surface
into said substrate, wherein each of said plurality of contiguous
cavities comprises at least a first cavity portion extending along
a first direction and a second cavity portion extending along a
second direction, wherein said first direction and said second
direction are different.
2. The patterned structure of claim 1, wherein said first cavity
portion is a straight portion having a single propagation
direction, and said second cavity portion is a curved portion
having a propagation direction that changes continuously.
3. The patterned structure of claim 1, wherein each of said
plurality of contiguous cavities has a substantially same
geometrical shape.
4. The patterned structure of claim 1, wherein each of said
plurality of contiguous cavities further comprises a third cavity
portion extending along a third direction, wherein said first
direction, said second direction, and said third direction are not
within a same two-dimensional plane.
5. The patterned structure of claim 1, wherein an angle between
said first direction and said second direction is at least 90
degrees.
6. The patterned structure of claim 1, wherein said substrate
comprises a semiconductor material including silicon, a
silicon-germanium alloy, a silicon-carbon alloy, a
silicon-germanium-carbon alloy, or germanium.
7. The patterned structure of claim 1, further comprising a
material layer including a plurality of holes therein and covering
said surface and containing a non-semiconductor material, wherein
one end of each of said plurality of contiguous cavities coincides
with one end of said plurality of holes.
8. The patterned structure of claim 7, wherein said
non-semiconductor material comprises silicon oxide, silicon
nitride, a dielectric metal oxide material, a dielectric metal
nitride material, or combinations thereof.
9. The patterned structure of claim 1, wherein a
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle is embedded
within an end of each of said plurality of contiguous cavities.
10. The patterned structure of claim 9, wherein said
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle comprises: a
ferromagnetic material core; and a surface coating over said
ferromagnetic material core, said surface coating comprising a
catalytic material that functions as a catalyst for a catalytic
etch process.
11. The patterned structure of claim 10, wherein said ferromagnetic
material core comprises iron, cobalt, nickel, dysprosium,
gadolinium, chromium oxide, ferrites, gallium manganese arsenide,
magnetite, a permalloy, a rare-earth magnet, a samarium-cobalt
alloy, suessite, yttrium iron garnet, or a combination thereof.
12. The patterned structure of claim 9, wherein said at least one
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle consists of a
ferromagnetic material that is a catalytic material that functions
as a catalyst for a catalytic etch process.
13. The patterned structure of claim 9, wherein a catalytic surface
of said ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle
comprises a silver surface, a platinum surface, or a tungsten
surface.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for a catalytic
etch with magnetic direction control, an apparatus for performing
the same, and a structure formed by the same.
[0002] Various anisotropic etch methods are known in the art. Such
methods include an anisotropic reactive ion etch that provides
directional removal of a material employing a patterned mask layer.
The direction of the etch remains the same throughout the
anisotropic etch process.
[0003] Crystallographic wet etches can also provide anisotropic
removal of a material through formation of crystallographic facets
during the etch. The direction of the etch is normal to the
crystallographic surfaces during the etch.
[0004] Methods known in the art do not enable an arbitrary change
in the etch direction. Thus, the variety of structures that can be
patterned by local removal of a material is limited.
SUMMARY
[0005] A material can be locally etched with arbitrary changes in
the direction of the etch. A ferromagnetic-material-including
catalytic particle is employed to etch the material. A wet etch
chemical or a plasma condition can be employed in conjunction with
the ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle to etch the
material through a catalytic reaction between the catalytic
particle and the material. During a catalytic etch process, a
non-uniform magnetic field is applied to the
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle to direct the
movement of the particle to any direction, which in one embodiment
may be chosen so as to form a contiguous cavity having at least two
cavity portions having different directions. The direction of the
spatial variation of the magnetic field can be controlled so as to
form the contiguous cavity in a preplanned pattern, and each
segment of the contiguous cavity can extend along an arbitrary
direction.
