Nitrogen-containing compounds for etching semiconductor structures
AssigneeAmerican Air Liquide, Inc.
InventorsVijay Surla, Rahul Gupta, Venkateswara R. Pallem
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Abstract
A method for etching silicon-containing films is disclosed. The method includes the steps of introducing a vapor of a nitrogen containing etching compound into a reaction chamber containing a silicon-containing film on a substrate, wherein the nitrogen containing etching compound is an organofluorine compound containing at least one C≡N or C═N functional group; introducing an inert gas into the reaction chamber; and activating a plasma to produce an activated nitrogen containing etching compound capable of etching the silicon-containing film from the substrate.
Claims20
A method for etching silicon-containing films, the method comprising the steps of:
- introducing a vapor of a nitrogen containing etching compound into a reaction chamber containing a silicon-containing film on a substrate, wherein the nitrogen containing etching compound comprises an organofluorine compound having a formula selected from the group consisting of N≡C—R1, wherein R1 has the formula HaFbCc and a=1-11, b=1-11, and c=1-5;
- (N≡C—)—(R2)—(—C≡N), wherein R2 has the formula HaFbCc with a=0, b=1-11, and c=1-5;
- and R1x[—C═N(R2z)]y, wherein x=1-2, y=1-2, z=0-1, x+z=1-3, and each R1 and R2 independently has the formula HaFbCc with a=0-11, b=0-11, and c=0-5;
- introducing an inert gas into the reaction chamber;
- and
- activating a plasma to produce an activated nitrogen containing etching compound capable of etching the silicon-containing film from the substrate;
- wherein the nitrogen containing etching compound having a purity ranging from approximately 95% to approximately 99.999% by volume and comprising between approximately 10 parts per trillion to approximately 5% by volume water vapor impurities.
A nitrogen containing etching compound having a purity ranging from approximately 95% to approximately 99.999% by volume and comprising between approximately 10 parts per trillion to approximately 5% by volume water vapor impurities, the nitrogen containing etching compound comprising an organofluorine compound selected from the group consisting of difluoroacetonitrile, 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropionitrile, 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropionitrile, hexafluoroacetone imine, 4,4,4-Trifluorocrotono-nitrile, 3,3,3-Trifluoropropionitrile, fluoroacetonitrile, octafluorohexane-1,6-dinitrile, 1,1-bis(trifluoromethyl)-2,2-dicyanoethylene, N,1,1,1,3,3,3-heptafluoro-propanamine, and 1,1,1,6,6,6-Hexafluoro-3-azahex-3-ene.
A method for selectively etching silicon oxide films from a substrate selected from silicon nitride, amorphous carbon, polysilicon, or combinations thereof, the method comprising the steps of:
- introducing a vapor of a nitrogen containing etching compound into a reaction chamber containing a silicon oxide film on a substrate selected from silicon nitride, amorphous carbon, polysilicon, or combinations thereof, wherein the nitrogen containing etching compound comprises an organofluorine compound having a formula selected from of N≡C—R1, wherein R1 has the formula HaFbCc and a=1-11, b=1-11, and c=1-5 or (N≡C—)—(R2)—(—C≡N), wherein R2 has the formula HaFbCc with a=0, b=1-11, and c=1-5;
- introducing an inert gas into the reaction chamber;
- and
- activating a plasma to produce an activated nitrogen containing etching compound that etches the silicon oxide film from the substrate selected from silicon nitride, amorphous carbon, polysilicon, or combinations thereof;
- wherein the nitrogen containing etching compound having a purity ranging from approximately 95% to approximately 99.999% by volume and comprising between approximately 10 parts per trillion to approximately 5% by volume water vapor impurities.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.