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EP0175561A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Dry-etching method and apparatus therefor

Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1985-09-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-09-16
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Abstract

Abstract A dry-etching method for performing anisotropic etching on a semiconductor substrate (12) by employing an etching gas together with a film-forming gas while irradiating light or an X-ray on the semiconductor subatrate (12). In this method at least one of the etching gas or film-forming gas is excited in a separate chamber (16) before being introduced into an etching chamber (11). A dry-etching apparatus for performing the above dry-etching method is also proposed.

Inventors

  • 👤 Makoto C/O Patent Division Sekine
  • 👤 Haruo C/O Patent Division Okano
  • 👤 Yasuhiro C/O Patent Division Horiike

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 17:03
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P50/00; H10P50/20; H10P50/26; H10P50/264; H10P50/266; H10P50/267; H10P50/268; H10P50/24; H10P50/242; H10P50/28; H10P50/282; H10P50/283

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim 76 words
A dry-etching method for etching a substrate exposed to an etching gas upon radiation of light or an X-ray substantially perpendicularly to a surface of a portion of the substrate to be etched; characterized in that at least one of the etching and film formation gases is excited in a chamber other than an etching chamber having said substrate therein, and a mixture of said etching and film formation gases is supplied to said etching chamber.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 76 words
A dry-etching method for etching a substrate exposed to an etching gas upon radiation of light or an X-ray substantially perpendicularly to a surface of a portion of the substrate to be etched; characterized in that at least one of the etching and film formation gases is excited in a chamber other than an etching chamber having said substrate therein, and a mixture of said etching and film formation gases is supplied to said etching chamber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 48 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said substrate is irradiated with the light or X-ray through a mask, having a desired pattern, which has a light or X-ray transmission portion and a light or X-ray shielding portion, thereby promoting selective etching of an irradiated portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 30 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized in that an etching mask is formed on said surface of said substrate, and a nonmasked portion of said substrate is selectively etched.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 43 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said etching gas is a gas selected from the group consisting of a halogen gas, a gas containing a halogen, and a gas mixture of a halogen gas and one of nitrogen and oxygen.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 24 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said film formation gas is a gas containing at least one of nitrogen and oxygen.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 61 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said film formation gas is a gas selected from the group consisting of an organic metal compound including an organic silane compound, an organic germanium compound, an organic gallium compound, an organic phosphine compound, an organic borane compound and an organic arsine compound; a halogen derivative thereof; and silanes, arsines and phosphines.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 38 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the light or X-ray has a wavelength sufficient to evaporate a thin film deposited on said substrate, and accelerate a reaction between an active species and said thin film.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 20 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the light or X-ray is excited by light or radio-frequency excitation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 35 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said substrate is moved along a direction perpendicular to an incident direction of the light or X-ray so as to perform etching over a desired range.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 21 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said etching gas is uniformly sprayed onto said substrate from its periphery.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 23 words
ll. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said film formation gas is uniformly sprayed onto said substrate from its periphery.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 15 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the light comprises a laser beam.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 31 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of said etching and film formation gases is sprayed from the same port as in light or X-ray radiation.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 120 words
A dry-etching apparatus comprising a vacuum chamber with a substrate for etching disposed therein, means for supplying an etching gas to said vacuum chamber, means for evacuating said vacuum chamber, and means for emitting light or an X-ray substantially perpendicularly with respect to a surface of a portion of the substrate to be etched; characterized in that means for supplying a film formation gas to said vacuum chamber is provided, at least one of said etching and film formation gas supplying means is connected to gas exciting means, at least one of the etching and film formation gases is excited by the gas exciting means, and both of the etching and film formation gases are introduced into said vacuum chamber.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 120 words
A dry-etching apparatus comprising a vacuum chamber with a substrate for etching disposed therein, means for supplying an etching gas to said vacuum chamber, means for evacuating said vacuum chamber, and means for emitting light or an X-ray substantially perpendicularly with respect to a surface of a portion of the substrate to be etched; characterized in that means for supplying a film formation gas to said vacuum chamber is provided, at least one of said etching and film formation gas supplying means is connected to gas exciting means, at least one of the etching and film formation gases is excited by the gas exciting means, and both of the etching and film formation gases are introduced into said vacuum chamber.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 25 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that said etching gas supply means includes means for uniformly spraying the etching gas onto the substrate.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 27 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that said film formation gas supply means includes means for uniformly spraying the film formation gas onto the substrate.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 31 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that said vacuum chamber has a light or X-ray transmission window, with means being provided for spraying an inert gas onto said window.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 28 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that said light or X-ray radiation means includes means for focusing a desired pattern on a surface of the substrate.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 28 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that said etching gas supply means and said film formation gas supply means are commonly connected to said vacuum chamber.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 29 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising means for moving the substrate disposed in said vacuum chamber in a direction perpendicular to the light or X-ray radiation direction.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 23 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that said light or X-ray radiation means includes means for forcibly evacuating a radiation path.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 20 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that said etching gas exciting means comprises light or radio-frequency exciting means.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 21 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that said film formation gas exciting means comprises light or radio-frequency exciting means.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 39 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that a nozzle is provided in said vacuum chamber, said nozzle being arranged to commonly supply the light or X-ray, and the etching and film formation gases in said vacuum chamber.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 25 words
An apparatus according to claim 24, characterized in that said nozzle has a slit which has a width greater than the length of the substrate.

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