Applied Materials, Inc.

Other

Mattson Technology, Inc

Hongching Shan

Michael D Welch

Bryan Y Pu

Claes H Bjorkman

Evans Yip Lee

Paul E Luscher

Robert W Wu

James D Carducci

Kenny Linh Doan

Kuang-Han Ke

Siamak Salimian

Richard Raymond Mett

Mike Welch

Ji Ding

Gerald Z Yin

Hamid Noorbakhsh

Ruiping Wang

Zongyu Li

Harald Herchen

Stephen E Savas

John P Zajac

Rene George

Raymond Hoiman Hung

Roger Alan Lindley

Jingbao Liu

Daniel J Devine

James Chang Wang

Joseph P Caulfield

Andreas Kadavanich

Henry Fong

Richard Blume

Michael S Barnes

Hiroji Hanawa

Christopher Dennis Bencher

Ling Chen

Yunsang Kim

Peter K Loewenhardt

Arnold Kholodenko

Alfred W Mak

Diana Xiaobing Ma

Hyman J Levinstein

Christopher S Ngai

Semyon Sherstinsky

Dan Katz

Richard W Plavidal

Wendy H Yeh

Chii Guang Lee

Judy Wang

Kaushik Vaidya

Leonel Arturo Zuniga

Takehiko Komatsu

Eda Tuncel

Samuel C Wilson

Jim Carducci

Xue Yu Qian

Hong D Nguyen

Melody Chang

Sue Zhang

A more uniform plasma process is implemented for treating a treatment object using an inductively coupled plasma source which produces an asymmetric plasma density pattern at the treatment surface using a slotted electrostatic shield having uniformly spaced-apart slots. The slotted electrostatic shield is modified in a way which compensates for the asymmetric plasma density pattern to provide a modified plasma density pattern at the treatment surface. A more uniform radial plasma process is described in which an electrostatic shield arrangement is configured to replace a given electrostatic shield in a way which provides for producing a modified radial variation characteristic across the treatment surface. The inductively coupled plasma source defines an axis of symmetry and the electrostatic shield arrangement is configured to include a shape that extends through a range of radii relative to the axis of symmetry.

Slotted electrostatic shield modification for improved etch and CVD process uniformity

A method is described for decreasing the critical dimensions of integrated circuit features in which a first masking layer () is deposited, patterned and opened in the manner of typical feature etching, and a second masking layer () is deposited thereon prior to etching the underlying insulator. The second masking layer is advantageously coated in a substantially conformal manner. Opening the second masking layer while leaving material of the second layer on the sidewalls of the first masking layer as spacers leads to reduction of the feature critical dimension in the underlying insulator. Ashable masking materials, including amorphous carbon and organic materials are removable without CMP, thereby reducing costs. Favorable results are also obtained utilizing more than one masking layer () underlying the topmost masking layer () from which the spacers are formed. Embodiments are also described in which slope etching replaces the addition of a separate spacer layer. Substructures formed in the fabrication process are also described. Spacers are also shown to be favorably employed in making feature-in-feature structures.

Ashable layers for reducing critical dimensions of integrated circuit features

Apparatus and method for inductively coupling electrical power to a plasma in a semiconductor process chamber. In a first aspect, an array of wedge-shaped induction coils are distributed around a circle. The sides of adjacent coils are parallel, thereby enhancing the radial uniformity of the magnetic field produced by the array. In a second aspect, electrostatic coupling between the induction coils and the plasma is minimized by connecting each induction coil to the power supply so that the turn of wire of the coil which is nearest to the plasma is near electrical ground potential. In one embodiment, the hot end of one coil is connected to the unbalanced output of an RF power supply, and the hot end of the other coil is connected to electrical ground through a capacitor which resonates with the latter coil at the frequency of the RF power supply.

Distributed inductively-coupled plasma source and circuit for coupling induction coils to RF power supply

A capacitively coupled reactor for plasma etch processing of substrates at subatmospheric pressures includes a chamber body defining a processing volume, a lid provided upon the chamber body, the lid being a first electrode, a substrate support provided in the processing volume and comprising a second electrode, a radio frequency source coupled at least to one of the first and second electrodes, a process gas inlet configured to deliver process gas into the processing volume, and an evacuation pump system having pumping capacity of at least 1600 liters/minute. The greater pumping capacity controls residency time of the process gases so as to regulate the degree of dissociation into more reactive species.

Dielectric etch chamber with expanded process window

A ring or collar surrounding a semiconductor workpiece in a plasma chamber. According to one aspect, the ring has an elevated collar portion having an inner surface oriented at an obtuse angle to the plane of the workpiece, this angle preferably being 135&deg;. This angular orientation causes ions bombarding the inner surface of the elevated collar to scatter in a direction more parallel to the plane of the workpiece, thereby reducing erosion of any dielectric shield at the perimeter of the workpiece, and ameliorating spatial non-uniformity in the plasma process due to any excess ion density near such perimeter. In a second aspect, the workpiece is surrounded by a dielectric shield, and the shield is covered by a non-dielectric ring which protects the dielectric shield from reaction with, or erosion by, the process gases. In a third aspect, the dielectric shield is thin enough to couple substantial power from the cathode to the plasma, thereby improving spatial uniformity of the plasma process near the perimeter of the workpiece. In a fourth aspect, azimuthal non-uniformities in process performance can be ameliorated by corresponding azimuthal variations in the dimensions of the elevated collar and/or the dielectric shield surrounding the workpiece.

