US 5,397,432 A · Method for producing semiconductor integrated circuits and apparatus used in such method

Abstract

To prevent after-corrosion of wiring or electrodes formed by patterning films of aluminum or an alloy thereof by reactive ion etching (RIE) using an etchant containing chlorine gas or its gaseous compounds, residual chlorine on the surface of the wiring or electrodes is removed by exposing it to a plasma generated in an atmosphere containing water vapor or to neutral active species extracted from the plasma. This treatment is performed either at the same time or after an ashing operation, an operation for removing a resist mask used in the aforesaid RIE by adding water vapor to an atmosphere containing oxygen. To perform the latter separate treatment, an automatic processing system is disclosed in which an after-treatment apparatus for removing residual chlorine is connected, via a second load lock chamber, to an ashing apparatus connected to a RIE apparatus by a load lock chamber which is capable of making a vacuum.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for producing semiconductor integrated circuits, comprising the steps of:

a first step of selectively etching a metallic film formed on a surface of a substrate and exposed through a mask made of a resist which selectively covers said metallic film, by effectively contacting said metallic film exposed through said mask with a gaseous etchant comprising chlorine, bromine, or a compound thereof;
and
a second step of removing the mask used in said etching by effectively ashing said mask, by contacting said mask with a plasma generated in an atmosphere comprising oxygen gas and water vapor under conditions sufficient to also remove etchant components remaining strongly attached to and in effective contact with said metallic film or said substrate down to a residual concentration which is sufficiently low as to prevent the substantial after corrosion of said metallic film, and
wherein removing of the residual gaseous etchant components includes using the plasma to force said gaseous etchant components to be released from said metallic film and said substrate.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for producing semiconductor integrated circuits and apparatus used in such method

Life of this patent

Method for producing semiconductor integrated circuits and apparatus used in such method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19