Patent · US Active

Differential silicon oxide etch

US9034770B2 · kind B2 · utility

180Cited by
421References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 15, 2013
Grant dateMay 19, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 22, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/3065
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of etching exposed silicon oxide on patterned heterogeneous structures is described and includes a gas phase etch created from a remote plasma etch. The remote plasma excites a fluorine-containing precursor. Plasma effluents from the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents combine with water vapor. Reactants thereby produced etch the patterned heterogeneous structures to remove two separate regions of differing silicon oxide at different etch rates. The methods may be used to remove low density silicon oxide while removing less high density silicon oxide.

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