Plasma etching method using low ionization potential gas
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsJohn W. Coburn, Kevin G. Donohoe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An etching method for forming an opening includes providing a substrate assembly having a surface and an oxide layer thereon. A patterned mask layer is provided over the oxide layer exposing a portion of the oxide layer. A plasma including one or more of CxHyFz+ ions and CxFz+ ions and further including xenon or krypton ions is used to etch the oxide layer at the exposed portion to define the opening in the oxide layer while simultaneously depositing a polymeric residue on a surface defining the opening. The etching is continued until the opening in the oxide layer is selectively etched to the surface of the substrate assembly.
Claims36
An etching method for use in the fabrication of integrated circuits, the method comprising:
- providing an oxide material comprising at least one exposed oxide region and at least one non-exposed oxide region;
- providing at least one reactive gas component, wherein the at least one reactive gas component comprises at least carbon and flourine;
- providing a low ionization potential gas, wherein the low ionization potential gas comprises at least one of xenon and krypton;
- and
- etching the at least one exposed oxide region with a plasma generated using the at least one reactive gas component and the low ionization potential gas to define an opening in the oxide material and to deposit a polymeric residue on at least a sidewall of the opening being defined.
An etching method for forming a contact opening, the method comprising:
- providing an oxide material comprising at least one exposed oxide region and at least one non-exposed oxide region;
- providing a plasma, wherein the plasma comprises low ionization potential gas ions and reactive gas ions, wherein the low ionization potential gas ions comprise at least one of xenon ions and krypton ions, wherein the reactive gas ions comprise at least ions from a group consisting of ions comprising carbon, hydrogen, and flourine, and ions comprising carbon and fluorine;
- and
- etching the at least one exposed oxide region of the oxide material using the plasma to define the contact opening in the oxide material and to deposit a polymeric residue on a surface defining the contact opening.
A method for selectively etching silicon dioxide against a silicon containing layer, the method comprising:
- providing a substrate assembly in an etch zone, wherein the substrate assembly comprises a silicon containing surface, a silicon dioxide layer formed on the silicon containing surface, and a patterned mask layer formed to expose a portion of the silicon dioxide layer;
- generating a plasma in the etch zone, wherein the plasma comprises low ionization potential gas ions and reactive gas ions, wherein the low ionization potential gas ions comprise at least one of xenon ions and krypton ions, wherein the reactive gas ions comprise at least ions from a group consisting of ions comprising carbon, hydrogen, and flourine, and ions comprising carbon and fluorine, and further wherein the plasma etches the silicon dioxide layer at the exposed portion to define an opening in the silicon dioxide layer to the silicon containing surface and deposits a polymeric residue on at least one surface defining the opening.
An etching method for forming an opening, the method comprising:
- providing an oxide material comprising at least one exposed oxide region and at least one non-exposed oxide region;
- providing a plasma, wherein the plasma comprises at least Xe+ ions and reactive gas ions, wherein the reactive gas ions comprise at least ions from a group consisting of ions comprising carbon, hydrogen, and flourine, and ions comprising carbon and fluorine, and further wherein the plasma comprises a larger fraction of Xe+ ions relative to the reactive gas ions;
- and
- etching the at least one exposed oxide region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.