Etching method
US7497963B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 10, 2005 |
| Grant date | Mar 3, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 10, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/31116
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In this etching method, since an etching gas is introduced before introduction of free radicals into a processing chamber, the etching gas has been adsorbed on the surface of substrates when the free radicals are introduced. Accordingly, the free radicals react with the etching gas adsorbed on the surface of the substrates, and the reaction proceeds uniformly on the surface of the substrate. As a result, nonuniform etching does not occur on the surface of the substrate. Moreover, since the reaction between the etching gas and the free radicals occurs on the surface of the substrate, an intermediate product produced according to the reaction between the etching gas and the free radicals reacts with an etching object promptly. Therefore, the intermediate product is not exhausted from the processing chamber 12 excessively, and hence the etching efficiency is high. As a result, according to this etching method, not only the in-plane distribution of the etching amount becomes more uniform, but also the etching rate is increased more than in the conventional etching method.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.