Patent · US Expired

Plasma etching apparatus

US5556500A · kind A · utility

92Cited by
6References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 3, 1995
Grant dateSep 17, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 3, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S156/915
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus for etching a WSi film on a wafer by using a plasma of a gas containing a halogen element includes a vacuum process chamber in which upper and lower counter electrodes are provided. An electrostatic chuck is provided on a table at the center of a susceptor or the lower electrode. The wafer is held on the electrostatic chuck. A focus ring surrounding the wafer in a complementary manner is placed on a flange of the susceptor. The temperature of the wafer surface is set to be lower than that of the surface of the focus ring while the plasma is being generated. The focus ring comprises an inner part of amorphous carbon and an outer part of tungsten. While the plasma is being generated, a halide of tungsten generated from the outer part is diffused on the wafer surface, thereby correcting a distribution of the amount of the halide of tungsten on the wafer surface. Thus, the uniformity within the wafer surface of the etching rate and etching anisotropy is enhanced.

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