IP Library Granted Patent US 10,410,877
Granted Patent B2
US 10,410,877 · App. 15/378,167 · Granted Sep 10, 2019

Etching method

Inventors: Ryuichi Takashima (Miyagi, JP); Taku Gohira (Miyagi, JP); Yoshinobu Ooya (Miyagi, JP)
Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
H01L21/31116H01J37/32009H01J37/32165H01L21/31144H01J2237/334
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,410,877
App. No.
15/378,167
Granted
Sep 10, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

An etching method for etching a silicon oxide film is provided that includes generating a plasma from a gas including a hydrogen-containing gas and a fluorine-containing gas using a high frequency power for plasma generation, and etching the silicon oxide film using the generated plasma. The fluorine-containing gas includes a hydrofluorocarbon gas, and the sticking coefficient of radicals generated from the hydrofluorocarbon gas is higher than the sticking coefficient of radicals generated from carbon tetrafluoride (CF 4 ).

Claims (43)

1. An etching method for etching a silicon oxide film, the etching method comprising:

generating a first plasma from a gas including hydrogen (H 2 ) gas, carbon tetrafluoride (CF 4 ) gas, and a hydrofluorocarbon-containing gas that includes at least one of difluoromethane (CH 2 F 2 ) gas, monofluoromethane (CH 3 F) gas, or fluoroform (CHF 3 ) gas using a first high frequency power;

etching the silicon oxide film using the generated first plasma;

generating a second plasma from a gas consisting of hydrogen (H 2 ) gas and carbon tetrafluoride (CF 4 ) gas using a second high frequency power; and

etching the silicon oxide film using the generated second plasma, wherein

the etching with the first plasma is performed in a low temperature environment in which a temperature of a wafer is less than or equal to −35° C.,

the silicon oxide film is alternately etched with the first plasma and the second plasma,

reaction products generated from the carbon tetrafluoride (CF 4 ) and reaction products generated from the hydrofluorocarbon-containing gas are deposited on a side wall face of a hole, the reaction products generated from the carbon tetrafluoride (CF 4 ) being deposited at a greater depth within the hole than the reaction products generated from the hydrofluorocarbon-containing gas, and

the reaction products generated from the hydrofluorocarbon-containing gas are deposited over the deposited reaction products generated from the carbon tetrafluoride (CF 4 ), to thereby adjust an opening size of the hole.

2. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein

the silicon oxide film is etched via a mask film; and

when the mask film comprises tungsten (W), a mask selectivity is greater than or equal to 10.

3. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein

the silicon oxide film is etched via a mask film; and

when the mask film comprises polysilicon, a mask selectivity is greater than or equal to 5.

4. The etching method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:

controlling the respective flow rates of the hydrofluorocarbon-containing gas to adjust the profile of reaction products deposited on a mask, wherein

the hydrofluorocarbon-containing gas includes two or more of difluoromethane (CH 2 F 2 ) gas, monofluoromethane (CH 3 F) gas, or fluoroform (CHF 3 ) gas.

5. The etching method according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the wafer is approximately −35° C.

6. An etching method for etching a silicon-containing film through an opening in a mask, the method comprising:

generating a plasma from a gas including hydrogen (H 2 ) gas, carbon tetrafluoride (CF 4 ) gas, and a hydrofluorocarbon-containing gas that includes difluoromethane (CH 2 F 2 ) gas, monofluoromethane (CH 3 F) gas, or fluoroform (CHF 3 ) gas using a high frequency power;

adjusting a profile of the opening in the mask, by controlling a flow rate of the CF 4 gas and of the hydrofluorocarbon-containing gas, to control position where reaction product is deposited; and

etching the silicon-containing film using the plasma through the opening in the mask, wherein

reaction products generated from the carbon tetrafluoride (CF 4 ) and reaction products generated from the hydrofluorocarbon-containing gas are deposited on a side wall face of the opening, the reaction products generated from the carbon tetrafluoride (CF 4 ) being deposited at a greater depth within the opening than the reaction products generated from the hydrofluorocarbon-containing gas, and

the reaction products generated from the hydrofluorocarbon-containing gas are deposited over the deposited reaction products generated from the carbon tetrafluoride (CF 4 ), to thereby adjust dimensions of the opening.

7. The etching method of claim 6 , wherein

the etching with the plasma is performed on a wafer having a temperature of less than or equal to −35° C.

8. The etching method of claim 7 , wherein

the silicon-containing film is a silicon oxide film.

9. The etching method of claim 6 , wherein

the mask includes polysilicon or tungsten.

10. The etching method of claim 6 , wherein

the generating of the plasma, the adjusting of the profile of the opening, and the etching of the silicon-containing film are performed simultaneously.

11. The etching method of claim 6 , wherein

a mask selectivity is greater than or equals to 10.

12. The etching method of claim 6 , wherein

the profile of the opening in the mask is adjusted by narrowing the opening.

13. The etching method of claim 7 , wherein

the first high frequency power is applied to the mounting table in generating the first plasma,

a second frequency of the second high frequency power is a lower frequency than a first frequency of the first high frequency power, and

the second high frequency power is output in the form of a pulse wave.

14. The etching method of claim 13 , wherein the first high frequency power is output in the form of a pulse wave.

15. The etching method of claim 13 , wherein the first high frequency power is output in the form of a continuous wave.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 14, 2016
From: TAKASHIMA, RYUICHI; GOHIRA, TAKU; OOYA, YOSHINOBU
To: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
Reel/Frame 040731/0235 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2015-250060 · Dec 22, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170178922A1 · Jun 22, 2017
Cited By (18)
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