This dummy-silicon etch forms the retained gate pattern before thick-oxide and source/drain processing; it is not the later replacement-gate removal (Engineering Practice).

In depth

Gate-cut/mask transfer and Gate CSOH Ash Clean precede this step. Thick Oxide Gate/Fin Etch, PHV SiN Liner and implant-related processing follow. The much later POP Poly Partial Dry Etch and POP Poly Wet Etch belong to a separate dummy-removal sequence. The present step does not already produce an empty trench awaiting fina…

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14nm FinFETPreview

Fin Recess Etch

91/ 362

Dummy Gate a‑Si Etch

S/D Si/SiGe Epitaxy

Next step

1substrate

2Pad Oxide Growth 3Pad Nitride Deposition 4Stop Oxide Deposition 5a-Si Hardmask Deposition

34STI Liner Deposition 35STI FCVD Oxide Fill 37SiO2 CMP to SiN Stop

66Fin Recess Etch

91Dummy Gate a‑Si Etch

+24 steps

124S/D Si/SiGe Epitaxy

157RMG Tungsten CMP

165PECVD SiN Hardmask Deposition 173SC Contact Trench Dielectric Etch 194SC W Fill CMP

262W Fill CMP

361M2 Cu CMP

Process Cross-Section

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Step highlight

This dummy-silicon etch forms the retained gate pattern before thick-oxide and source/drain processing; it is not the later replacement-gate removal (Engineering Practice).

In depth

Read the full explanation and sources for free.