[0006] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method
of etching a material is provided. At least one
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle is disposed on
a material. A catalytic etch process is performed on the material
by activating the at least one ferromagnetic-material-including
catalytic particle with a chemical or a plasma. A direction of
propagation of the at least one ferromagnetic-material-including
catalytic particle is changed during the catalytic etch process by
changing a direction of the spatial variation of the magnetic field
applied to the at least one ferromagnetic-material-including
catalytic particle.
[0007] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a
system for etching a material is provided. The system includes an
apparatus that contains an etch chamber and a magnetic field
generating apparatus. The etch chamber is configured to perform a
catalytic etch process of a material by activating at least one
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle. The magnetic
field generating apparatus is configured to apply a magnetic field
to the at least one ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic
particle within the etch chamber along at least two independent
directions.
[0008] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a
patterned structure is provided, which includes a substrate having
a surface, and a plurality of contiguous cavities extending from
the surface. Each of the plurality of contiguous cavities has a
substantially same geometrical shape that including at least a
first cavity portion extending along a first direction and a second
cavity portion extending along a second direction. The first
direction and the second direction are different.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first exemplary system for
catalytically etching a material according to an embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a second exemplary system for
catalytically etching a material according to an embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 3A is a scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a silicon
surface etched with a catalytic plasma etch process.
[0012] FIG. 3B is a tunneling electron micrograph (TEM) of a
silicon material etched with the same catalytic plasma etch process
employed to etch the silicon surface shown in FIG. 3A.
[0013] FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of a first exemplary
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of a second exemplary
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a first exemplary patterned structure according to
an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a second exemplary patterned structure according
to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] As stated above, the present disclosure relates to a method
for a catalytic etch with magnetic direction control, an apparatus
for performing the same, and a structure formed by the same.
Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with
accompanying figures. Throughout the drawings, the same reference
numerals or letters are used to designate like or equivalent
elements. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a first exemplary system for
catalytically etching a material and a second exemplary system for
catalytically etching a material are respectively shown. As used
herein, a "catalytic etch" refers to an etch process that proceeds
through a catalyst. In a catalytic etch process, a material is
etched where a catalyst is present, and remains substantially
unetched where a catalyst is not present. As used herein,
"catalytically etching" refers to the act of performing a catalytic
etch.
[0019] Each of the first and second exemplary systems includes an
apparatus for performing a catalytic etch. Each of the first and
second exemplary systems includes an etch chamber 100 configured to
perform a catalytic etch process of a material. The catalytic etch
can be performed by activating at least one
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle.
[0020] In one embodiment, each of the at least one
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle includes a
combination of a ferromagnetic material core and a surface coating
over the ferromagnetic material core such that the surface coating
includes a catalytic material that functions as a catalyst for the
catalytic etch process. In another embodiment, the at least one
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle can consist of
a ferromagnetic material that is a catalytic material that
functions as a catalyst for the catalytic etch process.
[0021] In one embodiment, the etched material can be a
semiconductor material. The semiconductor material can include at
least one elemental semiconductor material. The semiconductor
material can be, for example, silicon, a silicon-germanium alloy, a
silicon-carbon alloy, a silicon-germanium-carbon alloy, or
germanium. The semiconductor material can be an intrinsic
semiconductor material or a doped semiconductor material including
at least one p-type dopant and/or at least one n-type dopant. The
semiconductor material can be a single crystalline semiconductor
material, a polycrystalline semiconductor material, an amorphous
semiconductor material, or a stack or a combination thereof.
[0022] In one embodiment, the etch chamber can be configured to
accommodate a semiconductor substrate having a uniform thickness
and having a lateral dimension of at least 10 mm. In one
embodiment, the semiconductor substrate can be a circular-shape
substrate having a diameter in a range from 25 mm to 450 mm and a
thickness in a range from 50 micron to 2 mm, although lesser and
greater diameters and/or lesser and greater thicknesses can also be
employed.
