METHOD OF MAKING HIGH ASPECT RATIO OPENINGS USING MULTIPLE CLADDING MASKS AND APPARATUS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE SAME

A method includes forming an alternating stack of first material layers and second material layers over a substrate, forming an etch mask material layer over the alternating stack, loading the etch mask material layer, the alternating stack, and the substrate into an integrated processing apparatus including a plurality of etch chambers and at least one cladding liner deposition chamber; and iteratively performing multiple instances of a unit processing sequence without breaking vacuum. The unit processing sequence includes a respective cladding liner deposition process in which a respective cladding material is anisotropically deposited over the etch mask material layer in a respective one of the at least one cladding liner deposition chamber, and a respective anisotropic etch process in which respective portions of the alternating stack that are not masked by the etch mask material layer are anisotropically etched in a respective etch chamber selected from the plurality of etch chambers.