Reduction of sidewall notching for high aspect ratio 3D NAND etch
Methods and apparatus for etching a high aspect ratio feature in a stack on a substrate are provided. The feature may be formed in the process of forming a 3D NAND device. Typically, the stack includes alternating layers of material such as silicon oxide and silicon nitride or silicon oxide and polysilicon. WF 6 is provided in the etch chemistry, which substantially reduces or eliminates problematic sidewall notching. Advantageously, this improvement in sidewall notching does not introduce other tradeoffs such as increased bowing, decreased selectivity, increased capping, or decreased etch rate.
1. A method of etching a feature in a stack comprising dielectric material while fabricating a 3D NAND structure, the method comprising:
receiving a substrate on a substrate support in a reaction chamber, the substrate comprising the stack and a mask layer that is patterned on top of the stack, wherein the stack comprises either (a) alternating layers of silicon oxide and silicon nitride, or (b) alternating layers of silicon oxide and polysilicon; and
exposing the substrate to a plasma in the reaction chamber to thereby etch the feature in the stack on the substrate,
wherein the plasma is generated from a plasma generating gas comprising WF 6 , one or more fluorocarbons and/or hydrofluorocarbons, and one or more oxidant, wherein a flow rate of WF 6 is between about 0.1-10 sccm,
wherein the plasma is a capacitively coupled plasma,
wherein the substrate is biased at a frequency between about 20 kHz and 1.5 MHz at an RF power level between about 500 W 20 kW per substrate,
wherein the WF 6 and the fluorocarbons and/or hydrofluorocarbons form a tungsten-based polymer film on sidewalls of the feature during etching, and wherein the tungsten-based polymer film promotes a uniform etch rate between the alternating layers of silicon oxide and silicon nitride, or between the alternating layers of silicon oxide and polysilicon such that the sidewalls of the feature do not become notched during etching,
wherein during etching, the WF 6 dissociates into tungsten-containing fragments and fluorine-containing fragments, wherein the tungsten-containing fragments remain relatively more concentrated near a top of the feature, as compared to the fluorine-containing fragments, and the fluorine-containing fragments penetrate deeper into the feature, as compared to the tungsten-containing fragments.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tungsten-based polymer film has a non-uniform composition along the sidewalls of the feature such that the tungsten-based polymer film near the top of the feature has a greater proportion of tungsten, as compared to the tungsten-based polymer film near a bottom of the feature.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma is generated at an excitation frequency between about 20 MHz and 100 MHz and at an RF power of about 6.3 kW or less.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the oxidant is O 2 , and wherein a flow rate of the O 2 is between about 20-150 sccm.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the plasma generating gas further comprises SF 6 , and wherein a flow rate of the SF 6 is between about 1-20 sccm.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plasma generating gas further comprises Kr, and wherein a flow rate of Kr is between about 30-120 sccm.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plasma generating gas further comprises NF 3 , and wherein a flow rate of the NF 3 is about 30 sccm or less.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the fluorocarbons or hydrofluorocarbons comprise one or more of C 4 F 8 , C 3 F 8 , C 4 F 6 , and CH 2 F 2 , and wherein a total flow rate of the fluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons is between about 30-240 sccm.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the substrate support is maintained at a temperature between about 20-80° C. while etching the substrate.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a pressure in the reaction chamber is maintained between about 10-80 mTorr while etching the substrate.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the feature is etched into the alternating layers of silicon oxide and silicon nitride.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the flow rate of WF 6 is between about 0.02% and 10% of a total flow rate of the plasma generating gas.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the flow rate of WF 6 is between about 0.02% and 1% of a total flow rate of the plasma generating gas.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the flow rate of WF 6 is between about 0.02% and 0.5% of a total flow rate of the plasma generating gas.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is biased at an RF frequency between about 300 kHz and 600 kHz.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the substrate is biased at an RF frequency of about 400 kHz.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tungsten-based polymer film forms at a first thickness on the layers of silicon oxide and at a second thickness on the layers of silicon nitride or polysilicon, the first and second thicknesses being different.
18. A method of etching a feature in a stack comprising dielectric material while fabricating a 3D NAND structure, the method comprising:
receiving a substrate on a substrate support in a reaction chamber, the substrate comprising the stack and a mask layer that is patterned on top of the stack, wherein the stack comprises either (a) alternating layers of silicon oxide and silicon nitride, or (b) alternating layers of silicon oxide and polysilicon; and
exposing the substrate to a plasma in the reaction chamber to thereby etch the feature in the stack on the substrate,
wherein the plasma is generated from a plasma generating gas comprising WF 6 , one or more fluorocarbons and/or hydrofluorocarbons, and one or more oxidant, wherein a flow rate of WF 6 is between about 0.1-10 sccm,
wherein the plasma is a capacitively coupled plasma,
wherein the substrate is biased at a frequency between about 20 kHz and 1.5 MHz at an RF power level between about 500 W 20 kW per substrate,
wherein the WF 6 and the fluorocarbons and/or hydrofluorocarbons form a tungsten-based polymer film on sidewalls of the feature during etching, and wherein the tungsten-based polymer film promotes a uniform etch rate between the alternating layers of silicon oxide and silicon nitride, or between the alternating layers of silicon oxide and polysilicon such that the sidewalls of the feature do not become notched during etching,
wherein the tungsten-based polymer film has a non-uniform composition along the sidewalls of the feature such that the tungsten-based polymer film near a top of the feature has a greater proportion of tungsten, as compared to the tungsten-based polymer film near a bottom of the feature.