Method and apparatus for forming contact hole
A method of forming a contact hole in an insulating film coating amorphous Si having an irregular surface formed on an insulating substrate, for connecting the amorphous Si to a conductor film formed on the insulating film includes etching the insulating film using reactive ion etching to a depth whereat the irregularity does not disappear, and sputter-etching by physically colliding Ar radicals produced by Ar gas plasma discharge onto the surface of the amorphous Si.
1 . A method of forming a contact hole in an insulating film coating amorphous Si having an irregular surface formed on an insulating substrate, for connecting said amorphous Si to a conductor film formed on said insulating film, said method comprising:
etching said insulating film using reactive ion etching to a depth whereat said irregularity does not disappear; and
sputter-etching by physically colliding Ar radicals produced by Ar gas plasma discharge onto the surface of said amorphous Si.
2 . The method of forming a contact hole according to claim 1 , wherein a fluorine-based gas is used in said reactive ion etching.
3 . The method of forming a contact hole according to claim 1 , wherein said insulating substrate comprises glass.
4 . The method of forming a contact hole according to claim 1 , wherein said insulating substrate comprises a plastic.
5 . A method of forming a contact hole in an insulating film coating amorphous Si having an irregular surface formed on an insulating substrate, for connecting said amorphous Si to a conductor film formed on said insulating film, said method comprising, in a following order:
etching said insulating film using reactive ion etching to a depth whereat said irregularity does not disappear;
removing a byproduct of said reactive ion etching using wet etching;
sputter-etching the surface of said amorphous Si; and
forming a metallic film in said surface of said amorphous Si using sputtering.
6 . The method of forming a contact hole according to claim 5 , wherein buffered hydrofluoric acid is used as an etchant for said wet etching.
7 . The method of forming a contact hole according to claim 5 , wherein a fluorine-based gas is used in said reactive ion etching.
8 . The method of forming a contact hole according to claim 5 , wherein after completion of said sputter etching, said substrate is transferred into an AlSi film-forming sputtering chamber through a transfer path maintained in one of a vacuum state, and a state filled with an inert gas, and said metallic film is formed.
9 . A contact hole forming apparatus for forming a contact hole in an insulating film coating amorphous Si having an irregular surface formed on an insulating substrate, for connecting said amorphous Si to a conductor film formed on said insulating film, said apparatus comprising:
an etching chamber that performs sputter etching;
an AlSi film-forming sputtering chamber that forms an AlSi film; and
a transfer mechanism that transfers said substrate from said etching chamber to said AlSi film-forming sputtering chamber in one of a vacuum state, and a state filled with an inert gas.
10 . The method of forming a contact hole according to claim 9 , wherein said insulating substrate comprises glass.
11 . The method of forming a contact hole according to claim 9 , wherein said insulating substrate comprises a plastic.
12 . An amorphous Si device, wherein an amorphous Si contacts a metallic wiring in a contacting area, said contacting area has a surface roughness of 10 nm or less.
13 . A liquid crystal display including the amorphous Si device according to claim 12 in a liquid crystal drive circuit.
14 . A method of forming a contact hole in an insulating film coating amorphous Si having an irregular surface formed on an insulating substrate, for connecting said amorphous Si to a conductor film formed on said insulating film, said method comprising:
etching said insulating film using reactive ion etching to a depth whereat said irregularity does not disappear;
removing a byproduct of said reactive ion etching using wet etching; and
sputter-etching the surface of said amorphous Si,
wherein said etching, said removing, and said sputter-etching are conducted in sequence.
15 . A method of forming a contact hole in an insulating film coating amorphous Si having an irregular surface formed on an insulating substrate, for connecting said amorphous Si to a conductor film formed on said insulating film, said method comprising:
etching said insulating film using reactive ion etching to a depth whereat said irregularity does not disappear; and
sputter-etching by physically colliding Ar radicals produced by Ar gas plasma discharge onto the surface of said amorphous Si,
wherein said etching and said sputter-etching are conducted in sequence.
16 . A contact hole forming apparatus for forming a contact hole in an insulating film coating amorphous Si having an irregular surface formed on a glass substrate, for connecting said amorphous Si to a conductor film formed on said insulating film, said apparatus comprising:
an etching chamber for performing sputter etching;
an AlSi film-forming sputtering chamber for forming an AlSi film; and
a transfer mechanism for transferring said glass substrate from said etching chamber to said film-forming chamber in a vacuum state, or a state filled with an inert gas.