Method of smoothing a trench sidewall after a deep trench silicon etch process
US6846746B2 · kind B2 · utility
16Cited by
15References
20Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 1, 2002 |
| Grant date | Jan 25, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 1, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB81C2201/0178
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a method of smoothing a trench sidewall after a deep trench silicon etch process which minimizes sidewall scalloping present after the silicon trench etch. The method comprises exposing the silicon trench sidewall to a plasma generated from a fluorine-containing gas, at a process chamber pressure within the range of about 1 mTorr to about 30 mTorr, for a time period within the range of about 10 seconds to about 600 seconds. A substrate bias voltage within the range of about −10 V to about −40 V is applied during the performance of the post-etch treatment method of the invention.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.