US5667631A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Dry etching of transparent electrodes in a low pressure plasma reactor
Assignee: Lam Research Corp
•
Filing: 1996-06-28
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Granted: 1997-09-16
•
Expires: 2016-06-28
Abstract
Abstract A method for dry etching an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer disposed above a substrate in a low pressure plasma reactor is disclosed. The method includes a step of placing a substrate having the ITO layer into the low pressure plasma reactor, a step of introducing an etchant gas into the low pressure plasma reactor; a step of striking a plasma from the etchant gas in the low pressure plasma reactor; and a step of etching the ITO layer with the plasma.
Inventors
- 👤 John P. Holland
- 👤 Alex T. Demos
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 02:21
CPC Classifications
C; C04; C04B; C04B41/00; C04B41/009; C03; C03C; C03C17/00; C03C17/22; C03C17/23; C03C17/34; C03C17/3411; C03C17/3429; C03C17/3435; C04B41/53; C04B41/5338; C04B41/5346; C04B41/80; C04B41/91; H; H10; H10F; H10F71/00; H10F71/138; H10P; H10P50/00; H10P50/20; H10P50/26; H10P50/264; H10P50/266; H10P50/267; C03C2217/00; C03C2217/20; C03C2217/21; C03C2217/23; C03C2217/231; C03C2218/00; C03C2218/30; C03C2218/32; C03C2218/328; C03C2218/33; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 52
Claim 1
Independent Claim
75 words
A method for dry etching an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer disposed above a substrate, said method comprising: placing said substrate having said ITO layer into a low pressure plasma reactor; introducing an etchant gas into said low pressure plasma reactor; striking a plasma from said etchant gas in said low pressure plasma reactor; and etching said ITO layer with said plasma with a pressure below about 100 milliTorr within said low pressure plasma reactor.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
75 words
A method for dry etching an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer disposed above a substrate, said method comprising: placing said substrate having said ITO layer into a low pressure plasma reactor; introducing an etchant gas into said low pressure plasma reactor; striking a plasma from said etchant gas in said low pressure plasma reactor; and etching said ITO layer with said plasma with a pressure below about 100 milliTorr within said low pressure plasma reactor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said low pressure plasma reactor is a low pressure, high density plasma reactor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 2, wherein said low pressure, high density plasma reactor is a transformer coupled plasma reactor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said low pressure plasma reactor is a low pressure inductively coupled plasma reactor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said substrate's temperature is below about 150° C.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said substrate's temperature is between about 40° C. to about 80° C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said substrate's temperature is about 40° C.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises a layer of silicon nitride under said ITO layer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises a photoresist layer above said ITO layer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said substrate further comprises a layer of glass under said ITO layer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said etching step is conducted under a chamber pressure of between about 0.1 and about 100 milliTorr.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 11 wherein said etching step is conducted under a chamber pressure of between about 3 and about 15 milliTorr.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 12 wherein said etching step is performed under a plasma density between about 5E10 to about 5E11 cm -3 .
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said etching step is conducted under a chamber pressure of about 5 milliTorr.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said etching step is performed under a plasma density between about E10 to about E12 cm -3 .
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said etching step is performed under a plasma density between about 5E10 to about 5E11 cm -3 .
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said etchant gas includes one or more selected from the group consisting of HBr, HCl, HI, Br 2 , I 2 and Cl 2 .
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein sad etchant gas further includes an oxygen additive.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
80 words
A method for dry etching a glass substrate having an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer disposed thereon, the method comprising: placing said glass substrate with said ITO layer into a low pressure plasma reactor; introducing an etchant source gas into said low pressure plasma reactor; striking a plasma in said low pressure plasma reactor with said etchant source gas; and etching said ITO layer with said plasma with a pressure below about 100 milliTorr within said low pressure plasma reactor.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
80 words
A method for dry etching a glass substrate having an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer disposed thereon, the method comprising: placing said glass substrate with said ITO layer into a low pressure plasma reactor; introducing an etchant source gas into said low pressure plasma reactor; striking a plasma in said low pressure plasma reactor with said etchant source gas; and etching said ITO layer with said plasma with a pressure below about 100 milliTorr within said low pressure plasma reactor.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 19 wherein said etching step is conducted under a chamber pressure of between about 3 and about 15 milliTorr.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 19 wherein said etching step is performed under a plasma density between about 5E10 to about 5E11 cm -3 .
