Applied Materials, Inc.

Other

Robert W Wu

Gerald Z Yin

Hongching Shan

Ruiping Wang

Michael D Welch

Jian Ding

Evans Yip Lee

James D Carducci

Bryan Y Pu

Hyman J Levinstein

Paul E Luscher

Richard Blume

Kenneth S Collins

Michael Robert Rice

Shamouil Shamouilian

Andreas G Hegedus

Keiji Horioka

Craig A Roderick

Dennis Stanley Grimard

Douglas Buchberger

John R Trow

Surinder S Bedi

Arik Donde

Gerhard M Schneider

Joshua Chiu-Wing Tsui

Edwin Charles Weldon

Eric Askarinam

Hidehiro Kojiri

Yoshio Ishikawa

Ji Ding

Jon T Clinton

Hao A Lu

Jennifer Y Sun

Andrew Nguyen

Hiroji Hanawa

Hong Peng Wang

Ananda H Kumar

Tong-Yu Chen

Senh Thach

Jerry Yuen Wong

Yixing Lin

Nianci Han

Clifford Stow

Graham W Hills

Shun Jackson Wu

Hoiman Raymond Hung

Viktor Shel

Chunshi Cui

Gerhard A Schneider

Paul Arleo

Hoiman (Raymond) Hung

Haojiang Li

Hong Ching Shan

Lin Ye

Chih-Ping Yang

You-Neng Cheng

Yang Chan-Lon

Chih-Pang Chen

Hui Ou-Yang

Jon Henri

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

To further enhance the chamber material performance of anodized aluminum alloy materials against fluorine and oxygen plasma attack, a ceramic-based surface coating, high purity yttrium oxide coating, is provided on the anodized aluminum alloy parts.

Yttrium oxide based surface coating for semiconductor IC processing vacuum chambers

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

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a plasma reactor having a chamber for containing a plasma and a passageway communicating with the chamber is enhanced with a first removable plasma confinement magnet module placed adjacent the passageway including a first module housing and a first plasma confinement magnet inside the housing. It may further include a second removable plasma confinement magnet module placed adjacent the passageway including a second module housing, and a second plasma confinement magnet. Preferably, the first and second modules are located on opposite sides of the passageway. Moreover, the first and second plasma confinement magnets have magnetic orientations which tend to oppose plasma transport or leakage through the passageway. Preferably, the module housing includes a relatively non-magnetic thermal conductor such as aluminum and is in thermal contact with said chamber body. Cooling apparatus can be thermally coupled to the chamber body, whereby to maintain the first plasma confinement magnet below its Curie temperature. If the reactor includes a pumping annulus adjacent of a periphery of the chamber, then the passageway can be one which communicates between the chamber and the pumping annulus. Also, the passageway can be a wafer slit valve or a gas feed inlet. Such a gas feed inlet can be a center gas feed through a ceiling of the chamber. The module housing can rest upon the chamber side wall and the chamber ceiling can rest upon the module housing.

Inductively coupled RF Plasma reactor having an overhead solenoidal antenna and modular confinement magnet liners

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

The present disclosure pertains to an integrated post-etch treatment method which is performed after a dielectric etch process. Using the method of the invention, byproducts formed on the sidewalls of contact vias during the dielectric etch process can be removed efficiently. The method of the invention also reduces or eliminates the problem of polymer accumulation on process chamber surfaces. An overlying photoresist layer and anti-reflection layer are removed during the performance of the post-etch treatment method. Typically, after the etch of a dielectric material to define pattern or interconnect filling spaces, a series of post-etch treatment steps is performed to remove residues remaining on the wafer after the dielectric etch process. According to the method of the present invention, a post-etch treatment method including one or more steps is performed after the dielectric etch process, preferably within the same processing chamber in which the dielectric etch process was performed. The post-etch treatment method comprises exposing a semiconductor structure to a plasma generated from a source gas comprising oxygen, a nitrogen-comprising gas, and a reactive gas comprising hydrogen, carbon, and fluorine. Two optional steps, a flushing step prior to the post-etch treatment and a cleaning step subsequent to the post-etch treatment, can be performed for the purpose of enhancing the fluorine and byproduct removal and post-etch chamber cleaning.

Integrated post-etch treatment for a dielectric etch process

A plasma etch process, particularly applicable to an self-aligned contact etch in a high-density plasma for selectively etching oxide over nitride, although selectivity to silicon is also achieved. In the process, a fluoropropane or a fluoropropylene is a principal etching gas in the presence of a substantial amount of an inactive gas such as argon. Good nitride selectivity has been achieved with hexafluoropropylene (C F ), octafluoropropane (C F ), heptafluoropropane (C HF ), hexafluoropropane (C H F ). The process may use one or more of the these gases in proportions to optimize selectivity and a wide process window. Difluoromethane (CH F ) or other fluorocarbons may be combined with the above gases, particularly with C F for optimum selectivity over other materials without the occurrence of etch stop in narrow contact holes and with a wide process window.

