Plasma processing method and apparatus
US6136214A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 25, 1997 |
| Grant date | Oct 24, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 25, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/32136
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Because of environmental pollution prevention laws, PFC (perfluorocarbon) and HFC (hydrofluorocarbon), both etching gases for silicon oxide and silicon nitride films, are expected to be subjected to limited use or become difficult to obtain in the future. To accommodate such a problem, an etching gas containing fluorine atoms is introduced into a plasma chamber. In a region where plasma etching takes place, the fluorine-containing gas plasma is made to react with solid-state carbon in order to produce a molecular chemical species such as CF.sub.4, CF.sub.2, CF.sub.3 and C.sub.2 F.sub.4 for etching. This method assures a high etching rate and high selectivity while keeping a process window wide.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.