Methods to avoid unstable plasma states during a process transition

US8048806B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Michael Kutney · Santa Clara, US
• Daniel J. Hoffman · Saratoga, US
• Gerardo Delgadino · Fremont, US
• Ezra Robert Gold · Sunnyvale, US
• Ashok Sinha · Palo Alto, US
• Xiaoye Zhao · Mountain View, US
• Douglas H. Burns · Saratoga, US
• Shawming Ma · Sunnyvale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 10, 2006
• Grant date: Nov 1, 2011
• Expiry date: Jun 2, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/76807
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

In some implementations, a method is provided in a plasma processing chamber for stabilizing etch-rate distributions during a process transition from one process step to another process step. The method includes performing a pre-transition compensation of at least one other process parameter so as to avoid unstable plasma states by inhibiting formation of a parasitic plasma during the process transition. In some implementations, a method is provided for processing a workpiece in plasma processing chamber, which includes inhibiting deviations from an expected etch-rate distribution by avoiding unstable plasma states during a process transition from one process step to another process step.