[0023] In one embodiment, the catalytic etch process can be a wet
etch process employing a wet etch solution. In this case, a
catalytic surface of the at least one
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle can be
activated by the wet etch solution to etch a semiconductor
material.
[0024] In another embodiment, the catalytic etch process can be a
plasma etch process employing a plasma. In this case, the catalytic
surface of the at least one ferromagnetic-material-including
catalytic particle can be activated by the plasma to etch a
semiconductor material.
[0025] The coating of the catalytic surface can include any
catalytic material that provides a catalytic etch of a
semiconductor material in combination with a suitable wet etch
solution or under a suitable plasma condition. In one embodiment,
the catalytic surface can be activated in a wet etch solution, and
the catalytic surface of the at least one
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle can be, for
example, a silver surface, a platinum surface, or a surface of any
other metal that can provide a catalytic etching of a semiconductor
material in combination with a suitable etchant. The wet etch
solution can be, for example, a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and
hydrogen peroxide. Silver particles that catalytically etch a
semiconductor material in the presence of a mixture of hydrofluoric
acid and hydrogen peroxide are described, for example, in Tsujino K
et al., Boring Deep Cylindrical Nanoholes in Silicon Using Silver
Nanoparticles as a Catalyst, Advanced Materials, Vol. 17, Issue 8,
pp. 1045-1047 (2005). Platinum particles that catalytically etch a
semiconductor material in the presence of a mixture of hydrofluoric
acid and hydrogen peroxide are described, for example, in Tshjino
et al., Helical Nanoholes Bored in Silicon by Wet Chemical Etching
Using Platinum Nanoparticles as Catalyst, Electrochem. Solid-State
Lett., Vol. 8, issue 12, pp. C193-C195 (2005).
[0026] In another embodiment, the catalytic surface can be
activated under a plasma condition, and the catalytic surface of
the at least one ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic
particle can be, for example, a tungsten surface, a silver surface,
or a surface of any other metal that can provide a catalytic
etching of a semiconductor material under a suitable plasma
condition.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 3A, a silicon surface is shown from which
a catalytic etching of silicon proceeded downward employing
tungsten particles as a catalyst that was activated under a plasma
of SF.sub.6 gas. FIG. 3B is a transmission electron micrograph of a
portion of the silicon material underneath the silicon surface
shown in FIG. 3A. Various portions of cavities formed by a
catalytic etching of silicon are shown. Tungsten particles
functioned as catalysts in the presence of an SF.sub.6 plasma in
this case. Portions of cavities that are shown in FIG. 3B and not
contiguously connected to the top surface (shown at the upper left
portion of the TEM picture) are contiguously connected to the top
surface through extensions of the same cavities that are not shown.
The extensions of the cavities were present outside the thickness
range of the sample from which the TEM picture was generated, and
thus, were removed during preparation of the TEM sample.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 4A, if the material on the surface of the
at least one ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle 60
is not intrinsically ferromagnetic, the catalytic surface can be
formed on a ferromagnetic core 50A by coating the catalytic
material employing any coating method known in the art. The
catalytic material on the surface of the ferromagnetic core 60A is
herein referred to as a catalytic surface coating 60B.
[0029] For example, the ferromagnetic core 60A can include an
elemental ferromagnetic material such as iron, cobalt, nickel,
dysprosium, gadolinium, and neodymium, and/or a compound
ferromagnetic material such as chromium oxide, ferrites, gallium
manganese arsenide, magnetite, a permalloy, a rare-earth magnet
made of a rare-earth alloy material, a samarium-cobalt alloy, sues
site, and yttrium iron garnet, or combinations or alloys thereof.
