The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 06, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 27, 1998
Ruiping Wang, Fremont, CA (US);
Gerald Z. Yin, Cupertino, CA (US);
Robert W. Wu, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Jian Ding, San Jose, CA (US);
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
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.