Two-stage self-cleaning silicon etch process
US6527968B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 27, 2000 |
| Grant date | Mar 4, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 27, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S438/906
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A process for etching a substrate 25 in an etching chamber 105, and simultaneously removing etch residue deposited on the surfaces of the walls 110 and components of the etching chamber 105. In one version, a two-stage method of opening a nitride mask layer on the substrate includes a first stage of providing a highly chemically reactive process gas in the chamber 105 to etch the nitride layer 32 and/or an underlying oxide layer 34, and a second stage of providing a less chemically reactive process gas in the chamber to etch the nitride layer 32 and/or the oxide layer 34 at a slower rate than the first stage. The first and second stage process gases may each comprise a fluorine containing gas, with the fluorine ratio of the first gas higher than the fluorine ratio of the second gas.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.