Etching method, plasma processing apparatus, and processing system

1. A method of etching comprising:

providing a substrate having a film and a patterned mask on the film;

forming a silicon-containing layer including silicon, carbon, and nitrogen on the substrate using a precursor gas containing silicon, a material of the silicon-containing layer being different from the film; and

performing a plasma etching on the film, wherein the forming of the silicon-containing layer is performed prior to commencement of the performing of the plasma etching on the film,

wherein the substrate is placed under a depressurized environment for a time period from a start time point of the forming the silicon-containing layer on the substrate to an end time point of the performing the plasma etching on the film,

wherein the film is a silicon oxide film, and the silicon containing layer is an SiCN layer, and wherein in forming the SiCN layer, the SiCN layer is formed on a side wall of an opening of the mask to reduce a width of the opening of the mask, and

wherein prior to forming the SiCN layer, a surface of the silicon oxide film is exposed through the opening of the mask, and during forming of the SiCN layer, the SiCN layer is formed on the surface of the silicon oxide film exposed through the mask,

the method further comprising, after forming of the SiCN layer, performing an etch back of the SiCN layer to remove the SiCN layer from the silicon oxide film while retaining the SiCN layer on the side wall of the opening of the mask, and after the etch back of the SiCN layer, the silicon oxide film is etched through the opening of the mask with the SiCN layer on the side wall of the opening of the mask.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the precursor gas is an aminosilane-based gas.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein in the forming the silicon-containing layer, a plasma processing is performed using a mixed gas including the precursor gas and a diluent gas that dilutes the precursor gas.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the forming the silicon-containing layer includes repeating a sequence including:

supplying the diluent gas to the substrate in a first time period, a second time period subsequent to the first time period, and a third time period subsequent to the second time period;

supplying the precursor gas to the substrate in the first time period and the second time period; and

supplying a radio-frequency power in the second time period and the third time period, in order to form plasma from the precursor gas and the diluent gas in the second time period and generate plasma from the diluent gas in the third time period, and wherein the supplying of the radio-frequency power commences in the second time period but is not performed during the first time period.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the forming the silicon-containing layer and the performing the plasma etching are performed using a single plasma processing apparatus, and

the substrate is placed in a chamber of the single plasma processing apparatus, for a time period from a start time point of the forming the silicon-containing layer to an end time point of the performing the plasma etching.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the forming the silicon-containing layer and the performing the plasma etching are performed using separate processing apparatuses including a first plasma processing apparatus and a second plasma processing apparatus connected to the first plasma processing apparatus via a vacuum transfer system, respectively,

the substrate is disposed in the processing chamber of the first plasma processing apparatus during the forming the silicon-containing layer,

the substrate is transferred from the first plasma processing apparatus to the second plasma processing apparatus exclusively through the vacuum transfer system, after the forming the silicon-containing layer and before the performing the plasma etching of the film, and

the substrate is disposed in the processing chamber of the second plasma processing apparatus during the performing the plasma etching on the film.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein in the forming the SiCN layer, a temperature of the substrate is set to 150° C. or lower, and

wherein the silicon-containing layer has no silicon-oxygen bond.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the forming the silicon-containing layer includes repeating a sequence including:

supplying the diluent gas to the substrate in a first time period, a second time period subsequent to the first time period, and a third time period subsequent to the second time period;

supplying the precursor gas to the substrate in the first time period and the second time period; and

supplying a radio-frequency power in the second time period and the third time period, in order to form plasma from the precursor gas and the diluent gas in the second time period and generate plasma from the diluent gas in the third time period.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the forming the silicon-containing layer and the performing the plasma etching are performed using a single plasma processing chamber of a single plasma processing apparatus, and

the substrate is placed in the single plasma processing chamber of the single plasma processing apparatus, for a time period from a start time point of the forming the silicon-containing layer to an end time point of the performing the plasma etching.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the forming the silicon-containing layer and the performing the plasma etching are performed using separate processing apparatuses including a first plasma processing apparatus and a second plasma processing apparatus connected to the first plasma processing apparatus via a vacuum transfer system, respectively,

the substrate is disposed in the processing chamber of the first plasma processing apparatus during the forming the silicon-containing layer,

the substrate is transferred from the first plasma processing apparatus to the second plasma processing apparatus exclusively through the vacuum transfer system, after the forming the silicon-containing layer and before the performing the plasma etching of the film, and

the substrate is disposed in the processing chamber of the second plasma processing apparatus during the performing the plasma etching on the film.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the forming the silicon-containing layer, a temperature of the substrate is set to 150° C. or lower.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the silicon-containing layer has no silicon-oxygen bond.