Plasma process for selectively etching oxide using fluoropropane or fluoropropylene

A plasma reactor appropriate for fabrication, especially etching, of semiconductor integrated circuits and similar processes in which the chamber has a top comprising a truncated conical dome and, preferably, a counter electrode disposed at the top of the conical dome. An RF coil is wrapped around the conical dome to inductively couple RF energy into a plasma within the chamber dome. The dome temperature can be controlled in a number of ways. A heat sink can be attached to the outside rim of the dome. A rigid conical thermal control sheath can be fit to the outside of the dome, and any differential thermal expansion between the two is accommodated by the conical geometry, thus assuring good thermal contact. The rigid thermal control sheath can include resistive heating, fluid cooling, or both. Alternatively, a flexible resistive heater can be wrapped around the dome inside the RF coil. The resistive heater includes a heater wire wound in a serpentine path that has straight portions overlying and perpendicular to the RF coil but has bends located away from the RF coil. The path prevents the heater wire from shorting the azimuthal electric field induced by the RF coil and also acts as a Faraday shield preventing capacitive coupling from the coil into the chamber plasma.

Inductively coupled parallel-plate plasma reactor with a conical dome

A plasma etch process, particularly applicable to a self-aligned contact etch or other advanced structures requiring high-selectivity to nitride or other non-oxide materials and producing no etch stop. The process is preferably performed in a high-density plasma reactor for etching holes with either high or low aspect rations. In this process, hexafluoropropylene (C,F,) is the principal etching gas and another hydrofluorocarbon such as CH,F,or C,H,F,is added at least in part for its polymer-forming ability, which increases selectivity of etching oxide to nitride. The process gas also includes a substantial amount of an inactive gas such as argon. The process gas mixture can be balanced between the active etching gas and the polymer former in proportions to optimize selectivity over other materials without the occurrence of etch stop in narrow contact holes and with a wide process window.

Tunable process for selectively etching oxide using fluoropropylene and a hydrofluorocarbon

Inductively coupled RF plasma reactor having an overhead solenoidal

A plasma etch process, particularly applicable to a self-aligned contact etch or other advanced structures requiring high-selectivity to nitride or other non-oxide materials and no etch stop. The process is preferably performed in a high-density plasma reactor for etching holes with either high or low aspect rations. In this process, hexafluoropropane (C.sub.3 H.sub.2 F.sub.6) is the principal etching gas in the presence of a substantial amount of an inactive gas such as argon. The process can also be used with the closely related gases heptafluoropropane (C.sub.3 HF.sub.7) and pentafluoropropane (C.sub.3 H.sub.3 F.sub.5). The process may use one or more of the these gases in proportions to optimize selectivity over other materials without the occurrence of etch stop in narrow contact holes and with a wide process window. Difluoromethane (CH.sub.2 F.sub.2) or other fluorocarbons may be combined with the above gases for optimum selectivity for a design of a specific contact feature.

Method manifesting a wide process window and using hexafluoropropane or

A plasma etch reactor having independent gas feeds above the wafer and either at the sides or below the wafer. Preferably, a carrier gas such as argon is supplied from a showerhead electrode above the wafer while an etching gas is supplied from below. In the case of selectively etching an oxide over a non-oxide layer, the etchant gas should include one or more fluorocarbons.

Independent gas feeds in a plasma reactor

A puncture resistant electrostatic chuck (20) is described. The chuck (20) comprises at least one electrode (25); and a composite insulator (30) covering the electrode. The composite insulator comprises a matrix material having a conformal holding surface (50) capable of conforming to the substrate (35) under application of an electrostatic force generated by the electrode to reduce leakage of heat transfer fluid held between the substrate and the holding surface. A hard puncture resistant layer, such a layer of fibers or an aromatic polyamide layer, is positioned below the holding surface (50) and is sufficiently hard to increase the puncture resistance of the composite insulator.

Puncture resistant electrostatic chuck

A low-temperature process for selectively etching oxide with high selectivity over silicon in a high-density plasma reactor. The principal etching gas is a hydrogen-free fluorocarbon, such as C.sub.2 F.sub.6 or C.sub.4 F.sub.8, to which is added a silane or similar silicon-bearing gas, e.g., the monosilane SiH.sub.4. The fluorocarbon and silane are added in a ratio within the range of 2 to 5, preferably 2.5 to 3. The process provides high polysilicon selectivity, high photoresist facet selectivity, and steep profile angles. Selectivity is enhanced by operating at high flow rates. Silicon tetrafluoride may be added to enhance the oxide etching rate. The process may operate at temperatures of chamber parts below 180.degree. C. and even down to 120.degree. C. The process enables the fabrication of a bi-level contact structure with a wide process window.

Silane etching process

Growing community of inventors

Pleasanton, CA, United States of America

Robert W Wu