Patent · US Expired

Method for plasma etching a microelectronic topography using a pulse bias power

US6759339B1 · kind B1 · utility

9Cited by
8References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 13, 2002
Grant dateJul 6, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 13, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/32136
  • WIPO fieldMicro-structural and nano-technology
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A method is provided which includes pulsing power applied to a microelectronic topography between a high level and a low level during a plasma etch process. In particular, the high level may be sufficient to form etch byproducts at a faster rate than a rate of removal of the etch byproducts from the reaction chamber at the high level. In contrast, the low level may be sufficient to form etch byproducts at a rate that is less than a rate of removal of the etch byproducts at the low level. In this manner, an etched topography may be formed without an accumulation of residue upon its periphery. Such a method may be particularly beneficial in an embodiment in which the etch byproducts include a plurality of nonvolatile compounds, such as in the fabrication of a magnetic junction of an MRAM device, for example.

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