Patent · US Expired

Plasma processing method

US6723651B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
4References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 7, 2002
Grant dateApr 20, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 7, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/67069
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of plasma processing a silicon-containing object to be processed at a high etching rate without causing a surface of the object to have a hazy appearance, so that this surface can have an excellent visual quality. In the plasma processing method of etching the surface of the semiconductor wafer, gas containing sulfur hexafluoride and helium is used as a plasma-generating gas. A fluorine radical as an active substance which reacts with silicon of the surface of the semiconductor wafer, gaseous silicon tetrafluoride yielded by the reaction and a compound (SFn) of fluorine and sulfur that is generated as a reaction product are removed by the helium gas functioning as carrier gas. The helium gas prevents the reaction product from adhering to the surface of the wafer again.

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