# US 2020/0395221 A1 · Method of etching porous film

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- Number: US 2020/0395221 A1
- Document ID: US20200395221A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/613,357
- Filed: 2018-05-09
- Published: 2020-12-17
- Earliest claimed: 2017-05-16
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited; L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude; Universite D'Orleans; Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited; L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude; Universite D'Orleans; Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique
- Inventors: Shigeru TAHARA; Keiichiro URABE; Peng SHEN; Christian DUSSARRAT; Jean-Francois DE MARNEFFE; Remi DUSSART; Thomas TILLOCHER
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200395221A1

## CPC

- H10P 50/283: {by chemical means}
- H01J 37/32449: {Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow}
- H10P 50/242: {of Group IV materials}
- H10W 20/01: {Manufacture or treatment}
- H10W 20/48: Insulating materials thereof
- H01J 37/32091: {the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma}
- H01J 37/32422: {Arrangement for selecting ions or species in the plasma}
- H01J 37/32642: {Focus rings}
- H01J 2237/3344: isotropy
- H10P 14/665: {Porous materials}
- H10P 14/6922: {the material containing Si, O and at least one of H, N, C, F or other non-metal elements, e.g. SiOC, SiOC:H or SiONC}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A method of an embodiment includes (i) a step of supplying a first gas to a chamber, wherein the first gas is perfiuorotetraglyme gas, and (ii) a step of generating plasma of a second gas for etching of a porous film in order to etch the porous film at the same time as the step of supplying a first gas or after the step of supplying a first gas. Partial pressure of the first gas in the chamber or pressure of the first gas in the chamber when only the first gas is supplied to the chamber is higher than critical pressure causing capillary condensation of the first gas in the porous film and is lower than saturated vapor pressure of the first gas at a temperature of the workpiece during execution of the step of supplying a first gas.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of etching a porous film, wherein the method is performed in a state where a workpiece having the porous film and a mask provided on the porous film and providing an opening exposing the porous film partially is placed on a stage provided in a chamber of a plasma processing apparatus, the method comprising:
supplying a first gas to the chamber, the first gas being gas consisting of perfluorotetraglyme; and
generating plasma of a second gas for etching of the porous film, to etch the porous film at the same time as said supplying a first gas or after said supplying a first gas, and
wherein partial pressure of the first gas in the chamber or pressure of the first gas in the chamber when only the first gas is supplied to the chamber is higher than critical pressure causing capillary condensation of the first gas in the porous film and lower than saturated vapor pressure of the first gas at a temperature of the workpiece during execution of said supplying a first gas.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1,
wherein in said supplying a first gas, a mixed gas including the first gas and the second gas is supplied to the chamber, and
wherein in said generating plasma of a second gas, plasma of the mixed gas is generated in the chamber.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2,
wherein in said supplying a first gas and said generating plasma of a second gas, the temperature of the workpiece is set to a temperature not less than −50° C. and not more than −30° C., the partial pressure of the first gas is set to 0.4 Pa or higher, and total pressure of gas in the chamber is set to 3.333 Pa or lower.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2,
wherein in said generating plasma of a second gas, a power of at least one of a first radio frequency wave for generating the plasma and a second radio frequency wave for attracting ion to the workpiece is increased and decreased alternately.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1,
wherein said supplying a first gas and said generating plasma of a second gas are alternately performed, and
wherein the method further comprises supplying the second gas to the chamber without generating plasma, between said supplying a first gas and said generating plasma of a second gas.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5,
wherein in said supplying a first gas and said generating plasma of a second gas, the temperature of the workpiece is set to a temperature not less than −50° C. and not more than −30° C., and
wherein in said supplying a first gas, the partial pressure of the first gas in the chamber or the pressure of the first gas in the chamber when only the first gas is supplied to the chamber is set to 0.4 Pa or higher.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising removing liquid in the porous film generated from the first gas, after the porous film is etched
wherein in said removing liquid, the workpiece is heated such that pressure of the liquid becomes lower than the critical pressure under a vacuumed environment.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1,
wherein the porous film is a low-dielectric constant film containing silicon, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8,
wherein the second gas includes nitrogen trifluoride gas.