Process and material for manufacturing thin film integrated circuits
AssigneeLFE Corporation
InventorAdir Jacob
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process step for use in the manufacture of thin film integrated circuits, to enable, in one process, the removal of all the photoresist material from underlying metallic films without concomitant degradation of the metallic surface and in another process, preferential etching of silicon nitrides and oxides without significant simultaneous etching of single crystal silicon. The material is exposed to a low pressure (few torr) rf generated "cold" plasma, where the plasma is a homogeneous gaseous mixture of oxygen, a halogen containing compound and a noble gas.
Claims54
A process for use in the manufacture of multi-layer thin film integrated circuits for selective removal of specific layers, comprising the step of:
- exposing the multi-layer thin film integrated circuit to a low temperature, low pressure plasma formed from a gaseous multi-component mixture of oxygen, a noble gas carrier and a halogen containing gas selected from the group consisting of:
- organohalides defined as having no more than two carbon atoms per molecule and being at least partially substituted by halogens including a pedominance of fluorine atoms, inorganic halides defined as having at least one fluorine atom per molecule, and fluorine gas.
A process for etching silicon oxides and silicon nitrides preferentially to single crystal silicons during the manufacture of thin film integrated circuits comprising the step of:
- exposing a thin film integrated circuit to a low temperature, low ressure plasma formed from a gaseous multicomponent mixture of oxygen, a noble gas carrier and CF.sub.4.
A process in accordance with cliam 4 wherein the pressure of the plasma equals 0.65 torr and the plasma is generated by the application of an RF field to the gaseous mixture at a power level of 350 watts.
A composition of matter useful in the process for selective etching of silicon oxides and nitrides in the presence of single crystal silicon in a low pressure RF plasma during the manufacture of thin film integrated circuits, comprising:
- a gaseous multi-component mixture of oxygen, a noble gas carrier and CF.sub.4 wherein the oxygen consists between 0.25 and 6% of the mixture, CF.sub.4 constitutes between 0.5 and 7% of the mixture and the balance is one of the group of inert gases including helium, argon, or nitrogen.
In a composite process for removing photoresist material in the presence of metallic materials without significant degradation of the metallic materials during the manufacture of thin film integrated circuits, the improvement comprising the step of:
- exposing the layer of photoresist material to a low temperature, low pressure plasma formed from a gaseous multicomponent mixture at pressures of a few torr of oxygen, a noble gas carrier and a halogen containing gas selected from the group consisting of organohalides defined as having no more than two carbon atoms per molecule and being at least partially substituted by halogens including a predominance of fluorine atoms, inorganic halides defined as having at least one fluorine atom per molecule, and fluorine gas and wherein the oxygen is in the range of 1 to 10% by volume of the noble gas carrier and said oxygen-noble gas components comprise more than 90% by volume of said gaseous multicomponent mixture.
In a composite process for removing photoresist material in the presence of metallic materials without significant degradation of the metallic materials during the manufacture of thin film integrated circuits, the improvement comprising the step of:
- exposing the layer of photoresist materialto a low temperature, low pressure plasma formed from a gaseous multicomponent mixture at pressures of a few torr of oxygen, organohalide, and noble gas carrier in which the organohalide is selected from a group of organohalides defined as having no more than two carbon atoms per molecule and being at least partially substituted by halogens including a predominance of fluorine atoms, and wherein the oxygen is in the range of 1 to 10% by volume of the noble gas carrier and said oxygen-noble gas components comprise more than 90% by volume of said gaseous multi-component mixture.
In a composite process for removing photoresist material in the presence of metallic materials without significant degradation of the metallic materials during the manufacture of thin film integrated circuits, the improvement comprising the step of:
- exposing the layer of photoresist material to a low temperature, low pressure plasma formed from a gaseous muticomponent mixture at pressures of a few torr of oxygen, inorganic halide, and a noble gas carrier in which the inorganic halide is selected from a group of halides defined as having at least one fluroine atom per molecule, and wherein the oxygen is in the range of 1 to 10% by volume of the noble gas carrier and said oxygen-noble gas components comprise more than 90% by volume of said gaseous multi-component mixture.
