Process for etching a controllable thickness of oxide on an integrated circuit structure on a semiconductor substrate using nitrogen plasma and plasma and an rf bias applied to the substrate

US6759337B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• LSI Logic Corporation · US

Inventors

• Sheldon Aronowitz · San Jose, US
• Valeriy Sukharev · Cupertino, US
• John Haywood · Santa Clara, US
• James Kimball · San Jose, US
• Helmut Puchner · Santa Clara, US
• Ravindra M. Kapre · San Jose, US
• Nicholas K. Eib · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 15, 1999
• Grant date: Jul 6, 2004
• Expiry date: Dec 15, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/28176
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A process for etching oxide is disclosed wherein a reproducibly accurate and uniform amount of silicon oxide can be removed from a surface of an oxide previously formed over a semiconductor substrate by exposing the oxide to a nitrogen plasma in an etch chamber while applying an rf bias to a substrate support on which the substrate is supported in the etch chamber. The thickness of the oxide removed in a given period of time may be changed by changing the amount of rf bias applied to the substrate through the substrate support.