IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,011,386
Granted Patent B2
US 11,011,386 · App. 16/644,062 · Granted May 18, 2021

Etching method and plasma treatment device

Inventors: Yusuke Shimizu (Miyagi, JP); Masahiko Takahashi (Hwaseong-si, KR)
Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
H01L21/31144H01J37/32082H01J37/32449H01L21/3065H01L21/31116H01J2237/334
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,011,386
App. No.
16/644,062
Granted
May 18, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to an exemplary embodiment, a method includes preparing a workpiece including a silicon film and a mask provided on the silicon film, etching the silicon film using the mask by plasma of a gas containing a first halogen atom, modifying a surface of the silicon film into an oxide layer by plasma of a gas containing an oxygen atom, a hydrogen atom, and a second halogen atom, the oxide layer including a first region extending along a side wall surface of the mask and a second region extending on the silicon film, etching the oxide layer to remove the second region while leaving the first region, and etching the silicon film using the mask and the oxide layer including the first region by plasma of a gas containing a third halogen atom.

Claims (60)

1. An etching method comprising:

preparing a workpiece including a silicon film and a mask provided on the silicon film;

etching the silicon film using the mask by plasma of a gas containing a first halogen atom;

modifying a surface of the silicon film into an oxide layer by plasma of a gas containing an oxygen atom, a hydrogen atom, and a second halogen atom, the oxide layer including a first region extending along a side wall surface of the mask and a second region extending on the silicon film;

etching the oxide layer to remove the second region while leaving the first region; and

etching the silicon film using the mask and the oxide layer including the first region by plasma of a gas containing a third halogen atom.

2. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein

in the modifying the surface of the silicon film into the oxide layer, bias power is not applied to the workpiece.

3. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein

the modifying the surface of the silicon film into the oxide layer, the etching the oxide layer, and the etching the silicon film using the mask and the oxide layer including the first region are repeated.

4. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein

the etching the silicon film using the mask, the modifying the surface of the silicon film into the oxide layer, the etching the oxide layer, and the etching the silicon film using the mask and the oxide layer including the first region are performed continuously in the same treatment vessel or in a consistent vacuum environment.

5. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein

the gas containing the oxygen atom, the hydrogen atom, and the second halogen atom is a mixed gas of a gas containing an oxygen atom and a gas containing a hydrogen atom and the second halogen atom.

6. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein

the gas containing the oxygen atom, the hydrogen atom, and the second halogen atom is a mixed gas of a gas containing an oxygen atom, a gas containing a hydrogen atom, and a gas containing the second halogen atom.

7. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein

the gas containing the oxygen atom, the hydrogen atom, and the second halogen atom is a gas including a molecule containing an oxygen atom, a hydrogen atom, and the second halogen atom.

8. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein

the second halogen atom has an atomic radius smaller than an interstitial distance of a silicon crystal.

9. An etching method comprising:

preparing a workpiece including a silicon film and a mask provided on the silicon film;

etching the silicon film using the mask by plasma of a gas containing a first halogen atom;

modifying a first region extending along a side wall surface of the mask in the surface of the silicon film into an oxide layer by plasma of a gas containing an oxygen atom, a hydrogen atom, and a second halogen atom; and

etching the silicon film using the mask and the oxide layer including the first region by plasma of a gas containing a third halogen atom.

10. The etching method according to claim 9 , wherein

in the modifying the first region into the oxide layer, bias power is applied to the workpiece.

11. The etching method according to claim 9 , wherein

in the modifying the first region into the oxide layer, in a second region extending on the silicon film in the surface of the silicon, an etching rate at which the oxide layer is etched by ions which are generated from the plasma of the gas containing the oxygen atom, the hydrogen atom, and the second halogen atom and contain the second halogen atom is faster than or equal to a modification rate at which the silicon film is modified into the oxide layer by the plasma of the gas containing the oxygen atom, the hydrogen atom, and the second halogen atom.

12. The etching method according to claim 9 , wherein

the gas containing the oxygen atom, the hydrogen atom, and the second halogen atom is a mixed gas of a gas containing an oxygen atom and a gas containing a hydrogen atom and the second halogen atom.

13. The etching method according to claim 9 , wherein

the gas containing the oxygen atom, the hydrogen atom, and the second halogen atom is a mixed gas of a gas containing an oxygen atom, a gas containing a hydrogen atom, and a gas containing the second halogen atom.

14. The etching method according to claim 9 , wherein

the gas containing the oxygen atom, the hydrogen atom, and the second halogen atom is a gas including a molecule containing an oxygen atom, a hydrogen atom, and the second halogen atom.

15. The etching method according to claim 9 , wherein

the second halogen atom has an atomic radius smaller than an interstitial distance of a silicon crystal.

16. A plasma treatment device that etches a workpiece including a silicon film and a mask provided on the silicon film, the device comprising:

a treatment vessel that is provided for defining a treatment space in which plasma is generated;

a gas supply unit that supplies a treatment gas into the treatment space;

a plasma generation source that generates plasma of a gas supplied into the treatment vessel; and

a controller that controls the gas supply unit and the plasma generation source, wherein

the controller is configured to perform

etching the silicon film using the mask by plasma of a gas containing a first halogen atom,

modifying a surface of the silicon film into an oxide layer by plasma of a gas containing an oxygen atom, a hydrogen atom, and a second halogen atom, the oxide layer including a first region extending along a side wall surface of the mask and a second region extending on the silicon film,

etching the oxide layer to remove the second region while leaving the first region, and

etching the silicon film using the mask and the oxide layer including the first region by plasma of a gas containing a third halogen atom.

17. The plasma treatment device according to claim 16 , wherein

in the modifying the surface of the silicon film into the oxide layer, bias power is not applied to the workpiece.

18. A plasma treatment device that etches a workpiece including a silicon film and a mask provided on the silicon film, the device comprising:

a treatment vessel that is provided for defining a treatment space in which plasma is generated;

a gas supply unit that supplies a treatment gas into the treatment space;

a plasma generation source that generates plasma of a gas supplied into the treatment vessel; and

a controller that controls the gas supply unit and the plasma generation source, wherein

the controller is configured to perform:

etching the silicon film using the mask by plasma of a gas containing a first halogen atom,

modifying a first region extending along a side wall surface of the mask in the surface of the silicon film into an oxide layer by plasma of a gas containing an oxygen atom, a hydrogen atom, and a second halogen atom, and

etching the silicon film using the mask and the oxide layer including the first region by plasma of a gas containing a third halogen atom.

19. The plasma treatment device according to claim 18 , wherein

in the modifying the first region into the oxide layer, bias power is applied to the workpiece.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2020
From: SHIMIZU, YUSUKE; TAKAHASHI, MASAHIKO
To: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
Reel/Frame 051997/0523 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2018-114692 · Jun 15, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210074550A1 · Mar 11, 2021