Patent EP0807952A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0807952A2
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EP
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Plasma reactor with heated source of a polymer-hardening precursor material
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
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Filing: 1997-05-09
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2017-05-09
Abstract
Abstract A general method of the invention is to provide a polymer-hardening precursor piece (such as silicon, carbon, silicon carbide or silicon nitride, but preferably silicon) within the reactor chamber during an etch process with a fluoro-carbon or fluoro-hydrocarbon gas, and to heat the polymer-hardening precursor piece above the polymerization temperature sufficiently to achieve a desired increase in oxide-to-silicon etch selectivity. Generally, this polymer-hardening precursor or silicon piece may be an integral part of the reactor chamber walls and/or ceiling or a separate, expendable and quickly removable piece, and the heating/cooling apparatus may be of any suitable type including apparatus which conductively or remotely heats the silicon piece.
Inventors
- 👤 Kenneth S. Collins
- 👤 Michael Rice
- 👤 David W. Groechel
- 👤 Gerald Zheyao Yin
- 👤 Jon Mohn
- 👤 Craig A. Roderick
- 👤 Douglas Buchberger
- 👤 Chan-Lon Yang
- 👤 Yuen-Kui Wong (a.k.a. Jerry Wong)
- 👤 Jeffrey Marks
- 👤 Peter Keswick
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 04:41
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/32431; H01J37/32798; H01J37/32853; H01J37/32871; C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/50; C23C16/517; H01F; H01F29/00; H01F29/14; H01F29/143; H01J37/32009; H01J37/32082; H01J37/321; H01J37/32137; H01J37/32146; H01J37/32155; H01J37/32165; H01J37/32458; H01J37/32467; H01J37/32522; H01J37/3266; H01J37/32688; H01J37/32697; H01J37/32706; H10; H10P; H10P50/00; H10P50/20; H10P50/28; H10P50/282; H10P50/283; H10P72/00; H10P72/70; H10P72/72; H01J2237/00; H01J2237/32; H01J2237/33; H01J2237/334; H01J2237/3343; H01J2237/3345; H01J2237/3346; H01J2237/338; H01J2237/3382
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 74
Claim 1
Independent Claim
80 words
A plasma etch process comprising: providing a chamber within which to carry out said process; supporting an article to be processed on a support in the chamber; supplying a process gas containing at least etchant and polymer precursor materials; providing, in addition to said process gas, a source material of silicon or carbon in said chamber; generating a plasma within said chamber; heating said source material sufficiently to at least maintain a surface of said source reactive with said plasma.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of heating comprises heating said source material to at least a polymer condensation temperature.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
90 words
A process as claimed in claim 2 wherein said etch process etches first and second different materials on said article at first and second etch rates respectively, said first etch rate being greater than said second etch rate corresponding to an etch selectivity of said first material to said second material which is a function of said first and second etch rates, and wherein said heating step further comprises: increasing a temperature of said source material into a temperature range above said polymer condensation temperature to increase said etch selectivity.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein said heating step further comprises: increasing a temperature of said source material into a temperature range above said polymer condensation temperature.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process as claimed in claim 4 wherein said temperature range is one wherein polymer formed on said wafer contains an amount of said source material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
54 words
A process as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein said first material comprises an oxide, said second material comprises silicon or polysilicon, an etchant precursor of said process gas comprises fluorine, a polymer precursor of said process gas comprises at least fluorine and carbon and said source material comprises silicon.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 further comprising applying RF power to said source material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A process as claimed in claim 7 wherein said RF power applied to said source material and said heating of said source material together are sufficient to maintain said surface thereof reactive with said plasma.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
A process as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 wherein said source material comprises a scavenger for an etchant derived from said etchant precursor, and wherein said RF power applied to said source material is sufficient to promote significant scavenging of said etchant.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
66 words
A process as claimed in claim 6 further comprising applying RF power to said source material at an RF power level substantially reduced from a reference power level at which said source material when near said polymer condensation temperature provides a significant amount of fluorine scavenger material into said plasma, while increasing the temperature of said source material to compensate for the reduction in RF power.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
69 words
A plasma etch process comprising: providing a chamber within which to carry out said process; supporting an article to be processed on a support in the chamber; supplying a process gas containing at least etchant and polymer precursor materials; providing a polymer-hardening precursor material in said chamber; generating a plasma within said chamber; heating said precursor material sufficiently to at least maintain a surface of said precursor material reactive.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process as claimed in claim 11 wherein the step of heating comprises heating said precursor material to at least a polymer condensation temperature.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