The ferromagnetic core can have a characteristic lateral dimension
in a range from 3 micron to 300 microns, although lesser and
greater characteristic lateral dimensions can also be employed. As
used herein, a characteristic lateral dimension is a diameter of a
sphere having a same volume as the ferromagnetic core. Thus, for a
ferromagnetic core having a volume of V, the characteristic lateral
dimension D is given by:
V = 4 .pi. 3 ( D / 2 ) 3 , i . e . , D = 6 V .pi. 3 .
##EQU00001##
[0030] The thickness of the coating that forms the catalytic
surface coating 60B can be, for example, from 5 nm to 100 microns,
although lesser and greater coating thicknesses can also be
employed.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 4B, if the material on the surface of the
at least one ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle 60
is intrinsically ferromagnetic, each of the at least one
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle 60 can consist
of the catalytic material that is also ferromagnetic. In this case,
each of the at least one ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic
particle 60 consists of a ferromagnetic core 60A, of which the
surface is a catalytic surface that is activated in a suitable wet
etch solution or under a suitable plasma condition. Any of the
ferromagnetic materials described above can be employed for the
material of the ferromagnetic core 60A provided that the surfaces
of the material of the ferromagnetic core 60A can be activated as a
catalytic surface in a suitable wet etch solution or under a
suitable plasma condition.
[0032] Referring back to FIGS. 1A and 1B, each of the first and
second exemplary systems includes a magnetic field generating
apparatus configured to apply a non-uniform magnetic field to the
at least one ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle 60
within the etch chamber 100. The magnetic field generating
apparatus is configured to enable application of variations of the
non-uniform magnetic field along at least two independent
directions, i.e., two directions with a finite angle
therebetween.
[0033] In one embodiment, the magnetic field generating apparatus
can be configured to change the magnetic field along at least three
directions that are not within a same two-dimensional plane. For
example, the magnetic field generating apparatus can be configured
to change the magnetic field along three axes of a Cartesian
coordinate system.
[0034] For example, the magnetic field generating apparatus in the
first exemplary system illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a first
x-axis electromagnet 20X1, a second x-axis electromagnet 20X2, a
first y-axis electromagnet 20Y1, a second y-axis electromagnet
20Y2, a first z-axis electromagnet 20Z1, and a second z-axis
electromagnet 20Z2. The first x-axis electromagnet 20X1 and the
second x-axis electromagnet 20X2 can be operated in conjunction to
generate a magnetic field along a +x direction or a -x direction
(i.e., the direction from the center of the second x-axis
electromagnet 20X2 to the center of the first x-axis electromagnet
20X1 or the direction from the center of the first x-axis
electromagnet 20X1 to the center of the second x-axis electromagnet
20X2, respectively). The first y-axis electromagnet 20Y1 and the
second y-axis electromagnet 20Y2 can be operated in conjunction to
generate a magnetic field along a +y direction or a -y direction
(i.e., the direction from the center of the second y-axis
electromagnet 20Y2 to the center of the first y-axis electromagnet
20Y1 or the direction from the center of the first y-axis
electromagnet 20Y1 to the center of the second y-axis electromagnet
20Y2, respectively). The first z-axis electromagnet 20Z1 and the
second z-axis electromagnet 20Z2 can be operated in conjunction to
generate a magnetic field along a +z direction or a -z direction
(i.e., the direction from the center of the second z-axis
electromagnet 20Z2 to the center of the first z-axis electromagnet
20Z1 or the direction from the center of the first z-axis
electromagnet 20Z1 to the center of the second z-axis electromagnet
20Z2, respectively). Magnetic fields from multiple electromagnets
can be superposed to generate a magnetic field along an arbitrary
direction and with an arbitrary magnitude along the said arbitrary
direction (up to the maximum magnetic field intensity that the
capabilities of the various electromagnets allow). The magnitude
and orientation of the magnetic field within the etch chamber 100
can be controlled as a function of time in an arbitrary manner by a
power supply and control unit 40, which is configured to control
the various electromagnets.
