Lam Research Corporation

George Stojakovic

Yunsang Kim

Tong Fang

Keechan Kim

Andrew D Bailey, Iii

Olivier Rigoutat

Alan Jeffrey Miller

Yoko Yamaguchi Adams

A lower plasma-exclusion-zone ring for a bevel etcher is provided that is configured to etch a bevel edge of a substrate. The lower plasma-exclusion-zone ring includes a ring-shaped body and a radially-outer stepped surface. The ring-shaped body of the lower plasma-exclusion-zone ring defines an upper surface, a lower surface, a radially inner surface, and a radially outer surface. The radially-outer stepped surface of the lower plasma-exclusion-zone ring extending inwardly into the ring-shaped body between the radially outer surface of the ring-shaped body and the upper surface of the ring-shaped body. The ring-shaped body is made of a material selected from a group consisting of aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, and yttria.

Lower plasma-exclusion-zone rings for a bevel etcher

An upper plasma-exclusion-zone ring for a bevel etcher is provided that is configured to etch a bevel edge of a substrate. The upper plasma-exclusion-zone ring includes a ring-shaped body and a radially-inner stepped surface. The ring-shaped body of the upper plasma-exclusion-zone ring defines an upper surface, a lower surface, a radially inner surface, and a radially outer surface. The radially-inner stepped surface of the upper plasma-exclusion-zone ring extends inwardly into the ring-shaped body between the radially inner surface of the ring-shaped body and the lower surface of the ring-shaped body. The ring-shaped body is made of a material selected from a group consisting of aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, and yttria.

Upper plasma-exclusion-zone rings for a bevel etcher

A method of cleaning a bevel edge of a semiconductor substrate is provided. A semiconductor substrate is placed on a substrate support in a reaction chamber of a plasma processing apparatus. The substrate has a dielectric layer overlying a top surface and a bevel edge of the substrate, the layer extending above and below an apex of the bevel edge. A process gas is introduced into the reaction chamber and energized into a plasma. The bevel edge is cleaned with the plasma so as to remove the layer below the apex without removing all of the layer above the apex.

Control of bevel etch film profile using plasma exclusion zone rings larger than the wafer diameter

Methods for bevel edge etching are provided. One example method is for etching a film on a bevel edge of a substrate in a plasma etching chamber. The method includes providing the substrate on a substrate support in the plasma etching chamber. The plasma etching chamber has a top edge electrode and a bottom edge electrode disposed to surround the substrate support. Then flowing an etching process gas through a plurality of edge gas feeds disposed along a periphery of the gas delivery plate. The periphery of the gas deliver plate is oriented above the substrate support and the bevel edge of the substrate, and the flowing is further directed to a space between the top edge electrode and bottom edge electrode. And, flowing a tuning gas through a center gas feed of the gas delivery plate.

Methods for controlling bevel edge etching in a plasma chamber

The various embodiments provide apparatus and methods of removal of unwanted deposits near the bevel edge of substrates to improve process yield. The embodiments provide apparatus and methods with center and edge gas feeds as additional process knobs for selecting a most suitable bevel edge etching processes to push the edge exclusion zone further outward towards the edge of substrates. Further the embodiments provide apparatus and methods with tuning gas(es) to change the etching profile at the bevel edge and using a combination of center and edge gas feeds to flow process and tuning gases into the chamber. Both the usage of tuning gas and location of gas feed(s) affect the etching characteristics at bevel edge. Total gas flow, gap distance between the gas delivery plate and substrate surface, pressure, and types of process gas(es) are also found to affect bevel edge etching profiles.

Gas modulation to control edge exclusion in a bevel edge etching plasma chamber

In a plasma processing system, including a plasma processing chamber, a method of optimizing the etch resistance of a substrate material is described. The method includes flowing pre-coat gas mixture into the plasma processing chamber, wherein the pre-coat gas mixture has an affinity for a etchant gas flow mixture; striking a first plasma from the pre-coat gas mixture; and introducing a substrate comprising the substrate material. The method also includes flowing the etchant gas mixture into the plasma processing chamber; striking a second plasma from the etchant gas mixture; and etching the substrate with the second plasma. Wherein the first plasma creates a pre-coat residual on a set of exposed surfaces in the plasma processing chamber, and the etch resistance of the substrate material is maintained.

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Wappingers Falls, NY, United States of America

George Stojakovic