Texas Instruments Corporation

Richard P VanMeurs

Duane E Carter

Gabriel George Barna

James G Frank

An etching apparatus (10) includes a process chamber (12) partially surrounded by an upper electrode (14) and a lower electrode (16). A semiconductor material (18) lies within the process chamber (12) and in contact with the lower electrode (16). The lower electrode (16) is connected to a first power supply (22) operating at a substantially high frequency and is also connected to a second power supply (24) operating at a relatively low frequency. The lower frequency of the second power supply (24) provides a degree of anisotropic control to the trench etching process performed on the semiconductor material (18). The added anisotropic control allows for the elimination of sidewall deposition enhancing materials within a plasma chemistry introduced into the process chamber (12) by a gas distributor (20). Without the requirement of a sidewall deposition enhancing material during trench etching of the semiconductor material (18), buildup of residue due to sidewall deposition does not occur within process chamber (12).

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Richard P VanMeurs