Process window widening using coated parts in plasma etch processes

• US 10,297,458 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2017
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Yang, Dongqing, Tan, Tien Fak, Hillman, Peter, Zhu, Lala, Ingle, Nitin K., Lubomirsky, Dmitry, Snedigar, Christopher, Xia, Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Binh X
• Application Number:
  US15/670,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20190043726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 438710, 438719, 438723, 438730, 438743
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32467 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02123 the material containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02164 the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02315 treatment by exposure to a plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3065 Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31053 involving a dielectric removal step
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31116 by dry-etching

Abstract

Embodiments of the present technology may include a method of etching. The method may include mixing plasma effluents with a gas in a first section of a chamber to form a first mixture. The method may also include flowing the first mixture to a substrate in a second section of the chamber. The first section and the second section may include nickel plated material. The method may further include reacting the first mixture with the substrate to etch a first layer selectively over a second layer. In addition, the method may include forming a second mixture including products from reacting the first mixture with the substrate.

Claims

1. A method of etching, the method comprising:

mixing plasma effluents with a gas in a first section of a chamber to form a first mixture, wherein the first section comprises nickel plated material;

flowing the first mixture to a substrate in a second section of the chamber, wherein;

the second section comprises nickel plated material,

the first mixture flows in a path in the chamber from the first section to the second section, and

the path is defined by nickel plated parts of the chamber;

reacting the first mixture with the substrate to etch a first layer selectively over a second layer;

forming a second mixture comprising products from reacting the first mixture with the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second section of the chamber is at a pressure of 10 Torr or lower.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma effluents comprise effluents from flowing ammonia, NF₃, argon, H₂, helium, and HF through a plasma.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

flowing the plasma effluents through a third section of the chamber that does not comprise nickel plated material.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

flowing a hydrogen-containing gas and a fluorine-containing gas through a plasma to form the plasma effluents, and

adsorbing fluorine atoms or hydrogen atoms onto the nickel plated material.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the nickel plated material comprises electroless nickel plated material.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the nickel plated material comprises nickel with boron or nickel with phosphorous.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma effluents comprise effluents from flowing ammonia and a fluorine-containing gas through a plasma.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the fluorine-containing gas comprises NF₃ or HF.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

flowing the second mixture through a third section of the chamber to exit the chamber, wherein the third section of the chamber comprises nickel plated material.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the third section is at least partially defined by a pump port.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

flowing plasma effluents through a third section of the chamber that does not include nickel plated material before mixing the plasma effluents with the gas.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the third section comprises a ceramic material.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first layer is a thermal silicon oxide layer,

the second layer is a silicon layer, and

reacting the first mixture with the substrate comprises etching less than 1 Angstrom of the first layer and greater than 50 Angstroms of the second layer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the products comprise etch byproducts from etching silicon oxide.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the selectivity of etching the first layer over the second layer is greater than 100.

17. A method of etching, the method comprising:

flowing a first gas comprising ammonia and a fluorine-containing gas through a plasma to form plasma effluents;

flowing the plasma effluents through a first section of a chamber;

mixing a second gas comprising ammonia with the plasma effluents in a second section of the chamber to form a first mixture;

flowing the first mixture to a substrate in a third section of the chamber;

reacting the first mixture with the substrate to etch a silicon oxide layer selectively over a silicon layer;

forming a second mixture comprising products from reacting the first mixture with the substrate; and

flowing the second mixture through a fourth section of the chamber to exit the chamber, wherein;

the first section of the chamber does not comprise nickel plated material,

the second section, the third section, and the fourth section of the chamber comprise nickel plated material,

the third section of the chamber is at a pressure of 10 Torr or lower, and

reacting the first mixture with the substrate comprises etching less than 1 Angstrom of the silicon layer and greater than 50 Angstroms of the silicon oxide layer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the first mixture flows in a path in the chamber from the second section to the fourth section, and

the path is defined by nickel plated parts of the chamber.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the nickel plated material comprises electroless nickel plated material.

20. A method of etching, the method comprising:

mixing plasma effluents with a gas in a first section of a chamber to form a first mixture, wherein;

the first section comprises nickel plated material, and

the plasma effluents comprise effluents from flowing ammonia, NF₃, argon, H₂, helium, and HF through a plasma;

flowing the first mixture to a substrate in a second section of the chamber, wherein the second section comprises nickel plated material;

reacting the first mixture with the substrate to etch a first layer selectively over a second layer;

forming a second mixture comprising products from reacting the first mixture with the substrate.