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 19, wherein said glass substrate's temperature is below about 150° C. during said etching step.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
95 words
A method for fabricating an electronic device from a substrate comprising a silicon nitride layer disposed above said substrate, and a tin oxide-containing layer disposed above said silicon nitride layer, the method comprising: placing said substrate with said tin oxide-containing electrode layer and said silicon nitride layer into a low pressure, inductively coupled plasma reactor; introducing an etchant source gas into said low pressure, inductively coupled plasma reactor; striking a plasma in said low pressure, inductively coupled plasma reactor with said etchant source gas; and etching said tin oxide-containing transparent electrode layer with said plasma.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
95 words
A method for fabricating an electronic device from a substrate comprising a silicon nitride layer disposed above said substrate, and a tin oxide-containing layer disposed above said silicon nitride layer, the method comprising: placing said substrate with said tin oxide-containing electrode layer and said silicon nitride layer into a low pressure, inductively coupled plasma reactor; introducing an etchant source gas into said low pressure, inductively coupled plasma reactor; striking a plasma in said low pressure, inductively coupled plasma reactor with said etchant source gas; and etching said tin oxide-containing transparent electrode layer with said plasma.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 23 wherein said tin oxide-containing layer further comprises indium.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 23 wherein said tin oxide-containing layer represents a transparent electrode layer.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 23 wherein said etching step is conducted under a chamber pressure of between about 3 to about 15 milliTorr.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 23 wherein said etching step is performed under a plasma density between about 5E10 to about 5E11 cm -3 .
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 23 wherein said substrate's temperature is below about 80° C. during said etching step.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 23 wherein said etchant source gas comprises HBr.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 23 wherein said etchant source gas comprises Cl 2 .
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 23 wherein said etchant source gas comprises O 2 and an etchant, said etchant being one of HBr and Cl 2 .
Claim 35
Independent Claim
74 words
A method for dry etching an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer disposed above a substrate, said method comprising: placing said substrate having said ITO layer into a low pressure plasma reactor; introducing an etchant gas into said low pressure plasma reactor; striking a plasma from said etchant gas in said low pressure plasma reactor; and etching said ITO layer with said plasma under a chamber pressure of between about 3 and about 15 milliTorr.
Claim 36
Independent Claim
74 words
A method for dry etching an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer disposed above a substrate, said method comprising: placing said substrate having said ITO layer into a low pressure plasma reactor; introducing an etchant gas into said low pressure plasma reactor; striking a plasma from said etchant gas in said low pressure plasma reactor; and etching said ITO layer with said plasma under a chamber pressure of between about 3 and about 15 milliTorr.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 32, wherein said low pressure plasma reactor is a transformer coupled plasma reactor.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 32, wherein said low pressure plasma reactor is a low pressure inductively coupled plasma reactor.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 32, wherein said substrate's temperature is below about 150° C. in said etching.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 35, whereto said substrate's temperature is between about 40° C. to about 80° C. in said etching.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 36, wherein said substrate's temperature is about 40° C. in said etching.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 36, wherein said substrate further comprises a layer of glass under said ITO layer.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 36, wherein said etching step is performed under a plasma density between about 5E10 to about 5E11 cm -3 .
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 36, wherein said etching step is conducted under a chamber pressure of between about 0.1 and about 100 milliTorr.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 40, whereto said etching step is performed under a plasma density between about 5E10 to about 5E11 cm -3 .
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 32, whereto said substrate comprises a layer of silicon nitride under said ITO layer.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 32, wherein said substrate comprises a photoresist layer above said ITO layer.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 32, wherein said etching step is conducted under a chamber pressure of about 5 milliTorr.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 32, wherein said etching step is performed under a plasma density between about E10 to about E12 cm -3 .
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 45, wherein said etching step is performed under a plasma density between about 5E10 to about 5E11 cm -3 .
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 32, wherein said etchant gas includes one or more selected from the group consisting of HBr, HCl, HI, Br 2 , I 2 , and Cl 2 .
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 32, wherein said etchant gas further includes an oxygen additive.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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