95 words
A process as claimed in claim 12 wherein said etch process etches first and second different materials on said article at first and second etch rates respectively, said first etch rate being greater than said second etch rate corresponding to an etch selectivity of said first material to said second material which is a function of said first and second etch rates, and wherein said heating step further comprises: increasing a temperature of said polymer-hardening precursor material to a temperature range above said polymer condensation temperature to achieve a corresponding increase in said etch selectivity.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process as claimed in claim 12 wherein said heating step heats said polymer-hardening precursor material to a temperature range above said polymer condensation temperature.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process as claimed in claim 14 wherein said temperature range is such that polymer formed on said wafer comprises material from said polymer-hardening precursor material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
55 words
A process as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 15 wherein said first material comprises an oxide, said second material comprises silicon or polysilicon, said etchant precursor of said process gas comprises fluorine, said polymer precursor of said process gas comprises at least fluorine and carbon and said polymer-hardening precursor material comprises silicon.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 10 and 13 to 16 wherein said temperature range lies above about 100°C, preferably above about 220°C.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 10 and 13 to 16 wherein said temperature range lies between 180°C and 220°C.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 10 and 13 to 16 wherein said temperature range lies between about 300°C and 700°C.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 10 and 13 to 16 wherein said temperature range lies between about 240°C and 500°C.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
A process as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 16 further comprising applying RF power to said polymer-hardening precursor material.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
37 words
A process as claimed in claim 21 wherein said RF power applied to said polymer-hardening precursor material and said heating of said polymer-hardening precursor material together are sufficient to maintain a surface thereof reactive with said plasma.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
47 words
A process as claimed in claim 21 or claim 22 wherein said polymer-hardening precursor material comprises a scavenger for an etchant derived from said etchant precursor, and wherein said RF power applied to said polymer-hardening precursor material is sufficient to promote a significant scavenging of said etchant.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
68 words
A process as claimed in claim 21 or claim 22 wherein said RF power is applied to said polymer-hardening precursor material at an RF power level substantially reduced from a reference power level at which said polymer-hardening precursor material provides a significant amount of fluorine scavenger material into said plasma near said polymer condensation temperature, while increasing said target temperature to compensate for the reduction in RF power.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
36 words
A process as claimed in claim 10 or claim 24 wherein said RF power level is reduced by at least an integer number below said reference power level while said target temperature is only fractionally increased.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
30 words
A process as claimed in claim 25 wherein said RF power level is reduced approximately four-fold below said reference power level and said target temperature is increased to about 240°C.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
33 words
A process as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 26 wherein said polymer-hardening precursor material is a member of a class of materials comprising silicon, carbon, silicon carbide and silicon nitride.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
40 words
A process as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 27 wherein the step of providing said polymer-hardening precursor material comprises providing a quickly removable piece of said polymer-hardening precursor material separate from integral structures of said reactor chamber.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 28 wherein the step of heating comprises one of: (a) inductively heating and (b) radiantly heating.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
54 words
A process as claimed in claim 29 wherein the step of heating further comprises controlling a temperature of said polymer-hardening precursor material to a selected temperature by measuring said temperature by sensing radiation from said polymer-hardening precursor material and heating said precursor material so as to maintain the measured temperature near said selected temperature.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
55 words
A process as claimed in claim 30 wherein the step of measuring comprises remotely sensing radiation from said polymer-hardening precursor material through a port, and the step of heating comprises heating said polymer-hardening precursor material through a window, wherein said port is one of: (a) a portion of said window, (b) separate from said window.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
54 words
A process as claimed in claim 31 wherein the step of heating comprises radiating heat at a wavelength for which said window is at least nearly transmissive and wherein the step of measuring temperature comprises sensing radiation from said polymer-hardening precursor material at a wavelength at which said port is at least nearly transmissive.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
74 words
