Silicon-selective dry etch for carbon-containing films

US8211808B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Kedar Sapre · Mountain View, US
• Jing Tang · Santa Clara, US
• Linlin Wang · Beijing, CN
• Abhijit Basu Mallick · Palo Alto, US
• Nitin K. Ingle · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 31, 2009
• Grant date: Jul 3, 2012
• Expiry date: Aug 9, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/31116
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method of etching silicon-and-carbon-containing material is described and includes a SiConi™ etch in combination with a flow of reactive oxygen. The reactive oxygen may be introduced before the SiConi™ etch reducing the carbon content in the near surface region and allowing the SiConi™ etch to proceed more rapidly. Alternatively, reactive oxygen may be introduced during the SiConi™ etch further improving the effective etch rate.