In a composite process for removing photoresist material in the presence of metallic materials without significant degradation of the metallic materials during the manufacture of thin film integrated circuits, the improvement comprising the step of:
- exposing the layer of photoresist material to a low temperature, low pressure plasma formed from a gaseous multicomponent mixture at pressures of a few torr of oxygen, fluorine and a noble gas carrier, and wherein the oxygen is in the range of 1 to 10% by volume of the noble gas carrier and said oxygen-noble gas components comprise more than 90% by volume of said gaseous multi-component mixture.
In a composite process for removing photoresist material in the presence of metallic material without significant degradation of the metallic material during the manufacture of thin film integrated circuits, the improvement comprising the step of:
- exposing the layer of photoresist material to a low temperature, low pressure plasma formed from a gaseous multicomponent mixture at pressures of a few torr of oxygen, fluorine, organohalide, inorganic halide, and noble gas carrier in which the organohalide is selected from a group of organohalides defined as having no more than two carbon atoms per molecule and being at least partially substituted by halogens including a predominance of fluorine atoms and in which the inorganic halide is selected from a group of halides defined as having at least one fluorine atom per molecule and wherein the oxygen is in the range of 1 to 10% by volume of the noble gas carrier and said oxygen-noble gas components comprise more than 90% by volume of said gaseous multicomponent mixture.
A composition of matter useful in a process for removing photoresist material in a low temperature, low pessure rf plasma during the manufacture of thin film integrated circuits, comprising,
- a gaseous multicomponent mixture of oxygen, a noble gas carrier and a halogen containing gas selected from the group consisting of;
- organo halides defined as having no more than two carbon atoms per molecule and being at least partially substituted by halogens including a predominance of fluorine atoms, inorganic halides defined as having at least one fluorine atom per molecule, and fluorine gas and where said oxygen is in the range of 1 to 10% by volume of the noble gas carrier and said oxygen-noble gas components comprise more than 90% by volume of said gaseous multi-component mixture.
A composition of matter useful in a process for removing photoresist material in a low temperature, low pressure rf plasma during the manufacture of thin film integrated circuits, comprising:
- a gaseous multi-component mixture of oxygen, organohalide, and noble gas carrier in which the organohalide is selected from a group of organohalides defined as having no more than two carbon atoms per molecule and being at least partially substituted by halogens including a predominance of fluorine atoms and where said oxygen is in the range of 1 to 10% by volume of the noble gas carrier and said oxygen-noble gas components comprise more than 90% by volume of said gaseous multi-components mixture.
A composition of matter useful in a process for removing photoresist material in a low temperature, low pressure rf plasma comprising, a ternary mixture of oxygen, inorganic halide, and a noble gas carrier in which the inorganic halide is selected from a group of halides defined as having at least one fluorine atom per molecule and where said oxygen is in the range of 1 to 10% by volume of the noble gas carrier and aid oxygen-noble gas components comprise more than 90% by volume of said gaseous multi-component mixture.
A composition of matter useful in a process for removing photoresist material in a low temperature, low pressure rf plasma during the manufacture of thin film integrated circuits, comprising,
- a gaseous multi-component mixture of oxygen, organohalide, inorganic halide, and noble gas carrier in which the organohalide is selected from a group of organohalides defined as having no more than two carbon atoms per molecule and being at least partially substituted by halogens including a predominance of fluorine atoms and in which the inorganic halide is selected from a group of halides defined as having at least one fluorine atom per molecule and where said oxygen is in the range of 1 to 10% by volume of the noble gas carrier and said oxygen-noble gas components comprise more than 90% by volume of said gaseous multi-component mixture.
A composition of matter useful in the process for removing photoresist material in a low temperature, low pressure rf plasma during the manufacture of thin film integrated circuits, comprising,
- a gaseous multi-component mixture of oxygen, tegrafluoromethane and trifluoromethane, and fluorine gas in a range of mixtures from 1 to 10% by volume trifluoromethane, 1 to 10% by volume fluorine and the balance a noble gas selected from the group including helium and argon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.