Microchip Technology Inc.

Brian Dee Hennes

Justin Sato

Greg Stom

Robert P Ma

Walter Lundy

Yannick Carll Kimmel

Justin Hiroki Sato

The present disclosure relates to semiconductor manufacturing, in particular to a real-time method for qualifying the etch rate for plasma etch processes. A method for testing a semiconductor plasma etch chamber may include: depositing a film on a substrate of a wafer, the wafer including a center region and an edge region; depositing photoresist on top of the film in a pattern that isolates the center region from the edge region of the wafer; and performing an etch process on the wafer that includes at least three process steps. The three process steps may include: etching the film in any areas without photoresist covering the areas until a first clear endpoint signal is achieved; performing an in-situ ash to remove any photoresist; and etching the film in any areas exposed by the removal of the photoresist until a second clear endpoint is achieved. The method may further include determining whether both endpoints are achieved within respective previously set tolerances, and, if both endpoints are achieved within the previously set tolerance, qualifying the plasma etch chamber as verified.

Single-wafer real-time etch rate and uniformity predictor for plasma etch processes

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor die may have the steps of:&#x2014;Providing a semiconductor substrate;&#x2014;Processing the substrate to a point where shallow trench isolation (STI) can be formed;&#x2014;Depositing at least one underlayer having a predefined thickness on the wafer;&#x2014;Depositing a masking layer on top of the underlayer;&#x2014;Shaping the masking layer to have areas of predefined depths;&#x2014;Applying a photolithograthy process to expose all the areas where the trenches are to be formed; and&#x2014;Etching the wafer to form silicon trenches wherein the depth of a trench depends on the location with respect to the masking layer area.

Method for manufacturing a semiconductor die with multiple depth shallow trench isolation

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Brian Dee Hennes