[0035] In another illustrative example, the magnetic field
generating apparatus in the first exemplary system illustrated in
FIG. 2 includes an annular support structure 32. The annular
support structure 32 can be ring-shaped, and can have an axial
direction .alpha. that is perpendicular to the plane that bisects
the annular support structure 32 into two identical ring-shaped
portions. The annular support structure 32 can be tiltable and
rotatable such that the tilt angle .theta. of the axial direction
cc with respect to a z-axis of a Cartesian coordinate system can
vary in a range from 0 degree to 90 degrees, and the rotation angle
.phi. of the axial direction cc with respect to a x-axis of a
Cartesian coordinate system can vary in a range from 0 degree to
180 degrees.
[0036] A first electromagnet 30A and a second electromagnetic 30B
can be mounted to the annular support structure 32 such that the
first electromagnet 30A and the second electromagnetic 30B are
located at opposite sides of the annular support structure 32.
Further, the first electromagnet 30A and the second electromagnetic
30B can be slidable along the surfaces of the annular support
structure 32, i.e., around the axial direction cc of the annular
support structure 32, by an angle in a range from 0 to 360 degrees.
The first electromagnet 30A and the second electromagnet 30B can be
powered by a power supply and control unit 40. In one embodiment,
the first electromagnet 30A and the second electromagnet 30B can
generate a uniform or non-uniform magnetic field along the
direction from the center of the first electromagnet 30A to the
center of the second magnet 30B (or vice versa) with an arbitrary
magnitude (up to the maximum magnetic field intensity that the
capabilities of the combination of the first and second
electromagnets (30A, 30B) allows).
[0037] Each of the magnetic field generating apparatuses of FIG. 1
and FIG. 2 is configured to contiguously change a direction of the
magnetic field and its intensity along the said direction during
operation of the catalytic etch process. Further, each of the
magnetic field generating apparatuses of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is
configured to align the magnetic field along an arbitrary spatial
orientation within a three-dimensional polar coordinate system.
Likewise, each of the magnetic field generating apparatuses of FIG.
1 and FIG. 2 is configured to align the magnetic field along an
arbitrary spatial orientation within a three-dimensional Cartesian
coordinate system.
[0038] The size of the ferromagnetic core 60A and the size of each
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle 60 can be
selected such that the magnetic force is the average dominant force
that affects the movement of the ferromagnetic-material-including
catalytic particle 60 during the catalytic etch.
[0039] The magnetic force applied to a ferromagnetic-particle of
magnetic moment M-including catalytic particle 60 is given by:
F.sub.mag=(M.gradient.)B
where B is the modulus (intensity)) of the magnetic flux density
(in Tesla). F.sub.mag can be greater than the sum of all other
miscellaneous pinning or dragging forces.
[0040] A system including an etch chamber 100 and a magnetic field
generating apparatus, such as the first and second exemplary
systems, can be employed to etch a material with contiguous
cavities having an arbitrary shape. Referring to FIG. 5, at least
one ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle 60 can be
disposed on a top surface of a semiconductor substrate 10 including
a semiconductor material. The at least one
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle 60 can be
disposed on the top surface of the semiconductor substrate 10 prior
to loading the semiconductor substrate 10 into an etch chamber 100
(See FIGS. 1 and 2), or the at least one
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle 60 can be
dispensed from within an etch chamber onto the top surface of the
semiconductor substrate 10 after the semiconductor substrate 10 is
loaded into an etch chamber 100
[0041] Subsequently, a catalytic etch process is performed on the
semiconductor material of the semiconductor substrate 10 by
activating the at least one ferromagnetic-material-including
catalytic particle 10 with a chemical or a plasma as described
above. During the catalytic etch process, the direction of
propagation of the at least one ferromagnetic-material-including
catalytic particle 60 is changed by changing the direction or
magnitude of the magnetic field applied to the at least one
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle 60.
