US5368685A — Dry etching apparatus and method

Claim 1

Independent Claim 93 words

A dry etching method in which at least one etching gas is changed into plasma by discharging, and at least one etching reaction and desorption of at least one reaction product are promoted by incident ions from the plasma, wherein the current density of said incident ions is controlled to be 12 mA/cm 2 or more while the etching gas, which is three times as much as the desorption amount of the reaction product, is introduced into a treatment chamber at an effective exhaust speed of at least 1200 liter/s in the chamber.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 93 words

A dry etching method in which at least one etching gas is changed into plasma by discharging, and at least one etching reaction and desorption of at least one reaction product are promoted by incident ions from the plasma, wherein the current density of said incident ions is controlled to be 12 mA/cm 2 or more while the etching gas, which is three times as much as the desorption amount of the reaction product, is introduced into a treatment chamber at an effective exhaust speed of at least 1200 liter/s in the chamber.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 30 words

A dry etching method in which different kinds of gases are discharged alternately and periodically, wherein at least one reactive gas and at least one inert gas are discharged alternately.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 30 words

A dry etching method in which different kinds of gases are discharged alternately and periodically, wherein at least one reactive gas and at least one inert gas are discharged alternately.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 26 words

A dry etching method according to claim 2, wherein a bias is applied to a sample to be treated while the inert gas is being discharged.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 25 words

A dry etching method according to claim 2, wherein said reactive gas is a Cl 2 gas and the inert gas is a Xe gas.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 166 words

A dry etching apparatus, comprising: at least one means for introducing treatment gas into a vacuum treatment chamber; at least one gas flow rate control means attached to said treatment gas introducing means; means for exhausting gas outside said vacuum treatment chamber; means for making at least one exhaust conductance variable to alter the exhaust speed; high frequency discharging or microwave discharging means, in which a sample located in said vacuum treatment chamber is treated using the gas plasma generated by said discharging means, wherein said exhaust means is an exhaust pump capable of realizing the effective exhaust speed of 1000 liter/s in the treatment chamber so that the residence time of the treatment gas in said treatment chamber is 100 ms or less; and means for controlling the respective operations of said gas flow controlling means, means for altering the exhaust speed, and said discharging means so that the response time in said gas flow rate control means is decreased to 100 ms or below.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 166 words

A dry etching apparatus, comprising: at least one means for introducing treatment gas into a vacuum treatment chamber; at least one gas flow rate control means attached to said treatment gas introducing means; means for exhausting gas outside said vacuum treatment chamber; means for making at least one exhaust conductance variable to alter the exhaust speed; high frequency discharging or microwave discharging means, in which a sample located in said vacuum treatment chamber is treated using the gas plasma generated by said discharging means, wherein said exhaust means is an exhaust pump capable of realizing the effective exhaust speed of 1000 liter/s in the treatment chamber so that the residence time of the treatment gas in said treatment chamber is 100 ms or less; and means for controlling the respective operations of said gas flow controlling means, means for altering the exhaust speed, and said discharging means so that the response time in said gas flow rate control means is decreased to 100 ms or below.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 29 words

A dry etching apparatus according to claim 5, wherein introduction of at least one kind of gas is controlled so that it flows cyclically and intermittently at predetermined intervals.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 142 words

In a dry etching apparatus comprising at least one means for introducing treatment gas into a vacuum treatment chamber, at least one gas flow rate control means attached to said treatment gas introducing means, means for exhausting gas outside said vacuum treatment chamber, means for making an exhaust conductance variable to alter the exhaust speed, and high frequency discharging or microwave discharging means, a dry etching method in which a sample located in said vacuum treatment chamber is dry etched using the gas plasma generated by said discharging means, wherein introduction of at least one kind of gas is controlled so that the at least one kind of gas flows cyclically and intermittently at predetermined intervals, and wherein a gas adsorption amount when the gas is introduced once is set for 10 or fewer atomic layers on the surface of the sample.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 142 words

In a dry etching apparatus comprising at least one means for introducing treatment gas into a vacuum treatment chamber, at least one gas flow rate control means attached to said treatment gas introducing means, means for exhausting gas outside said vacuum treatment chamber, means for making an exhaust conductance variable to alter the exhaust speed, and high frequency discharging or microwave discharging means, a dry etching method in which a sample located in said vacuum treatment chamber is dry etched using the gas plasma generated by said discharging means, wherein introduction of at least one kind of gas is controlled so that the at least one kind of gas flows cyclically and intermittently at predetermined intervals, and wherein a gas adsorption amount when the gas is introduced once is set for 10 or fewer atomic layers on the surface of the sample.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 14 words

A dry etching apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising means for sample observation.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 70 words

A plasma treatment apparatus, comprising: a vacuum chamber having an internal plasma treatment zone for providing a body to be treated, means for introducing at least one gas into the vacuum chamber; means for producing a gas plasma with the gas, and for providing the gas plasma in the plasma treatment zone; and means for exhausting the vacuum chamber at a total pump evacuation speed of greater than 2500 l/sec.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 70 words

A plasma treatment apparatus, comprising: a vacuum chamber having an internal plasma treatment zone for providing a body to be treated, means for introducing at least one gas into the vacuum chamber; means for producing a gas plasma with the gas, and for providing the gas plasma in the plasma treatment zone; and means for exhausting the vacuum chamber at a total pump evacuation speed of greater than 2500 l/sec.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 22 words

A plasma treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the exhaust conductance of said vacuum chamber is more than 2000 l/sec.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 24 words

A plasma treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said gas includes at least one gas for etching the surface of the body.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 58 words

A plasma treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising high frequency electric power generating means, wherein a high frequency electric power is radiated to the plasma treatment zone to generate plasma which is used for etching, and the power surface density of said high frequency electric power to be radiated is 4.5 W/cm 2 or more.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 21 words

A plasma treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein gas flow in the vacuum chamber is 90 sccm or more.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 33 words

A plasma treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the wall of the vacuum chamber abutting on a discharging part is made of metal, and means for cooling the wall is provided.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 48 words

A plasma treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising high frequency electric power generating means, wherein the surface area of the body is 130 cm 2 or more and the maximum output power of the high frequency electric power generating means is 1.3 kW or more.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 27 words

A plasma treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 15, further comprising means for bringing liquid or solid coolant into contact with the back surface of the body.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 21 words

A plasma treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 15, further comprising means for recovering the gas after plasma treatment is completed.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 25 words

A plasma treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein plural temperature detection units are provided on a stage on which said body is placed.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 20 words

A plasma treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein an SiO 2 layer is treated on the body surface.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 55 words

A plasma treatment method, comprising the steps of: providing a body to be treated in a vacuum chamber; introducing a gas into the vacuum chamber; producing a gas plasma with the introduced gas; treating the body with the gas plasma; and exhausting the vacuum chamber at a total exhaust speed being greater than 2500 l/sec.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 55 words

A plasma treatment method, comprising the steps of: providing a body to be treated in a vacuum chamber; introducing a gas into the vacuum chamber; producing a gas plasma with the introduced gas; treating the body with the gas plasma; and exhausting the vacuum chamber at a total exhaust speed being greater than 2500 l/sec.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 29 words

A plasma treatment method as claimed in claim 20, wherein said exhausting step is carried out at the exhaust conductance of said vacuum chamber of more than 2000 l/sec.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1997-11-28	1998-05-30	1998-11-29	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2001-11-28	2002-05-30	2002-11-29	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2005-11-28	2006-05-30	2006-11-29	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Dry etching apparatus and method

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