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US 7,030,027 B1Granted
Etching methods and apparatus for producing semiconductor devices
AssigneeKawasaki Microelectronics, Inc.
InventorKoji Suzuki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multi-layered film on a semiconductor substrate is etched with a multi-step etching process by sequentially providing a plurality of process gases having different compositions in a chamber. A plasma discharge to excite the process gases is continued without an interruption during a switch to a different process gas. A relationship between different process gases desirable for the continuous plasma excitation is also disclosed. An apparatus suitable to practice this continuous plasma excitation process includes a process gas supply system having a gas reservoir. A mixture of at least two component gases is prepared and reserved in the reservoir, and is supplied to the etching chamber when it is needed.
Claims34
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising
- placing a semiconductor substrate in an etching chamber, the substrate having an upper layer over a surface of the substrate and a lower layer under the upper layer;
- providing a first process gas and then a second process gas into the chamber, the first process gas and the second process gas having different compositions from each other;
- generating a plasma in the chamber to excite the first process gas and then the second process gas, the generating continues without an interruption between the excitations of the first and second process gases;
- and
- etching at least a portion of the upper layer using the excited first process gas and then at least a portion of the lower layer using the excited second process gas.
2 more elements
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
- placing a semiconductor substrate in an etching chamber, the substrate having a stack of a mask layer, a material layer and an underlying layer over a surface of the semiconductor substrate;
- providing a first process gas and then a second process gas in the chamber, the first process gas and the second process gas being different in their component gases;
- generating a plasma in the chamber to excite the first process gas and then the second process gas, the generating continues without an interruption between the excitations of the first and the second process gases;
- and
- etching a substantial thickness of an unmasked portion of the material layer using the excited first process gas and then etching residues of the unmasked portion of the material layer using the excited second process gas until the underlying layer is exposed in the unmasked portion.
2 more elements
A method of treating a plurality of semiconductor substrates, comprising:
- receiving the plurality of semiconductor substrates at an apparatus having a gas reservoir and a process chamber, each of the semiconductor substrates having at least one material layer over a surface of the substrate;
- reserving a mixture of at least two component gases in the gas reservoir by supplying the at least two component gases to the gas reservoir;
- introducing at least one of the received semiconductor substrates into the process chamber;
- treating the at least one of the semiconductor substrates introduced into the chamber, the treating including:
- providing a first process gas and then a second process gas into the chamber, the first and the second process gases having different compositions from each other;
- and
- generating a plasma in the chamber to excite the first process gas and then the second process gas;
- etching the material layer of the introduced substrate using the excited first process gas and then the excited second process gas;
- and
- repeating the introducing and treating until all the received semiconductor substrates are treated,
- wherein the providing includes supplying the reserved gas mixture from the gas reservoir to the chamber and the reserving reserves the gas mixture in an amount sufficient to treat all the received semiconductor substrates.
8 more elements
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
- placing a semiconductor substrate in an process chamber, the substrate having a silicide layer over a surface of the semiconductor substrate and a silicon layer under the silicide layer;
- providing a first process gas including a chlorine-containing gas, a bromine-containing gas and an oxygen-containing gas into the chamber, and then providing a second process gas including the chlorine-containing gas, the bromine-containing gas and the oxygen-containing gas of the first process gas mixed with a ratio different from that of the first process gas into the chamber;
- generating a plasma in the chamber to excite the first process gas and then the second process gas;
- and
- etching at least a portion of the silicide layer using the excited first process gas, and then etching at least a portion of the silicon layer using the excited second process gas.
2 more elements
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
- placing a semiconductor substrate in a process chamber, the substrate having a BARC layer over a surface of the substrate and a silicide layer under the BARC layer;
- providing a first process gas including a chlorine-containing gas, a bromine-containing gas and an oxygen-containing gas, and then providing a second process gas including the chlorine-containing gas, the bromine-containing gas and the oxygen-containing gas of the first process gas mixed with a ratio different from that of the first process gas into the chamber;
- generating a plasma in the chamber to excite the first process gas and then the second process gas;
- and
- etching at least a portion of the BARC layer using the excited first process gas and then etching at least a portion of the silicide layer using the excited second process gas.
2 more elements
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
- placing a semiconductor substrate having a silicide layer over a surface of the substrate in a process chamber;
- providing a process gas including a chlorine-containing gas, a bromine-containing gas and an oxygen-containing gas into the chamber, wherein a ratio of the bromine-containing gas to the chlorine-containing gas is not larger than 0.2;
- generating a plasma in the chamber to excite the process gas;
- and
- etching at least a portion of the silicide layer using the excited process gas.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.