IP Library Granted Patent US 12685054
Granted Patent B2
US 12685054 · App. 18/074,071 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Plasma processing method and plasma processing system

Inventors: Maju Tomura (Kurokawa-gun, JP); Kae Takahashi (Kurokawa-gun, JP); Yoshihide Kihara (Kurokawa-gun, JP)
Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
H10P50/268C09K13/00H01J37/32449H01J37/32715H10P50/242H10P50/267H10P50/283H10P50/71H10P50/73H01J2237/334
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12685054
App. No.
18/074,071
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A plasma processing method performed in a plasma processing apparatus having a chamber is provided. This method comprises: (a) providing a substrate to a substrate support in the chamber, the substrate having a silicon-containing film and a mask film over the silicon-containing film; (b) supplying a processing gas to the chamber, the processing gas including a tungsten-containing gas and a hydrogen fluoride gas, the flow rate of the hydrogen fluoride gas being higher than the flow rate of the tungsten-containing gas; and (c) forming a plasma from the processing gas to etch the silicon-containing film.

Claims (26)

1 . A plasma processing method performed in a plasma processing apparatus having a chamber, the method comprising:

(a) providing a substrate to a substrate support in the chamber, the substrate having a silicon-containing film and a mask film over the silicon-containing film;

(b) supplying a processing gas to the chamber, the processing gas including a tungsten-containing gas, a hydrogen fluoride gas, a phosphorus-containing gas, and at least one gas selected from the group consisting of carbon-containing gases, oxygen-containing gases, and halogen-containing gases other than fluorine, wherein a flow rate of the tungsten-containing gas is the lowest of gases included in the processing gas, and the flow rate of the tungsten-containing gas is 1% by volume or less relative to an overall flow rate of the processing gas; and

(c) forming a plasma from the processing gas to etch the silicon-containing film,

wherein, in (c), the etching of the silicon-containing film is conducted while forming a protective film on the mask film by tungsten in the tungsten-contained gas.

2 . The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the tungsten-containing gas is a WF a Cl b gas (where a and b are integers equal to or greater than 0 and equal to or less than 6, and sum of a and b is equal to or greater than 2 and equal to or less than 6).

3 . The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the tungsten-containing gas is at least one of WF 6 gas and WCl 6 gas.

4 . The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the flow rate of the hydrogen fluoride gas is the highest of the gases included in the processing gas.

5 . The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the flow rate of the hydrogen fluoride gas is at least 10 times that of the tungsten-containing gas.

6 . The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the carbon-containing gas is C x F y gas (where x, y are positive integers) or C s H t F u gas (where s, t, u are positive integers).

7 . The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the phosphorus-containing gas is a phosphorus halide gas.

8 . The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein temperature of the substrate support in (c) is set to 0° C. or lower.

9 . The plasma processing method according to claim 8 , wherein the temperature of the substrate support in (c) is set to −50° C. or lower.

10 . The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the flow rate of the tungsten-containing gas is 0.5% by volume or less relative to the overall flow rate of the processing gas.

11 . The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the flow rate of the hydrogen fluoride gas is 70% by volume or more relative to a total flow rate of the processing gas.

12 . The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the flow rate of the hydrogen fluoride gas is at least 100 times that of the tungsten-containing gas.

13 . The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the protective film is formed at least on sidewalls of the mask film, and wherein forming the protective film suppresses bowing of the mask film.

14 . A plasma processing method performed in a plasma processing apparatus having a chamber, the method comprising:

(a) providing a substrate to a substrate support in the chamber, the substrate having a silicon-containing film and a mask film over the silicon-containing film;

(b) supplying a processing gas to the chamber; and

(c) forming a plasma from the processing gas to etch the silicon-containing film with an HF species included in the plasma,

wherein the processing gas in (b) includes a tungsten-containing gas, a hydrogen fluoride gas, a phosphorus-containing gas, and at least one gas selected from the group consisting of carbon-containing gases, oxygen-containing gases, and halogen-containing gases other than fluorine, wherein a flow rate of the tungsten-containing gas is the lowest of gases included in the processing gas, and the flow rate of the tungsten-containing gas is 1% by volume or less relative to an overall flow rate of the processing gas, and

wherein, in (c), the etching of the silicon-containing film is conducted while forming a protective film on the mask film by tungsten in the tungsten-contained gas.

15 . The plasma processing method according to claim 14 , wherein the HF species is produced from at least one gas selected from the group consisting of HF gases and hydrofluorocarbon gases.

16 . The plasma processing method according to claim 14 , wherein the HF species is produced from a hydrofluorocarbon gas with two or more carbon atoms.

17 . The plasma processing method according to claim 14 , wherein the HF species is produced from at least one gas selected from the group consisting of CH 2 F 2 gas, C 3 H 2 F 4 gas, C 3 H 2 F 6 gas, and C 4 H 2 F 6 gas.