IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,637,020
Granted Patent B2
US 11,637,020 · App. 17/398,601 · Granted Apr 25, 2023

Etching method and plasma etching apparatus

Inventor: Koki Tanaka (Miyagi, JP)
Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
H01L21/31116H01J37/32724H01J37/32743H01L21/32137H01J37/32082H01J2237/334
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,637,020
App. No.
17/398,601
Granted
Apr 25, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An etching method includes: (a) providing a substrate that contains silicon, on a support; (b) etching the substrate with plasma generated from a first gas that includes a fluorine-containing gas, to form an etching shape having a bottom; (c) generating plasma from a second gas that includes a hydrogen fluoride (HF) gas, to selectively form a condensed or solidified layer of HF at the bottom of the etching shape; and (d) etching the bottom with the plasma generated from the second gas, by supplying a bias power to the support. During (c) and (d), a temperature of the substrate is maintained to be 0° C. or lower.

Claims (25)

1. An etching method comprising:

(a) providing a substrate that contains silicon, on a support;

(b) etching the substrate with plasma generated from a first gas that includes a fluorine-containing gas, to form an etching shape having a bottom;

(c) generating plasma from a second gas that includes a hydrogen fluoride (HF) gas, to selectively form a condensed or solidified layer of HF at the bottom of the etching shape; and

(d) etching the bottom with the plasma generated from the second gas, by supplying a bias power to the support,

wherein during (c) and (d), a temperature of the substrate is maintained to be 0° C. or lower.

2. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein (c) and (d) are performed at the same time.

3. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein (c) and (d) are performed when an opening diameter of the etching shape is 200 nm or less, and an aspect ratio is 20 or more.

4. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein after (a), the temperature of the substrate is set to −40° C. or lower.

5. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein (d) etches the bottom with the plasma generated from the second gas or plasma generated from a rare gas.

6. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein the etching is performed by attracting ions in the plasma generated from the second gas into the bottom, and causing the condensed or solidified layer that has been formed at the bottom to react with the bottom.

7. An etching method comprising:

providing a substrate that contains silicon, on a support inside a chamber;

setting a temperature of the substrate to 0° C. or lower;

supplying an HF gas with a volume flow ratio of 30% or more with respect to a total flow rate of a processing gas, into the chamber; and

etching the substrate with plasma generated from the processing gas, by supplying a radio-frequency power,

wherein during the supplying and the etching, the temperature of the substrate is maintained to be 0° C. or lower.

8. The etching method according to claim 7 , wherein the setting sets the temperature of the substrate to −40° C. or lower, and

during the supplying and the etching, the temperature of the substrate is maintained to be 0° C. or lower.

9. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate that contains silicon includes a silicon oxide film or a silicon nitride film.

10. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate that contains silicon includes a stacked film of a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film.

11. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate that contains silicon includes a stacked film of a silicon oxide film and polysilicon.

12. The etching method according to claim 7 , wherein the substrate that contains silicon includes a silicon oxide film or a silicon nitride film.

13. The etching method according to claim 7 , wherein the substrate that contains silicon includes a stacked film of a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film.

14. The etching method according to claim 7 , wherein the substrate that contains silicon includes a stacked film of a silicon oxide film and polysilicon.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 10, 2021
From: TANAKA, KOKI
To: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
Reel/Frame 057137/0056 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP JP2020-136392 · Aug 12, 2020 · national
JP JP2021-103362 · Jun 22, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220051902A1 · Feb 17, 2022