Shield or ring surrounding semiconductor workpiece in plasma chamber

An oxide etching process, particular useful for selectively etching oxide over a feature having a non-oxide composition, such as silicon nitride and especially when that feature has a corner that is prone to faceting during the oxide etch. The invention preferably uses the unsaturated 4-carbon fluorocarbons, specifically hexafluorobutadiene (C F ), which has a below 10&deg;C. and is commercially available. The hexafluorobutadiene together with argon is excited into a high-density plasma in a reactor which inductively couples plasma source power into the chamber and RF biases the pedestal electrode supporting the wafer. Preferably, a two-step etch is used process is used in which the above etching gas is used in the main step to provide a good vertical profile and a more strongly polymerizing fluorocarbon such as difluoromethane (CH F ) is added in the over etch to protect the nitride corner.

Highly selective oxide etch process using hexafluorobutadiene

A method of adjusting the cathode DC bias in a plasma chamber for fabricating semiconductor devices. A dielectric shield is positioned between the plasma and a selected portion of the electrically grounded components of the chamber, such as the electrically grounded chamber wall. The cathode DC bias is adjusted by controlling one or more of the following parameters: (1) the surface area of the chamber wall or other grounded components which is blocked by the dielectric shield; (2) the thickness of the dielectric; (3) the gap between the shield and the chamber wall; and (4) the dielectric constant of the dielectric material. In an apparatus aspect, the invention is a plasma chamber for fabricating semiconductor devices having an exhaust baffle with a number of sinuous passages. Each passage is sufficiently long and sinuous that no portion of the plasma within the chamber can extend beyond the outlet of the passage. By blocking the plasma from reaching the exhaust pump, the exhaust baffle reduces the deposition of unwanted particles on exhaust pump components. The exhaust baffle also reduces the cathode DC bias by reducing the effective surface area of the electrically grounded chamber wall which couples RF power to the plasma.

Adjusting DC bias voltage in plasma chamber

A plasma reactor embodying the invention includes a wafer support and a chamber enclosure member having an interior surface generally facing the wafer support. At least one miniature gas distribution plate for introducing a process gas into the reactor is supported on the chamber enclosure member and has an outlet surface which is a fraction of the area of the interior surface of said wafer support. A coolant system maintains the chamber enclosure member at a low temperature, and the miniature gas distribution plate is at least partially thermally insulated from the chamber enclosure member so that it is maintained at a higher temperature by plasma heating.

Plasma reactor cooled ceiling with an array of thermally isolated plasma heated mini-gas distribution plates

A method for etching a dielectric in a thermally controlled plasma etch chamber with an expanded processing window. The method is adapted to incorporate benefits of a the thermal control and high evacuation capability of the chamber. Etchent gases include hydrocarbons, oxygen and inert gas. Explanation is provided for enablling the use of hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene in a capacitively coupled etch plasma. The method is very useful for creating via, self aligned contacts, dual damascene, and other dielectric etch.

Etch method using a dielectric etch chamber with expanded process window

An apparatus and method for scavenging etchant species from a plasma formed of etchant gas prior to the etchant gas entering a primary processing chamber of a plasma reactor. There is at least one scavenging chamber, each of which is connected at an inlet thereof to an etchant gas source and at an outlet thereof to a gas distribution device of the primary processing chamber. Each scavenging chamber has a radiation applicator that irradiates the interior of the scavenging chamber and creates a plasma therein from etchant gas flowing through the chamber from the etchant gas source to the gas distribution apparatus of the primary processing chamber. The applicator uses either an inductive discharge, capacitive discharge, direct current (DC) discharge or microwave discharge to irradiate the interior of the scavenging chamber and ignite the plasma. An etchant species scavenging source is also disposed within the scavenging chamber. This source provides scavenging material that interacts with the plasma to scavenge etchant species created by the dissociation of the etchant gas in the plasma and form etch by-products comprised of substances from both the etchant species and the scavenging source. The scavenging chambers can be employed, as is or in a modified form, as excitation chambers to excite gases at optimal conditions and feed the modified gases into the primary chamber. The scavenging chamber is modified by removing its scavenging source if this source would adversely interact with the gas being excited.

High selectivity etch using an external plasma discharge

Apparatus and method for inductively coupling electrical power to a plasma in a semiconductor process chamber. In a first aspect, an array of induction coils is distributed over a geometric surface having a circular transverse section. Each coil has a transverse section which is wedge-shaped so that the adjacent sides of any two adjacent coils in the array are approximately parallel to a radius of the circular transverse section of the geometric surface. The sides of adjacent coils being parallel enhances the radial uniformity of the magnetic field produced by the coil array. In a second aspect, electrostatic coupling between the induction coils and the plasma is minimized by connecting each induction coil to the power supply so that the turn of wire of the coil which is nearest to the plasma is near electrical ground potential. In one embodiment, the near end of each coil connects directly to electrical ground. In second and third embodiments, two coils are connected in series at the near end of each coil. In the second embodiment, the opposite (&ldquo;RF hot&rdquo;) end of each coil is connected to a respective balanced output of an RF power supply. In the third embodiment, the hot end of one coil is connected to the unbalanced output of an RF power supply, and the hot end of the other coil is connected to electrical ground through a capacitor which resonates with the latter coil at the frequency of the RF power supply.

Distributed inductively-coupled plasma source

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Hongching Shan