Patent US6009830A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6009830A
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Independent gas feeds in a plasma reactor
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
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Filing: 1997-11-21
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Granted: 2000-01-04
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Expires: 2017-11-21
Abstract
Abstract A plasma etch reactor having independent gas feeds above the wafer and either at the sides or below the wafer. Preferably, a carrier gas such as argon is supplied from a showerhead electrode above the wafer while an etching gas is supplied from below. In the case of selectively etching an oxide over a non-oxide layer, the etchant gas should include one or more fluorocarbons.
Inventors
- 👤 Haojiang Li
- 👤 Robert W. Wu
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 07:50
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/32431; H01J37/3244; H10; H10P; H10P50/00; H10P50/20; H10P50/28; H10P50/282; H10P50/283
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
138 words
A substrate etching method, comprising the steps of: supporting a substrate to be processed on a surface extending along a plane of a support within a plasma processing chamber; injecting a chemically inactive carrier gas from a gas showerhead electrode located above said support and directed in a first direction generally toward a volume over said support; holding said gas showerhead electrode at a predetermined electrical potential; injecting an etchant gas from one or more lower ports located below said gas showerhead electrode in a second direction at least partially opposite said first direction, wherein a flow of gas through said gas showerhead electrode has a greater proportion of said carrier gas than does a flow of gas through said one or more lower ports; and exciting s aid carrier gas and said etchant gas into a plasma.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
138 words
A substrate etching method, comprising the steps of: supporting a substrate to be processed on a surface extending along a plane of a support within a plasma processing chamber; injecting a chemically inactive carrier gas from a gas showerhead electrode located above said support and directed in a first direction generally toward a volume over said support; holding said gas showerhead electrode at a predetermined electrical potential; injecting an etchant gas from one or more lower ports located below said gas showerhead electrode in a second direction at least partially opposite said first direction, wherein a flow of gas through said gas showerhead electrode has a greater proportion of said carrier gas than does a flow of gas through said one or more lower ports; and exciting s aid carrier gas and said etchant gas into a plasma.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1, wherein substantially all of said etchant gas is injected from said one or more lower ports.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said carrier gas comprises argon.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 3, wherein said etchant gas comprises a fluorocarbon.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 4, wherein said etchant gas comprises a hydrogen-free fluorocarbon and a hydrofluorocarbon.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 4, wherein said fluorocarbon comprises C 4 F 8 .
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 4, wherein said etchant gas comprises substantially no carbon monoxide.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said exciting step excites at least said carrier gas into a high-density plasma.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method claim 1, wherein said exciting step includes inductively coupling power into said chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 9, further comprising applying RF power to said support.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 10, wherein said carrier as comprises argon and said etchant gas comprises a fluorocarbon.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said lower ports are located on a side of said plane opposite said gas showerhead electrode.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 12, wherein said lower ports are located outside a periphery of said substrate.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
160 words
A method of etching a substrate having an oxide layer over a non-oxide layer, comprising the steps of: supporting said substrate to be processed on a support within a plasma processing chamber; injecting an inactive carrier gas from a showerhead electrode along a first direction into a first side of a plasma source region, wherein said showerhead electrode is located opposite of said plasma source region from said support; injecting an etchant gas from at least one lower port into a second side of said plasma source region opposite of said first side toward said support, wherein a flow of said etchant gas through said showerhead electrode has a greater proportion of said carrier gas than does a flow of gas through said at least one lower port; holding said showerhead electrode at a predetermined electrical potential; exciting at least said carrier gas into a high-density plasma in said plasma source region; and applying RF biasing power to said support.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
160 words
A method of etching a substrate having an oxide layer over a non-oxide layer, comprising the steps of: supporting said substrate to be processed on a support within a plasma processing chamber; injecting an inactive carrier gas from a showerhead electrode along a first direction into a first side of a plasma source region, wherein said showerhead electrode is located opposite of said plasma source region from said support; injecting an etchant gas from at least one lower port into a second side of said plasma source region opposite of said first side toward said support, wherein a flow of said etchant gas through said showerhead electrode has a greater proportion of said carrier gas than does a flow of gas through said at least one lower port; holding said showerhead electrode at a predetermined electrical potential; exciting at least said carrier gas into a high-density plasma in said plasma source region; and applying RF biasing power to said support.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 14, wherein said exciting step includes inductively coupling RF power into said plasma source region.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 14, wherein said carrier gas comprises.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 14, wherein said etchant gas comprises a fluorocarbon.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 17, wherein said non-oxide layer comprises silicon.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 18, wherein said non-oxide layer comprises silicon nitride.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 19, wherein said fluorocarbon comprises C 4 F 8 .
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 17, wherein said etchant gas comprises a first and a second fluorocarbon gas.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 21, wherein said first fluorocarbon gas comprises a hydrogen-free fluorocarbon and said second fluorocarbon gas comprises a hydrofluorocarbon.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 14, wherein flows of said etchant and inactive carrier gas are selected to increase uniformity of etching across said substrate. argon.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 14, wherein said lower port is located on a side of said plane opposite said showerhead electrode.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 24, wherein said lower port is located outside a periphery of said substrate.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
110 words
A plasma etch apparatus, comprising: a vacuum chamber; a top electrode having a top gas feed therein; a bottom electrode facing said top electrode and facing said top electrode; a bottom gas feed disposed within said chamber on a side of said top gas feed facing said bottom electrode and directing a gas flow into said chamber toward said top electrode; a source of an etchant gas; a source of a carrier gas; and valving disposed between said two sources and said top and bottom gas feeds capable of varying a proportion of said etchant gas to said carrier gas delivered to each of said top and bottom gas feeds.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
110 words
A plasma etch apparatus, comprising: a vacuum chamber; a top electrode having a top gas feed therein; a bottom electrode facing said top electrode and facing said top electrode; a bottom gas feed disposed within said chamber on a side of said top gas feed facing said bottom electrode and directing a gas flow into said chamber toward said top electrode; a source of an etchant gas; a source of a carrier gas; and valving disposed between said two sources and said top and bottom gas feeds capable of varying a proportion of said etchant gas to said carrier gas delivered to each of said top and bottom gas feeds.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising an RF inductive coil adjacent to said chamber.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 26, wherein said bottom gas feed is located outside a periphery of said bottom electrode.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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