Etching method, method for producing dielectric film of low dielectric constant, method for producing porous member, etching system and thin film forming equipment

An etching apparatus characterized by comprising

• a chamber for accommodating an etching member;
• halogen radical supply means for supplying, into the chamber, halogen radicals generated from a halogen through formation of a plasma thereof;
• precursor supply means for supplying, into the chamber, a precursor formed from the halogen and a noble metal component generated through etching of a noble metal member by the halogen radicals;
• and
• etching control means for controlling the flux ratio of the precursor to the halogen radicals, as well as at least one of the temperature of the target and the temperature of the etching member, so as to perform an adsorption step of causing crystal nuclei of the precursor to be adsorbed on the etching member, and an etching step of anisotropically etching, in a thickness direction by the halogen radicals, a portion of the etching member on which the crystal nuclei have been adsorbed.

A thin film formation apparatus having

• a chamber for accommodating an etching and film formation member;
• a film-forming metal member provided in the chamber at a position facing the etching and film formation member;
• working gas supply means for supplying a halogen-containing working gas into the chamber;
• working gas plasma generation means for generating halogen radicals from the working gas through formation of a plasma thereof in the interior of the chamber, and for etching the film-forming metal member by the halogen radicals, thereby forming a precursor from the halogen and the metal component contained in the film-forming metal member;
• and
• film formation temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the substrate to be lower than that of the etching member so that a thin film formed of the metal component generated through reduction of the precursor by the halogen radicals is provided on the substrate, wherein the thin film formation apparatus further comprises halogen radical supply means for supplying halogen radicals into the chamber at a position above the etching and film formation member, the halogen radicals being generated from a halogen through formation of a plasma thereof, characterized in that the apparatus comprises
• precursor supply means for supplying a precursor into the chamber at a position above the etching and film formation member, the precursor being formed from the halogen and a noble metal component generated through etching of a noble metal member by the halogen radicals;
• etching temperature control means for respectively controlling the temperature of the noble metal member, and the temperature of the etching and film formation member;
• and
• etching control means for controlling the flux ratio of the precursor to the halogen radicals, as well as at least one of the temperature of the target and the temperature of the etching and film formation member, so as to perform an adsorption step of causing crystal nuclei of the precursor to be adsorbed on the etching and film formation member, and an etching step of anisotropically etching, in a thickness direction by the halogen radicals, a portion of the etching and film formation member on which the crystal nuclei have been adsorbed.