Method for endpoint detection during dry etch of submicron features in a semiconductor device
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (KPENV)
InventorTammy Zheng
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Abstract
According to an example embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The device includes a conductive underlayer. A sub-micron via or contact path and a dummy via or dummy contact path are dry etched. The endpoint of the dry etching process is optically detected, and the etching process is stopped responsive to the detection of the endpoint. By etching a dummy via or contact in addition to the submicron via or contact, this example embodiment facilitates endpoint detection for dry etching sub-micron features in semiconductor devices, which is otherwise difficult or even impossible in the submicron regime.
Claims19
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:
- forming a conductive underlayer;
- forming a selective layer over the conductive underlayer;
- dry etching at least one sub-micron path;
- concurrently dry etching at least one dummy path;
- detecting the endpoint of the etching process;
- and
- stopping the etching process responsive to the optical detection of the endpoint.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.