Plasma etching methods

Details Plasma etching methods Plasma etching methods

2007-02-27

2007-02-27

Vinh, Lan (Department: 1765)

Semiconductor device manufacturing: process

Chemical etching

Vapor phase etching

C438S706000, C438S710000, C134S001100

Reexamination Certificate

active

09677478

ABSTRACT:
A plasma etching method includes forming a polymer comprising carbon and a halogen over at least some internal surfaces of a plasma etch chamber. After forming the polymer, plasma etching is conducted using a gas which is effective to etch polymer from chamber internal surfaces. In one implementation, the gas has a hydrogen component effective to form a gaseous hydrogen halide from halogen liberated from the polymer. In one implementation, the gas comprises a carbon component effective to getter the halogen from the etched polymer. In another implementation, a plasma etching method includes positioning a semiconductor wafer on a wafer receiver within a plasma etch chamber. First plasma etching of material on the semiconductor wafer occurs with a gas comprising carbon and a halogen. A polymer comprising carbon and the halogen forms over at least some internal surfaces of the plasma etch chamber during the first plasma etching. After the first plasma etching and with the wafer on the wafer receiver, second plasma etching is conducted using a gas effective to etch polymer from chamber internal surfaces and getter halogen liberated from the polymer to restrict further etching of the material on the semiconductor wafer during the second plasma etching. The first and second plasma etchings are ideally conducted at subatmospheric pressure with the wafer remaining in situ on the receiver intermediate the first and second etchings, and with the chamber maintained at some subatmospheric pressure at all time intermediate the first and second plasma etchings.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4513021 (1985-04-01), Purdes et al.
patent: 4528066 (1985-07-01), Merkling, Jr. et al.
patent: 5026666 (1991-06-01), Hills et al.
patent: 5242538 (1993-09-01), Hamrah et al.
patent: 5302240 (1994-04-01), Hori et al.
patent: 5310454 (1994-05-01), Ohiwu
patent: 5356478 (1994-10-01), Chen et al.
patent: 5431778 (1995-07-01), Dahm et al.
patent: 5445712 (1995-08-01), Yanagida
patent: 5468686 (1995-11-01), Kawamoto
patent: 5505816 (1996-04-01), Barnes et al.
patent: 5514247 (1996-05-01), Shan et al.
patent: 5565036 (1996-10-01), Westendorp et al.
patent: 5593540 (1997-01-01), Tomita et al.
patent: 5626775 (1997-05-01), Roberts et al.
patent: 5644153 (1997-07-01), Keller
patent: 5647953 (1997-07-01), Williams et al.
patent: 5679215 (1997-10-01), Barnes et al.
patent: 5681424 (1997-10-01), Saito et al.
patent: 5716494 (1998-02-01), Imai et al.
patent: 5756400 (1998-05-01), Ye et al.
patent: 5767021 (1998-06-01), Imai et al.
patent: 5780338 (1998-07-01), Jeng et al.
patent: 5788869 (1998-08-01), Dalton et al.
patent: 5798303 (1998-08-01), Clampitt
patent: 5814563 (1998-09-01), Ding et al.
patent: 5817578 (1998-10-01), Ogawa
patent: 5830279 (1998-11-01), Hackenberg
patent: 5843226 (1998-12-01), Zhao et al.
patent: 5843239 (1998-12-01), Shrotriya
patent: 5843847 (1998-12-01), Pu et al.
patent: 5865938 (1999-02-01), Peeters et al.
patent: 5868853 (1999-02-01), Chen et al.
patent: 5873948 (1999-02-01), Kim
patent: 5879575 (1999-03-01), Tepman et al.
patent: 5935340 (1999-08-01), Xia et al.
patent: 5965463 (1999-10-01), Cui et al.
patent: 6093655 (2000-07-01), Donohoe et al.
patent: 6103070 (2000-08-01), Hong
patent: 6136211 (2000-10-01), Qian et al.
patent: 6136214 (2000-10-01), Mori et al.
patent: 6143665 (2000-11-01), Hsieh
patent: 6200412 (2001-03-01), Kilgore et al.
patent: 6235213 (2001-05-01), Allen, III
patent: 6434327 (2002-08-01), Gronet et al.
patent: 6465051 (2002-10-01), Sahin et al.
patent: 6533953 (2003-03-01), Allen, III
patent: 6800561 (2004-10-01), Allen, III
patent: 6878300 (2005-04-01), Allen, III
Stanley Wolf and Richard Tauber, Silicon Processing for the VLSI Era, vol. 1, pp. 549, 1986.
Stanley Wolf and Richard Tauber. Silicon Processing for the VLSI Era. vol. 1, pp. 549, 1986.
U.S. Appl. No. 09/429880, filed Oct. 29, 1999, Donohoe et al.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Plasma etching methods does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Plasma etching methods, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Plasma etching methods will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3830567