{"schema_version":"1.0","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9779952","patent":{"patent_number":"US-9779952","title":"Method for laterally trimming a hardmask","assignee":null,"inventors":[],"filing_date":"2014-08-21T00:00:00.000Z","publication_date":"2017-10-03T00:00:00.000Z","cpc_codes":["H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L"],"num_claims":20,"abstract":"Techniques herein include methods for controllable lateral etching of dielectrics in polymerizing fluorocarbon plasmas. Methods can include dielectric stack etching that uses a mask trimming step as part of a silicon etching process. Using a fluorocarbon mixture for dielectric mask trimming provides several advantages, such as being straightforward to apply and providing additional flexibility to the process flow. Thus, techniques herein provide a method to correct or tune CDs on a hardmask. In general, this technique can include using a fluorine-based and a fluorocarbon-based, or fluorohydrocarbon-based, chemistry for creating a plasma, and controlling a ratio of the two chemistries. Without the hardmask trim method disclosed herein, if a hardmask CD is not on target, then a wafer is scrapped. With hard-mask trim capability in silicon etch as disclosed herein, a given CD can be re-targeted to eliminate wafer-scraps."},"analysis":{"summary":null,"layman_explanation":null,"technical_analysis":null,"business_analysis":null,"faqs":null,"topics":[],"tech_cluster":null},"seo":{"title":"Method for laterally trimming a hardmask","description":"Techniques herein include methods for controllable lateral etching of dielectrics in polymerizing fluorocarbon plasmas. Methods can include dielectric stack etching that uses a mask trimming step as p","keywords":[]},"attribution":{"source":"Patentable","source_url":"https://patentable.app","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9779952","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-9779952","citation_suggestion":"Patentable. \"Method for laterally trimming a hardmask\" (US-9779952). https://patentable.app/patents/US-9779952","copyright_holder":"Nomic Interactive Technology LLC"},"links":{"html":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9779952","json":"https://patentable.app/api/llm-context/US-9779952","site":"https://patentable.app","llms_txt":"https://patentable.app/llms.txt"},"generated_at":"2026-06-06T04:59:50.046Z"}