Patent · US Active

Silicon etch process with tunable selectivity to SiO2 and other materials

US9368364B2 · kind B2 · utility

146Cited by
598References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 10, 2014
Grant dateJun 14, 2016
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 10, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2237/334
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A tunable plasma etch process includes generating a plasma in a controlled flow of a source gas including NH3 and NF3 to form a stream of plasma products, controlling a flow of un-activated NH3 that is added to the stream of plasma products to form an etch gas stream; and controlling pressure of the etch gas stream by adjusting at least one of the controlled flow of the source gas and the flow of un-activated NH3 until the pressure is within a tolerance of a desired pressure. An etch rate of at least one of polysilicon and silicon dioxide by the etch gas stream is adjustable by varying a ratio of the controlled flow of the source gas to the flow of un-activated NH3.

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