Methods for etch of metal and metal-oxide films

• US 10,062,578 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Zhang, Jingchun, Wang, Anchuan, Ingle, Nitin K.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, THOMAS T
• Application Number:
  US14/746,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20150318186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 438720
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 4/00 Processes for removing metallic material from surfaces, not provided for in group C23F1/00 or C23F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32422 Arrangement for selecting ions or species in the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31116 by dry-etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31122 of layers not containing Si, e.g. PZT, Al2O3
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/32136 using plasmas

Abstract

A method of selectively etching a metal-containing film from a substrate comprising a metal-containing layer and a silicon oxide layer includes flowing a fluorine-containing gas into a plasma generation region of a substrate processing chamber, and applying energy to the fluorine-containing gas to generate a plasma in the plasma generation region. The plasma comprises fluorine radicals and fluorine ions. The method also includes filtering the plasma to provide a reactive gas having a higher concentration of fluorine radicals than fluorine ions, and flowing the reactive gas into a gas reaction region of the substrate processing chamber. The method also includes exposing the substrate to the reactive gas in the gas reaction region of the substrate processing chamber. The reactive gas etches the metal-containing layer at a higher etch rate than the reactive gas etches the silicon oxide layer.

Claims

1. A method of selectively etching a metal-containing film from a substrate comprising a metal-containing layer and a silicon oxide layer, the method comprising:

flowing a fluorine-containing gas into a plasma generation region of a substrate processing chamber, wherein the substrate processing chamber includes an ion suppressor plate, an annular component, and a showerhead, wherein the annular component is positioned between the ion suppressor plate and the showerhead to define a region between the ion suppressor plate and the showerhead;

applying energy to the fluorine-containing gas to generate plasma effluents in the plasma generation region, the plasma effluents comprising fluorine radicals and fluorine ions;

flowing the plasma effluents through the ion suppressor plate, which is configured to filter the plasma effluents into a reactive gas having a higher concentration of fluorine radicals than fluorine ions, wherein the ion suppressor plate comprises an electrode to form a plasma in the plasma generation region, and wherein the ion suppressor plate comprises a plate defining apertures through the ion suppressor plate;

subsequent to flowing the plasma effluents through the ion suppressor plate, flowing the plasma effluents through the region at least partially defined between the ion suppressor plate and the showerhead;

subsequent to flowing the plasma effluents through the region defined between the ion suppressor plate and the showerhead, flowing the plasma effluents through the showerhead, wherein the showerhead defines first channels through the showerhead configured to allow passage of the plasma effluents through the showerhead, wherein the showerhead defines second apertures separate from the first channels that are configured to allow a second precursor to flow into the processing region, and wherein the showerhead is configured to prevent the second precursor from mixing with the plasma effluents until each are flowed into the gas reaction region through the showerhead; and

contacting the substrate with the reactive gas, wherein the reactive gas etches the metal-containing layer at a higher etch rate than the reactive gas etches the silicon oxide layer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluorine-containing gas comprises NF₃.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluorine-containing gas comprises at least one of He or Ar.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal-containing layer comprises tungsten.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal-containing layer comprises tungsten oxide.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal-containing layer comprises hafnium.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal-containing layer comprises hafnium oxide.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein energy is applied to the fluorine-containing gas using a capacitively coupled plasma unit.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the reactive gas is substantially free from fluorine ions.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the ion suppressor comprises a plurality of channels that allow passage of fluorine radicals between the plasma generation region and the gas reaction region.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is unbiased during etch of the metal-containing layer.

12. An etch process providing a higher etch rate of a metal-containing film than an etch rate of a dielectric film, the process comprising:

generating a plasma from a fluorine-containing gas, the plasma comprising fluorine radicals and fluorine ions;

flowing plasma effluents through an ion suppressor, wherein the ion suppressor is an electrode used to generate the plasma;

removing a portion of the fluorine ions from the plasma effluents to provide a reactive gas having a higher concentration of fluorine radicals than fluorine ions;

flowing the reactive gas through a showerhead into a processing region of the chamber, wherein the ion suppressor and the showerhead are separated from one another by an annular component positioned to define a region between the ion suppressor and the showerhead where the reactive gas resides subsequent to flowing through the ion suppressor and before flowing through the showerhead, wherein the showerhead defines first channels through the showerhead configured to allow passage of the plasma effluents through the showerhead, wherein the showerhead defines second apertures separate from the first channels that are configured to allow a second precursor to flow into the processing region, and wherein the showerhead is configured to prevent the second precursor from mixing with the plasma effluents until each are flowed into the gas reaction region; and

exposing a substrate comprising a metal-containing layer and a dielectric layer to the reactive gas, wherein the reactive gas etches the metal-containing layer at a higher etch rate than the reactive gas etches the dielectric layer.

13. The etch process of claim 12 wherein the fluorine-containing gas comprises NF₃.

14. The etch process of claim 12 wherein the fluorine-containing gas comprises at least one of He or Ar.

15. The etch process of claim 12 wherein the metal-containing layer comprises tungsten.

16. The etch process of claim 12 wherein the metal-containing layer comprises hafnium.

17. The etch process of claim 12 the reactive gas is substantially free from fluorine ions.

18. The etch process of claim 12 wherein the ion suppressor comprises a plurality of channels that allow passage of fluorine radicals and suppression of fluorine ions.

19. The etch process of claim 12 wherein the dielectric layer comprises silicon oxide.

20. The etch process of claim 12 wherein the dielectric layer comprises silicon nitride.