{"schema_version":"1.0","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9704720","patent":{"patent_number":"US-9704720","title":"Uniform, damage free nitride ETCH","assignee":null,"inventors":[],"filing_date":"2016-08-04T00:00:00.000Z","publication_date":"2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z","cpc_codes":["H01L","H01L","H01L"],"num_claims":20,"abstract":"An integrated circuit may be formed by forming a sacrificial silicon nitride feature. At least a portion of the sacrificial silicon nitride feature may be removed by placing the integrated circuit in a two-step oxidized layer etch tool and removing a surface layer of oxidized silicon from the sacrificial silicon nitride feature using a two-step etch process. The two-step etch process exposes the integrated circuits to reactants from a plasma source at a temperature less than 40° C. and subsequently heating the integrated circuit to 80° C. to 120° C. while in the two-step oxidized layer etch tool. While the integrated circuit is in the two-step oxidized layer etch tool, without exposing the integrated circuit to an ambient containing more than 1 torr of oxygen, at least a portion of the sacrificial silicon nitride feature is removed using fluorine-containing etch reagents, substantially free of ammonia."},"analysis":{"summary":null,"layman_explanation":null,"technical_analysis":null,"business_analysis":null,"faqs":null,"topics":[],"tech_cluster":null},"seo":{"title":"Uniform, damage free nitride ETCH","description":"An integrated circuit may be formed by forming a sacrificial silicon nitride feature. At least a portion of the sacrificial silicon nitride feature may be removed by placing the integrated circuit in ","keywords":[]},"attribution":{"source":"Patentable","source_url":"https://patentable.app","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9704720","license":"CC-BY-4.0-like","license_terms":"AI-generated analysis on this page (summary, layman_explanation, technical_analysis, business_analysis, faqs) may be reused with attribution and a visible link back to the canonical URL above. Patent abstracts, claims, and bibliographic data are USPTO public domain.","required_link":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9704720","citation_suggestion":"Patentable. \"Uniform, damage free nitride ETCH\" (US-9704720). https://patentable.app/patents/US-9704720","copyright_holder":"Nomic Interactive Technology LLC"},"links":{"html":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9704720","json":"https://patentable.app/api/llm-context/US-9704720","site":"https://patentable.app","llms_txt":"https://patentable.app/llms.txt"},"generated_at":"2026-06-06T12:35:54.539Z"}