Method of plasma etching
AssigneeSPTS Technologies Limited
InventorTristan Burman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Introducing SF6, O2, and He process gases into the plasma chamber, plasma etching the SiC substrate to thereby reduce surface roughness of the SiC substrate by alternating between applying a bias RF power to the substrate support to generate a reactive-ion etching plasma in the plasma chamber, and etching the SiC substrate at a first plasma chamber pressure for a first period of time, and applying a source RF power to the plasma chamber to generate an inductively coupled plasma in the plasma chamber and applying a bias RF power to the substrate support, and etching the SiC substrate at a second plasma chamber pressure for a second period of time.
Claims21
A method of plasma etching a workpiece, the method comprising:
- placing the workpiece upon a substrate support within a plasma chamber, wherein the workpiece comprises a SiC substrate;
- introducing SF6, O2 and He process gases into the plasma chamber;
- and
- plasma etching the SiC substrate to thereby reduce surface roughness of the SiC substrate by alternating between:
- applying a bias RF power to the substrate support to generate a reactive-ion etching plasma in the plasma chamber, and etching the SiC substrate at a first plasma chamber pressure for a first period of time;
- and
- applying a source RF power to the plasma chamber to generate an inductively coupled plasma in the plasma chamber and applying a bias RF power to the substrate support, and etching the SiC substrate at a second plasma chamber pressure for a second period of time.
An inductively coupled plasma apparatus for plasma etching a workpiece, the inductively coupled plasma apparatus comprising:
- a plasma chamber;
- a platen assembly disposed within the plasma chamber configured to receive the workpiece, wherein the workpiece comprises a SiC substrate;
- a gas delivery system for introducing process gases into the plasma chamber;
- a plasma generation device for sustaining a plasma within the plasma chamber for etching the SiC substrate;
- and
- a controller configured to control the inductively coupled plasma apparatus to perform a plasma etch of the SiC substrate to thereby reduce surface roughness of the SiC substrate by alternating between:
- applying a bias RF power to a substrate support to generate a reactive-ion etching plasma in the plasma chamber whilst applying a nil source RF power, and etching the SiC substrate at a first plasma chamber pressure for a first period;
- and
- applying a source RF power to the plasma chamber to generate an inductively coupled plasma in the plasma chamber and applying a bias RF power to the substrate support, and etching the SiC substrate at a second plasma chamber pressure for a second period.
A method of plasma etching a workpiece, the method comprising:
- placing the workpiece upon a substrate support within a plasma chamber, wherein the workpiece comprises a SiC substrate;
- introducing SF6, O2 and He process gases into the plasma chamber;
- applying a source RF power to the plasma chamber to generate an inductively coupled plasma in the plasma chamber;
- applying a bias RF power to the substrate support;
- and
- plasma etching the SiC substrate to thereby reduce surface roughness of the SiC substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.