Patent · US Expired

RIE process for etching silicon isolation trenches and polycides with vertical surfaces

US4726879A · kind A · utility

52Cited by
17References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 8, 1986
Grant dateFeb 23, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 8, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/32137
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Disclosed is a process for etching semiconductor materials with a high etch rate against an insulator mask using a novel etchant gas mixture. The mixture consists of a chlorocarbon (e.g., CCl.sub.2 F.sub.2, CCl.sub.4 or CCl.sub.3 F), SF.sub.6, O.sub.2 and an inert gas (e.g. He). The preferred gas mixture contains 2/1 ratio of the chlorocarbon to SF6 and the following composition: 1-4% of SF.sub.6, 3-10% of O.sub.2, 74-93% of He and 3-10% of chlorocarbon. The etch rate of silicon (or silicide) against an oxide mask using this etchant gas mixture under normal etching conditions is high, on the order of 30-40. An impressive feature of the process is shape control of trenches by mere manipulation of the RIE system power.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.