Applied Materials, Inc.

Other

Ji Ding

Hongching Shan

Michael D Welch

Keiji Horioka

Bryan Y Pu

Robert W Wu

Ruiping Wang

Hidehiro Kojiri

Yoshio Ishikawa

James D Carducci

Siamak Salimian

Claes H Bjorkman

Paul E Luscher

Roger Alan Lindley

Evans Yip Lee

Richard W Plavidal

Hoiman Raymond Hung

Mike Welch

Zongyu Li

Kuang-Han Ke

Hoiman (Raymond) Hung

Xue Yu Qian

An oxide etching recipe including a heavy hydrogen-free fluorocarbon having F/C ratios less than 2, preferably C F , an oxygen-containing gas such as O or CO, a lighter fluorocarbon or hydrofluorocarbon, and a noble diluent gas such as Ar or Xe. The amounts of the first three gases are chosen such that the ratio (F&mdash;H)/(C&mdash;O) is at least 1.5 and no more than 2. Alternatively, the gas mixture may include the heavy fluorocarbon, carbon tetrafluoride, and the diluent with the ratio of the first two chosen such the ratio F/C is between 1.5 and 2.

Precision dielectric etch using hexafluorobutadiene

An oxide etching recipe including a heavy hydrogen-free fluorocarbon having F/C ratios less than 2 such as C F or C F , an oxygen-containing gas such as O , CO or CO , a lighter fluorocarbon or hydrofluorocarbon, and a noble diluent gas such as Ar or Xe. The amounts of the first three gases are chosen such that the ratio (F&mdash;H)/(C&mdash;O) is at least 1.5 and no more than 2. Alternatively, the gas mixture may include the heavy fluorocarbon, carbon tetrafluoride, and the diluent with the ratio of the first two chosen such the ratio F/C is between 1.5 and 2.

Dielectric etch process reducing striations and maintaining critical dimensions

A plasma chamber having a magnet which produces a magnetic field such that, within a region parallel to and adjacent to the workpiece, the direction of the magnetic field is approximately the vector cross product of (i) the gradient of the magnitude of the magnetic field, and (ii) a vector extending perpendicularly from the workpiece surface toward the plasma. Alternatively, the plasma chamber includes a north magnetic pole and a south magnetic pole located at distinct azimuths around the periphery of the workpiece. The azimuth of the south magnetic pole relative to the north magnetic pole is clockwise around the central axis, and each magnetic pole faces a direction which is more toward than away from a central axis of the workpiece area. An additional aspect of the invention is a plasma chamber having a rotating magnetic field produced by electromagnets spaced around the periphery of the workpiece which receive successive fixed amounts of electrical current during successive time intervals. During each transition between the time intervals, the current supplied to each electromagnet is changed relatively slowly or relatively quickly according to whether the current change includes a change in polarity.

Magnetically-enhanced plasma chamber with non-uniform magnetic field

The invention contours the chamber surface overlying semiconductor wafer being processed (i.e., the chamber ceiling) in such a way as to promote or optimize the diffusion of plasma ions from their regions of origin to other regions which would otherwise have a relative paucity of plasma ions. This is accomplished by providing a greater chamber volume over those areas of the wafer otherwise experiencing a shortage of plasma ions and a smaller chamber volume over those areas of the wafer experiencing a plentitude of plasma ions (e.g, due to localized plasma generation occurring over the latter areas). Thus, the ceiling is contoured to promote a plasma ion diffusion which best compensates for localized or non-uniform patterns in plasma ion generation typical of an inductively coupled source (e.g., an overhead inductive antenna). Specifically, the invention provides a lesser ceiling height (relative to the wafer surface) over regions in which plasma ions are generated or tend to congregate and a greater ceiling height in other regions. More specifically, in the case of an overlying inductive antenna where plasma ion density tends to fall off toward the wafer periphery, the ceiling contour is such that the ceiling height increases radially, i.e., toward the wafer periphery. This promotes or increases plasma ion diffusion toward the wafer periphery as a function of the rate at which the ceiling height increases radially.

Thin film processing plasma reactor chamber with radially upward sloping

The present invention is embodied in a plasma reactor for processing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer having an axis of symmetry, the reactor including a reactor chamber with a ceiling, a pedestal for supporting the workpiece within the chamber under the ceiling, a processing gas supply inlet into the chamber, an RF plasma power source coupled to the pedestal, and a magnetic field source near the ceiling providing a radially symmetrical magnetic field relative to the axis of symmetry within a portion of the chamber near the ceiling. The magnetic field source can include an electromagnet or plural magnets disposed over the ceiling in a radially symmetrical fashion with respect to the axis of symmetry. The plural magnets may be permanent magnets or electromagnets. The radially symmetrical magnetic field penetrates from the ceiling into the chamber to a shallow depth, and the height of the ceiling above the workpiece exceeds the depth.

Shallow magnetic fields for generating circulating electrons to enhance

A method of etching a dielectric layer (20) on a substrate (25) with high etching selectivity, low etch rate microloading, and high etch rates is described. In the method, a substrate (25) having a dielectric layer (20) with resist material thereon, is placed in a process zone (55), and a process gas is introduced into the process zone (55). The process gas comprises (i) fluorohydrocarbon gas for forming fluorine-containing etchant species capable of etching the dielectric layer (20), (ii) NH.sub.3 -generating gas having a liquefaction temperature L.sub.T in a range of temperatures .DELTA.T of from about -60.degree. C. to about 20.degree. C., and (iii) carbon-oxygen gas. The temperature of substrate (25) is maintained within about .+-.50.degree. C. of the liquefaction temperature L.sub.T of the NH.sub.3 -generating gas. A plasma is formed from the process gas to etch the dielectric layer (20) on the substrate (25). Preferably, the volumetric flow ratio of fluorohydrocarbon:NH.sub.3 -generating gas is from about 2.5:1 to about 7:1.

Method for etching dielectric using fluorohydrocarbon gas, NH.sub.3

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Newark, CA, United States of America

Ji Ding