[0042] In one embodiment, the direction of propagation of the at
least one ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle 60
can be controlled such that at least one contiguous cavity 12
including at least a first cavity portion 12A extending along a
first direction 11A and a second cavity portion 12B extending along
a second direction 11B. The first direction 11A and the second
direction 11B are different. Each cavity portion can be a straight
portion including a single direction of propagation, or can be a
curved portion including a continuously changing direction of
propagation. The direction of extension of a curved cavity portion
can be defined at any point within the curved cavity portion as the
tangential direction along which the curved cavity extends, i.e.,
the direction obtained by determining a limit of a direction along
which a continuously shrinking cylinder that approximates a
continuously shrinking segment of the curved cavity that includes
the point at which the tangential direction is evaluated.
[0043] Each of the at least one contiguous cavity 12 can include a
section in which a propagation direction of the contiguous cavity
12 changes continuously. For example, the second cavity portion 12B
is a section in which the propagation direction of the contiguous
cavity 12 changes continuously.
[0044] Each of the at least one contiguous cavity 12 can include a
third cavity portion 12C extending along a third direction. The
third direction can be along a direction that is not within the
plane including the first direction 11A and the second direction
11B. In one embodiment, the third direction can be perpendicular to
the first direction 11A and the second direction 11B. For example,
the third direction can be perpendicular to the plane shown in FIG.
5 (i.e., extend into or out of the plane of FIG. 5. In one
embodiment, the first direction, the second direction, and the
third direction are not within a same two-dimensional plane.
[0045] The at least one contiguous cavity 12 can be a plurality of
contiguous cavities 12. The plurality of cavities 12 can have
generally identical cavity features. As used herein, "cavity
features" refer to the overall shape, the length of each segment,
and the curvature of each segment. As used herein, cavity features
of a first cavity and a second cavity are "generally identical" if
a topologically homeomorphic transformation exists between the
first cavity and the second cavity such that for each segment in
the first cavity, there exists a corresponding segment in the
second cavity and vice versa, and for each length of a segment in a
first cavity, the corresponding length in the second cavity is
between 0.5 times the length of the segment in the first cavity and
2.0 times the length of the segment in the first cavity, and for
each finite radius of curvature in a segment of a first cavity, the
corresponding radius of curvature in the second cavity is between
0.5 times the radius of cavity of the segment in the first cavity
and 2.0 times the radius of cavity of the segment in the first
cavity. It is understood that the topologically homeomorphic
transformation is performed after smoothing the physical surfaces
of the plurality of cavities 12 to eliminate surface roughness that
is present in any physical structure. As used herein, topologically
homeomorphic transformation has the same meaning as used in
mathematics, i.e., a transformation by a continuous function
between topological spaces that has a continuous inverse
function.
[0046] In one embodiment, for each length of a segment in a first
cavity, the corresponding length in the second cavity is between
0.75 times the length of the segment in the first cavity and 1.5
times the length of the segment in the first cavity, and for each
finite radius of curvature in a segment of a first cavity, the
corresponding radius of curvature in the second cavity is between
0.75 times the radius of cavity of the segment in the first cavity
and 1.5 times the radius of cavity of the segment in the first
cavity.
[0047] In one embodiment, for each length of a segment in a first
cavity, the corresponding length in the second cavity is between
9/10 times the length of the segment in the first cavity and 10/9
times the length of the segment in the first cavity, and for each
finite radius of curvature in a segment of a first cavity, the
corresponding radius of curvature in the second cavity is between
9/10 times the radius of cavity of the segment in the first cavity
and 10/9 times the radius of cavity of the segment in the first
cavity.
[0048] In one embodiment, for each length of a segment in a first
cavity, the corresponding length in the second cavity can be
substantially identical to the length of the segment in the first
cavity, and for each finite radius of curvature in a segment of a
first cavity, the corresponding radius of curvature in the second
cavity can be substantially identical to the radius of cavity of
the segment in the first cavity. As used herein, two quantities
derived from cavities are substantially identical if the
differences between the two quantities can be attributed to surface
roughness of the cavities.
