Dry Etching method and device therefor

Claim 2

A dry etching method comprising the steps of: supplying power between a cathode and an anode; generating a plasma of a reactive etchant gas containing halogen within a reaction chamber; placing a sample composed of a layer to be etched and an etching mask formed thereon on said cathode; etching said sample by ions attracted from said plasma toward said cathode; inducing a magnetic field having field lines perpendicular to an electric field created by said step of supplying power between said cathode and said anode whereby said field lines are perpendicular to said electric field at a surface of said sample to be etched and whereby a plurality of high plasma density areas are formed at the surface of said cathode which areas overlap each other.

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1, wherein a magnetron mode is generated by the magnetic and electric fields which are mutually perpendicular.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field is induced by a permanent magnet or an electromagnet and the sample to be etched is moved relative to the magnet during etching.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 1, wherein said halogen is one selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine and bromine.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 4, wherein said etchant gas is one selected from the group consisting of CF 4 , CCl 4 , CCl 4 +Cl 2 , CBrf 3 , CBrf 3 +Cl 2 and Cl 2 .

Claim 7

A dry etching method comprising the steps of: supplying power between a cathode and an anode; generating a plasma of a reactive etchant gas containing halogen within a reaction chamber; placing on said cathode a sample having a layer to be etched and an etching mask formed thereon; etching said sample by ions attracted from said plasma toward said cathode; and inducing a magnetic field having field lines perpendicualr to an electric field created by said step of supplying power between said cathode and said anode whereby said field lines are perpendicular to said electric field at a surface of said sample being etched and whereby the etching is performed under the conditions indicated by an area inside a curve obtained by connecting points of coordinates X=50 Gauss and Y=1.6 W/cm 2 , X=200 Gauss and Y=0.4 W/cm 2 , X=600 Gauss and Y=0.2 W/cm 2 , and X=1,000 Gauss and Y=0.1 W/cm 2 , where X denotes a magnetic field strength at the surface of the sample and Y denotes high frequency power density, and whereby a plurality of high plasma density areas which are formed at the surface of said cathode overlap each other.

Claim 8

A dry etching method comprising the steps of: supplying power between a cathode and an anode; generating a plasma of a reactive etchant gas containing halogen within a reaction chamber; placing on said cathode a sample having a layer to be etched and an etching mask formed thereon; etching said sample by ions attracted from said plasma toward said cathode; and inducing a magnetic field having field lines perpendicualr to an electric field created by said step of supplying power between said cathode and said anode whereby said field lines are perpendicular to said electric field at a surface of said sample being etched and whereby the etching is performed under the conditions indicated by an area inside a curve obtained by connecting points of coordinates X=50 Gauss and Y=1.6 W/cm 2 , X=200 Gauss and Y=0.4 W/cm 2 , X=600 Gauss and Y=0.2 W/cm 2 , and X=1,000 Gauss and Y=0.1 W/cm 2 , where X denotes a magnetic field strength at the surface of the sample and Y denotes high frequency power density, and whereby a plurality of high plasma density areas which are formed at the surface of said cathode overlap each other.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 6, wherein the magnetic field is induced by a permanent magnet or an electromagnet and the sample to be etched is moved relative to the magnet during etching.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 6, wherein a magnetron mode is generated by the magnetic and electric fields which perpendicular to each other.

Claim 11

A dry etching device comprising: a reaction chamber having disposed therein an anode, a cathode and a sample having a layer to be etched and an etching mask formed thereon wherein said sample is placed on said cathode; means for introducing a reactive etchant gas containing halogen in said reaction chamber; means for supplying power between said anode and said cathode so that said sample is etched by ions attracted from a plasma generated in said chamber toward said cathode; means for inducing a magnetic field having field lines perpendicular to an electric field created by said means for supplying power and said anode and said cathode; and means for changing relative positions of said sample and said means for inducing said magnetic field.

Claim 12

A dry etching device comprising: a reaction chamber having disposed therein an anode, a cathode and a sample having a layer to be etched and an etching mask formed thereon wherein said sample is placed on said cathode; means for introducing a reactive etchant gas containing halogen in said reaction chamber; means for supplying power between said anode and said cathode so that said sample is etched by ions attracted from a plasma generated in said chamber toward said cathode; means for inducing a magnetic field having field lines perpendicular to an electric field created by said means for supplying power and said anode and said cathode; and means for changing relative positions of said sample and said means for inducing said magnetic field.

Claim 13

A device according to claim 9, wherein said means for inducing the magnetic field has a discharge gap of closed loops, an inner part and an outer part of the discharge gap are opposite magnetic poles, and a magnetic field is induced between said inner and outer parts.

Claim 14

A device according to claim 10, wherein a magnet is mounted within a pole piece of magnetic material, and the discharge gap is formed in the surface of the pole piece.

Claim 15

A device according to claim 10, wherein two magnets are disposed inside and outside relative to each other to define the discharge gap therebetween.

Claim 16

A device according to claim 10, wherein the entire sample passes over the discharge gap by said means for changing the relative positions of the sample and the means for inducing the magnetic field.