Method for etching silicon layer and plasma processing apparatus
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsAkinori KITAMURA, Eiji SUZUKI
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method of etching a silicon layer by removing an oxide film formed on a workpiece which includes the silicon layer and a mask provided on the silicon layer. The method includes: (a) forming a denatured region by generating plasma of a first processing gas containing hydrogen, nitrogen, and fluorine within a processing container accommodating the workpiece therein to denature an oxide film formed on a surface of the workpiece; (b1) removing the denatured region by generating plasma of a rare gas within the processing container; and (c) etching the silicon layer by generating plasma of a second processing gas within the processing container.
Claims6
A method of etching a silicon layer of an object to be processed (“workpiece”), the method comprising:
- forming a denatured region by generating plasma of a first processing gas containing hydrogen, nitrogen, and fluorine within a processing container accommodating the workpiece therein to denature an oxide film formed on a surface of the workpiece including a mask provided on the silicon layer;
- removing the denatured region by generating plasma of a rare gas within the processing container;
- and
- etching the silicon layer by generating plasma of a second processing gas within the processing container.
A method of etching a silicon layer of an object to be processed (“workpiece”), the method comprising:
- forming a denatured region by generating plasma of a first processing gas containing hydrogen, nitrogen, and fluorine within a processing container accommodating the workpiece therein to denature an oxide film formed on a surface of the workpiece including a mask provided on the silicon layer;
- removing the denatured region by generating plasma of a second processing gas within the processing container following to forming the denatured region without taking out the workpiece from the processing container;
- and
- etching the silicon layer by generating plasma of the second processing gas within the processing container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.