Plasma etching method and storage medium
A plasma etching method that can prevent residues from becoming attached to bottoms and sides of via holes and trenches. An interlayer insulation film formed of C w F x (x and w are predetermined natural numbers) and a metallic layer or a metal-containing layer formed on a substrate are exposed at the same time to plasma generated from a process gas. The process gas is a mixed gas including C y F z (y and z are predetermined natural numbers) gas and N 2 gas, and the flow rate of the N 2 gas in the process gas is higher than the flow rate of the C y F z gas.
1. A plasma etching method for etching a low-dielectric interlayer insulation film, which contains carbon and fluorine, using as a mask a metal hard mask (metal-containing layer) containing Ti formed in a predetermined pattern on a substrate in a chamber, the method comprising:
preparing the substrate in the chamber, the substrate having a metallic layer formed on a surface of the substrate, an etching stop layer on the metallic layer, the low-dielectric interlayer insulation film which contains carbon and fluorine on the etching stop layer, an adhered layer on the low-dielectric interlayer insulation film and the metal hard mask (metal-containing layer) contains Ti on the adhered layer;
introducing a first processing gas into the chamber, the first processing gas including a fluorocarbon-based gas and N 2 gas;
generating a first plasma from the first processing gas in the chamber;
etching the low-dielectric interlayer insulation film, using the first plasma and the metal hard mask as a mask, to form a hole in the low-dielectric interlayer insulation film, which contains carbon and fluorine, and to expose the etching stop layer,
sputtering, using the first plasma, at a bottom and/or a side surface of the hole the metal hard mask (metal-containing layer) so that metal in the metal hard mask (metal-containing layer) combines with carbon of the low-dielectric interlayer insulation film, which contains carbon and fluorine, to generate a first reaction product (residue);
removing the first reaction product using the first plasma;
generating a second plasma in the chamber from a second processing gas which includes a fluorocarbon-based gas and N 2 gas;
etching the exposed etching stop layer, using the second plasma, to expose the metallic layer;
sputtering, using the second plasma, at the bottom and/or the side surface of the hole the metal hard mask (metal-containing layer) and the metallic layer so that metal in the metal hard mask (metal-containing layer) and the metallic layer combine with the carbon of the low-dielectric interlayer insulation film, which contains carbon and fluorine, to generate a second reaction product (residue); and
removing the second reaction product using the second plasma continuously after generating the second reaction product, wherein
a flow rate of the N 2 gas is larger than that of the fluorocarbon-based gas in the first and second processing gases.
2. The plasma etching method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the etching stop layer is comprised of a SiC layer or a SiCN layer.
3. The plasma etching method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metallic layer is comprised of Cu (copper).
4. The plasma etching method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fluorocarbon-based gas is at least one selected from a group consisting of CF 4 gas, C 4 F 8 gas, C 2 F 6 gas, C 3 F 8 gas, C 4 F 6 gas and C 5 F 8 gas.
5. The plasma etching method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal hard mask comprises a Ti containing layer.
6. The plasma etching method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first processing gas, a ratio of the flow rate of the fluorocarbon-based gas and the flow rate of the N 2 gas is expressed by the following equation (1):
fluorocarbon-based gas:N 2 gas=1:X (where X≧7) (1).