# US 10,312,101 B2 · Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus

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- Number: US 10,312,101 B2
- Document ID: US10312101B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/486,145
- Filed: 2017-04-12
- Published: 2017-11-02
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2016-04-27
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Shuji Moriya; Masahiko Tomita
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312101B2

## CPC

- H10P 50/242: {of Group IV materials}
- H10D 64/01342: {by deposition, e.g. evaporation, ALD or laser deposition (H10D64/01344 takes precedence)}
- H10P 14/6339: {deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE or pulsed CVD}
- H10P 72/0421: {for drying etching}
- H10P 72/0602: {Temperature monitoring}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

A substrate processing method includes a fluorine-based gas supply step of supplying a fluorine-based gas into a processing chamber where a substrate having a silicon-based film is accommodated, a purge gas supply step of supplying a purge gas for discharging the supplied fluorine-based gas into the processing chamber. The substrate processing method further includes a nitrogen-based gas supply step of supplying a nitrogen-based gas into the processing chamber from which the fluorine-based gas has been discharged. In the substrate processing method, at least in the fluorine-based gas supply step and the purge gas supply step, a temperature of the substrate is maintained at 60° C. or less.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A substrate processing method for etching a silicon-based film of a substrate without using a plasma, the method comprising:
a step of supplying a fluorine-based gas into a processing chamber where the substrate having the silicon-based film is accommodated;
a step of supplying a first purge gas for discharging the supplied fluorine-based gas into the processing chamber; and
a step of supplying a nitrogen-based gas into the processing chamber from which the fluorine-based gas has been discharged,
wherein at least in the step of supplying the fluorine-based gas and the step of supplying the first purge gas, a temperature of the substrate is maintained at 60° C. or less.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing method of claim 1, further comprising a step of supplying a second purge gas for discharging the supplied nitrogen-based gas into the processing chamber,
wherein the step of supplying the fluoride-based gas, the step of supplying the first purge gas, the step of supplying the nitrogen-based gas and the step of supplying the second purge gas are repeated in that order.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing method of claim 1, further comprising a step of supplying a second purge gas for discharging the supplied nitrogen-based gas into the processing chamber and a step of determining whether or not an etching amount of the silicon-based film has reached a predetermined amount,
wherein the step of supplying the fluoride-based gas, the step of supplying the first purge gas, the step of supplying the nitrogen-based gas and the step of supplying the second purge gas are repeated in that order until the etching amount of the silicon-based film has reached the predetermined amount.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein the fluorine-based gas is fluorine (F2) gas.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing method of claim 1, wherein the nitrogen-based gas is nitrogen monoxide (NO) gas.