A plasma reactor comprising: a reactor chamber; plasma source power coupling apparatus near said chamber and an RF power source for supply RF power to said plasma source power coupling apparatus; a process gas inlet and a process gas supply coupled to said inlet for furnishing a process gas containing etchant and polymer precursors; a support for holding an article to be processed inside said reactor chamber; a polymer-hardening precursor piece inside said chamber.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
33 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 33 further comprising: a heater for heating said polymer-hardening precursor piece sufficiently to permit said polymer-hardening precursor piece to react with a plasma in said reactor chamber.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
27 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 33 or claim 34 wherein said polymer-hardening precursor piece comprises an expendable removable piece separable from structural elements of said chamber.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
89 words
A reactor as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 35 wherein emissivity of said polymer-hardening precursor piece varies with temperature, said reactor further comprising: a bore hole in said polymer-hardening precursor piece; a temperature sensor and an optical fiber coupling said temperature sensor to said bore hole, said one end of said optical fiber extending inwardly at least partially into said bore hole; and wherein said bore hole has a sufficiently high aspect ratio to reduce apparent variation of said emissivity with temperature observed by said sensor.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
24 words
A reactor as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 36 further comprising an RF power source coupled to said polymer-hardening precursor piece.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
51 words
A reactor as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 37 wherein said polymer-hardening precursor material affects polymerization on a surface of said article by increasing a resistance to etching of a polymer formed on said surface in accordance with a temperature at which said polymer-hardening precursor piece is held.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
62 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 38 wherein said polymer-hardening precursor piece is of a material which contributes material into said polymer when held at a sufficiently high temperature, said material contributed to said polymer by said polymer-hardening precursor increasing an extent to which said polymer is resistant to etching by an etchant derived from an etchant precursor of said process gas.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
31 words
A reactor as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 39 wherein said polymer-hardening material is a scavenger for an etchant derived from an etch precursor of said process gas.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
40 words
A reactor as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 40 wherein said process gas comprises at least fluorine and carbon and said polymer-hardening precursor piece comprises one of: (a) silicon, (b) carbon, (c) silicon carbide, (d) silicon nitride.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
40 words
A reactor as claimed in any one of claims 33 to 41 wherein said article being processed comprises a planar wafer and said polymer-hardening precursor piece comprises an annular planar ring concentric with and near a circumference of said wafer.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
18 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 42 wherein said ring is at least nearly co-planar with said wafer.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
35 words
A reactor as claimed in any one of claims 34 to 43 wherein said heater is remote from said polymer-hardening precursor piece and comprises one of: (a) an inductive heater and (b) a radiant heater.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
65 words
A reactor as claimed in any one of claims 34 to 43 further comprising a remote temperature sensor responsive at a sensor wavelength for measuring a temperature of said polymer-hardening precursor piece and a controller connected to receive a signal from said remote temperature sensor and connected to a control input of said heater to govern said heater in response to said remote temperature sensor.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
32 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 44 or claim 45 wherein said heater is a radiant heater emitting heat at a heater wavelength within an absorption spectrum of said polymer-hardening precursor piece.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
17 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 46 wherein said heater wavelength and said sensor wavelength are different.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
23 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 46 wherein said heater wavelength and said sensor wavelength lie within at least partially coinciding wavelength ranges.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
36 words
A reactor as claimed in any one of claims 46 to 48 further comprising a window separating said heater and sensor from said polymer-hardening precursor piece, said window being transmissive at least at said heater wavelength.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
37 words
A reactor as claimed in any one of claims 45 to 48 further comprising an optical conduit between said sensor and a selected portion of said polymer-hardening precursor piece, said conduit being transmissive at said sensor wavelength.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
38 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 50 further comprising a temperature sensitive material planted on said selected portion of said polymer-hardening precursor piece and wherein said sensor wavelength coincides with an emission wavelength of said temperature sensitive material.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
24 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 51 wherein said temperature sensitive material comprises a fluoro-optical material and wherein said sensor comprises a fluoro-optical probe.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