13. A method of etching comprising:

providing a substrate having a film and a patterned mask on the film, the patterned mask including an opening through which a surface of the film is exposed at the bottom of the opening;

forming an SiCN layer on the substrate using a precursor gas containing silicon, a material of the SiCN layer being different from the film, and wherein the SiCN is formed on a side wall of the opening and on the surface of the film exposed at the bottom of the opening; and

performing a plasma etching on the film, wherein the forming of the SiCN layer is performed prior to the commencement of the performing of the plasma etching of the film,

wherein the substrate is placed under a depressurized environment for a time period from a start time point of the forming the silicon-containing layer on the substrate to an end time point of the performing the plasma etching on the film,

the precursor gas is an aminosilane-based gas,

the forming the silicon-containing layer includes repeating a sequence including:

supplying the diluent gas to the substrate in a first time period, a second time period subsequent to the first time period, and a third time period subsequent to the second time period;

supplying the precursor gas to the substrate in the first time period and the second time period; and

supplying a radio-frequency power in the second time period and the third time period, in order to form plasma from the precursor gas and the diluent gas in the second time period and generate plasma from the diluent gas in the third time period,

the forming the silicon-containing layer and the performing the plasma etching are performed using a single chamber of a single plasma processing apparatus,

the substrate is placed in the single chamber of the single plasma processing apparatus, for a time period from a start time point of the forming the silicon-containing layer to an end time point of the performing the plasma etching,

the silicon-containing layer has no silicon-oxygen bond, and

the film is a silicon oxide film.

14. A method of etching comprising:

providing a substrate having a film and a patterned mask on the film;

forming a silicon-containing layer including silicon, carbon, and nitrogen on the substrate using a precursor gas containing silicon, a material of the silicon-containing layer being different from the film; and

performing a plasma etching on the film, wherein the forming of the silicon-containing layer is performed prior to commencement of the performing of the plasma etching on the film,

wherein the substrate is placed under a depressurized environment for a time period from a start time point of the forming the silicon-containing layer on the substrate to an end time point of the performing the plasma etching on the film,

wherein the silicon-containing layer is an SiCN layer, and during forming of the SiCN layer, the SiCN layer is formed on a side wall of an opening of the mask through which the film is exposed, and

wherein during etching of the film, portions of the mask are etched while the SiCN layer previously formed on the side wall of the mask remains to provide an opening through which the film is etched.

15. A method of etching comprising:

providing a substrate having a film and a patterned mask on the film;

forming a silicon-containing layer including silicon, carbon, and nitrogen on the substrate using a precursor gas containing silicon, a material of the silicon-containing layer being different from the film; and

performing a plasma etching on the film, wherein the forming of the silicon-containing layer is performed prior to commencement of the performing of the plasma etching on the film,

wherein the substrate is placed under a depressurized environment for a time period from a start time point of the forming the silicon-containing layer on the substrate to an end time point of the performing the plasma etching on the film,

wherein the silicon-containing layer is an SiCN layer, and during forming of the SiCN layer, the SiCN layer is formed on a side wall of an opening of the mask and a surface of the film exposed through the mask,

wherein the film comprises silicon oxide, and

wherein the mask includes an organic layer, an antireflection film formed above the organic layer, and a resist mask formed above the antireflection film.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the etch back of the SiCN layer and the etching of the film are performed with different process gases.

17. A method of etching, comprising:

providing a substrate having a film and a patterned mask on the film, the patterned mask including an opening through which a surface of the film is exposed, the opening further including a side wall;

forming an SiCN layer on the side wall of opening to reduce a width of the opening and provide a reduced width opening, and wherein during forming of the SiCN layer, the SiCN layer is also formed on the surface of the film exposed through the opening, wherein a material of the film is different from the SiCN layer;

performing an etch back of the SiCN layer to remove portions of the SiCN layer from the surface of the film while retaining portions of the SiCN layer on the side wall of the opening of the mask providing the reduced width opening; and

after the performing the etch back of the SiCN layer, etching the film through the reduced width opening of the mask with the SiCN layer on the side wall of the opening of the mask.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein during etching of the film, portions of the mask surrounding the SiCN layer are etched while the SiCN layer previously formed on the side wall of the mask remain to provide the reduced width opening.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the film is a silicon oxide, and the wherein the mask includes an organic film, an antireflection film above the organic film, and a resist mask above the organic film,

during forming of the SiCN film a temperature of the substrate is set to 150° C. or lower, and

a gas used to etch back the SiCN is different than a gas used to etch the silicon oxide film.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein a CF 4 gas is used to etch back the SiCN layer, and a C 4 F 6 gas is used to etch the silicon oxide film.