[0049] It is noted that the spatial orientations of the
corresponding features across the plurality of contiguous trenches
12 are the same.
[0050] A patterned semiconductor structure can be formed by
employing the methods of the present disclosure described above.
The first exemplary patterned semiconductor structure shown in FIG.
5 can include, for example, a semiconductor substrate 10 having a
surface (e.g., the planar top surface of the semiconductor
substrate as illustrated in FIG. 5), and a plurality of contiguous
cavities 12 extending from the surface. Each of the plurality of
contiguous cavities 12 has a substantially same geometrical shape
that including at least a first cavity portion 12A extending along
a first direction 11A and a second cavity portion 12B extending
along a second direction 11B. The first direction 11A and the
second direction 11B are different. Each of the plurality of
contiguous cavities 12 can include a section in which a propagation
direction of the each contiguous cavity changes continuously (such
as the second cavity portion 12B).
[0051] Further, each of the plurality of contiguous cavities 12 can
include a third cavity portion 12C extending along a third
direction such that the first direction 11A, the second direction
11B, and the third direction are not within a same two-dimensional
plane.
[0052] In one embodiment, the angle between the first direction 11A
and the second direction 11B can be at least 90 degrees.
[0053] Referring to FIG. 16, a second exemplary patterned
semiconductor structure formed by the methods of the present
disclosure is shown. A material layer 70 is present over the
semiconductor substrate 10. The material layer 70 includes a
plurality of holes therein so that ferromagnetic-material-including
catalytic particle 60 can pass through the material layer 70 only
at locations in which the holes are present. The material layer 70
can include a non-semiconductor material that is resistant to the
catalytic etch process. The non-semiconductor material can include
an insulator material such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, a
dielectric metal oxide material, a dielectric metal nitride
material, or combinations thereof. Alternately or additionally, the
non-semiconductor material can include a metallic material provided
that the metallic material does not interact with the semiconductor
material of the semiconductor substrate 10. For example, the
non-semiconductor material can include a conductive metal nitride
or a conductive metal carbide. The material layer 70 can cover the
top surface of the semiconductor substrate 10. The diameter of the
openings in the material layer 70 can be selected to match the
diameter of equivalent lateral dimensions of the
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle 60.
[0054] One end of each of the plurality of contiguous cavities 12
coincides with one of the plurality of holes in the material layer
70. A ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle 60
propagates through the semiconductor substrate 10 to form the
plurality of contiguous cavities 12, which can have generally
identical cavity features among one another.
[0055] In one embodiment, ferromagnetic-material-including
catalytic particles 60 of the same size can be employed, and the
sizes of the holes in the material layer 70 can be selected such
that only one ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle
60 can pass through each hole. In this case, each of the plurality
of contiguous cavities 60 can have substantially identical (i.e.,
identical when surface roughness is not considered). A
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particle 60 proceeds at
the tip of each of the plurality of contiguous trenches 12 during
the catalytic etch process, and is embedded within an end of each
of the plurality of contiguous cavities 12 during the catalytic
etch. The ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particles 60
may remain within the semiconductor substrate 10 at the end of the
catalytic etch process, or may exit the semiconductor substrate
through the top surface, bottom surface, or a sidewall surface of
the semiconductor substrate 10. Optionally, the material layer 70
may be removed to facilitate the removal of the
ferromagnetic-material-including catalytic particles 60 through the
top surface of the semiconductor substrate 10.
[0056] While the present disclosure has been described in terms of
specific embodiments, it is evident in view of the foregoing
description that numerous alternatives, modifications and
variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Each of
the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be
implemented alone, or in combination with any other embodiments of
the present disclosure unless expressly disclosed otherwise or
otherwise impossible as would be known to one of ordinary skill in
the art. Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to
encompass all such alternatives, modifications and variations which
fall within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure and the
following claims.
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