32 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 51 wherein said temperature sensitive material comprises a substance whose emissivity is at least nearly invariant with its temperature and said sensor comprises an optical pyrometer.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
15 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 53 wherein said temperature sensitive material comprises silicon nitride.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
38 words
A reactor as claimed in any one of claims 50 to 54 wherein said optical conduit comprises an optical fiber having one end facing said sensor and another end facing said selected portion of said polymer-hardening precursor piece.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
22 words
A reactor as claimed in any one of claims 50 to 55 wherein said optical conduit comprises a port within said window.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
20 words
A reactor as claimed in any one of claims 50 to 56 wherein said optical conduit comprises a second window.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
37 words
A reactor as claimed in any one of claims 50 to 57 wherein said sensor wavelength coincides with an emission wavelength of said removable expendable piece, and wherein said optical conduit comprises a long wavelength transmissive material.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
28 words
A reactor as claimed in any one of claims 50 to 58 wherein said sensor wavelength lies in a range of wavelengths longer than that of visible light.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
27 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 58 or claim 59 wherein said transmissive material is a member of a class of materials comprising zinc selenide and sapphire.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
32 words
A reactor as claimed in any one of claims 50 to 60 wherein the material of said optical conduit does not radiate strongly at said sensor wavelength in response to being heated.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
26 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 49 wherein said window absorbs radiation emitted by said polymer-hardening precursor piece for radiant cooling of said polymer-hardening precursor piece.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
15 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 62 further comprising a cooler coupled to said window.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
31 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 55 further comprising a bore hole in said selected portion of said polymer-hardening precursor piece, said one end of said optical fiber facing bore hole.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
56 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 64 wherein: emissivity of said polymer-hardening precursor piece varies with temperature; said one end of said optical fiber extends inwardly at least partially into said bore hole; and said bore hole has a sufficiently high aspect ratio to reduce apparent variation of said emissivity with temperature observed by said sensor.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
24 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 64 or claim 65 wherein said optical fiber is countersunk into a top portion of said bore hole.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
24 words
A reactor as claimed in claim 66 further comprising an opaque shield surrounding a portion of said optical fiber extending out of said hole.
Claim 68
Dependent Claim
83 words
A plasma etching process comprising: providing a chamber within which to carry out said process; supporting an article to be processed on a support in the chamber; supplying a process gas containing at least etchant and polymer precursor materials; generating a plasma within said chamber; providing, in addition to said process gas, a source material of silicon or carbon in said chamber; applying RF bias power to said source material to at least maintain a surface of said source reactive with said plasma.
Claim 69
Dependent Claim
83 words
A plasma etching process comprising: providing a chamber within which to carry out said process; supporting an article to be processed on a support in the chamber; supplying a process gas containing at least etchant and polymer precursor materials; generating a plasma within said chamber; providing, in addition to said process gas, a source material of a polymer-hardening precursor in said chamber; applying RF bias power to said source material to at least maintain a surface of said source reactive with said plasma.
Claim 70
Dependent Claim
65 words
A process as claimed in claim 68 or claim 69 wherein said etch process etches first and second different materials on said article at first and second etch rates respectively, said first etch rate being greater than said second etch rate corresponding to an etch selectively of said first material to said second material which is a function of said first and second etch rates.
Claim 71
Dependent Claim
41 words
A process as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 10, 13 to 32 and 70 wherein said first material overlies said second material and said etchant creates openings through said first material to expose portions of said second material.
Claim 72
Dependent Claim
49 words
A process as claimed in claim 71 wherein: said polymer precursor material provides material for polymer deposition on the exposed portions of said second material; said etchant precursor material provides material for etching said article; and said polymer deposition reduces etching of said second material to enhance etch selectivity.
Claim 73
Dependent Claim
41 words
A process as claimed in claim 72 wherein: a photoresist mask layer over said first material has openings therethrough defining said openings; and said polymer deposition reduces etching of said second material and of said photoresist material to enhance etch selectivity.
Claim 74
Dependent Claim
36 words
A process as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 10, 13 to 32 and 70 to 73 wherein said first material comprises an oxygen-containing material and said second material comprises a non-oxygen containing material.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
WO1997008734A1
Cited
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