# US 9,520,301 B2 · Etching method using plasma, and method of fabricating semiconductor device including the etching method

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- Number: US 9,520,301 B2
- Document ID: US9520301B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/819,904
- Filed: 2015-08-06
- Published: 2016-04-21
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2014-10-21
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Go-jun Kim; Vladimir Volynets; Sang-jin An; Hee-jeon Yang; Sang-heon Lee; Sung-keun Cho; Xinglong Chen; In-ho Choi
- Inventors: Go-jun Kim; Vladimir Volynets; Sang-jin An; Hee-jeon Yang; Sang-heon Lee; Sung-keun Cho; Xinglong Chen; In-ho Choi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520301B2

## CPC

- H10P 50/283: {by chemical means}
- H01J 37/32357: {Generation remote from the workpiece, e.g. down-stream}
- H10P 50/242: {of Group IV materials}
- H10P 70/12: {by dry cleaning only (H10P70/52 takes precedence)}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

An etching method using plasma includes generating plasma by supplying process gases to at least one remote plasma source (RPS) and applying power to the at least one RPS, and etching an etching object by supplying water (H2O) and the plasma to a process chamber.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An etching method using plasma, the method comprising:
generating plasma by supplying process gases to at least one remote plasma source (RPS) and applying power to the at least one RPS; and
etching an etching object by supplying water (H2O) and hydrogen (H2) to a process chamber with the plasma, wherein the water and the hydrogen are supplied to the process chamber without being supplied to the at least one RPS.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one RPS comprises at least two RPS's and the water is supplied during a pretreatment step performed on the etching object.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the pretreatment step is performed by placing the etching object with water in a sealed space or spraying steam toward the etching object.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one RPS comprises at least two RPS's, and the water is supplied, in the form of vapor, to at least one of: at least one path between the RPS's and the process chamber, a shower head arranged in an upper portion of the inside of the process chamber, and an entrance connected to the process chamber.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one RPS comprises at least two RPS's, and the hydrogen is supplied to at least one of: at least one path between the RPS's and the process chamber, a shower head arranged in an upper portion of the inside of the process chamber, and an entrance connected to the process chamber.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, supplying the process gases comprises supplying nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) to at least one of the RPS's, and supplying hydrogen (H2) to satisfy the equation,
[NF3]*D:[H2]=2:3,
wherein “[NF3]” denotes a flow rate of NF3, “[H2]” denotes a flow rate of H2, and “D” denotes a degree of dissociation of NF3.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one RPS comprises at least two RPS's, and NF3, N2, and O2 are supplied to a first RPS of the RPS's and O2 and N2 are supplied to a second RPS of the RPS's.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein etching the etching object comprises selectively etching among a silicon nitride (Si3N4) film and at least one of a polysilicon (p-Si) film and a silicon oxide (SiO2) film, the silicon nitride (Si3N4) film.

### Claim 9

An etching method using plasma, the method comprising:
generating plasma by supplying process gases to a process chamber and applying power to the process chamber; and
etching an etching object by supplying at least one of water (H2O) and hydrogen (H2) to the process chamber with the plasma,
wherein the water is supplied during a pretreatment step performed on the etching object before an etching process, or in the form of vapor during the etching process, and
wherein the supply of the water during the pretreatment step is provided by placing the etching object with water in a sealed space or spraying steam toward the etching object.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the supply of the water in the form of vapor is supplied during the etching process by supplying the water in the form of vapor to a shower head arranged in an upper portion of the process chamber or to an entrance connected to the process chamber.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the hydrogen is supplied to a shower head arranged in an upper portion of the process chamber or to an entrance connected to the process chamber.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein supplying process gases comprises supplying nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and hydrogen (H2) satisfy the equation,
[NF3]*D:[H2]=2:3,
wherein “[NF3]” denotes a flow rate of NF3, “[H2]” denotes a flow rate of H2, and “D” denotes a degree of dissociation of NF3.

### Claim 13

An etching method using plasma, the method comprising:
generating a plasma in at least two remote plasma sources (RPS's); and
supplying at least one of water (H2O) and hydrogen (H2) to an etching object in a process chamber in a presence of the plasma to etch the etching object.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The etching method of claim 13, wherein generating a plasma comprises supplying one or more process gasses to the at least two RPS's and applying power to the at least two RPS's.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The etching method of claim 13, wherein generating a plasma comprises supplying one or more process gasses to the process chamber and applying power to the process chamber.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The etching method of claim 13, wherein supplying at least one of water (H2O) and hydrogen (H2) to the etching object comprises supplying a water vapor to the process chamber.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The etching method of claim 14, wherein hydrogen is supplied to at least one of: a path between the RPS's and the process chamber, a shower head arranged in an upper portion of an inside of the process chamber, and an entrance connected to the process chamber.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The etching method of claim 13, wherein supplying the process gases comprises supplying nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and hydrogen (H2) to satisfy the equation,
[NF3]*D:[H2]=2:3,
wherein “[NF3]” denotes a flow rate of NF3, “[H2]” denotes a flow rate of H2, and “D” denotes a degree of dissociation of NF3.