Oxide etch selectivity systems and methods

• US 10,424,464 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2017
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Xu, Lin, Chen, Zhijun, Wang, Anchuan, Nguyen, Son T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zervigon, Rudy
• Application Number:
  US15/581,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20170229287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 118723 E, 118723 ER, 15634543, 15634544, 15634545, 15634546, 15634547
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/50 using electric discharges generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/334 Etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32009 Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources plasma generation in general H05H1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32082 Radio frequency generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32357 Generation remote from the workpiece, e.g. down-stream
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32715 Workpiece holder
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32899 Multiple chambers, e.g. cluster tools
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3065 Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31116 by dry-etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/32135 by vapour etching only
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/32136 using plasmas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/32137 of silicon-containing layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching

Abstract

Embodiments of the present technology may include a method of etching a substrate. The method may include striking a plasma discharge in a plasma region. The method may also include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into the plasma region to form a plasma effluent. The plasma effluent may flow into a mixing region. The method may further include introducing a hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound into the mixing region without first passing the hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound into the plasma region. Additionally, the method may include reacting the hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound with the plasma effluent in the mixing region to form reaction products. The reaction products may flow through a plurality of openings in a partition to a substrate processing region. The method may also include etching the substrate with the reaction products in the substrate processing region.

Claims

1. A substrate processing system, the substrate processing system comprising:

a first gas inlet;

a pedestal configured to support a substrate;

a showerhead positioned between the first gas inlet and the pedestal, the showerhead comprising an electrically conductive plate defining a first plurality of openings, the showerhead further defining a plurality of apertures;

a partition positioned between the pedestal and the showerhead, the partition defining a second plurality of openings;

a second gas inlet positioned at the showerhead and configured to provide a precursor that flows through the plurality of apertures of the showerhead before entering a region defined between the partition and the showerhead;

a plasma region defined between the first gas inlet and the showerhead;

a substrate processing region defined between the partition and the pedestal; and

a power supply configured to strike plasma in the plasma region defined between the first gas inlet and the showerhead while maintaining plasma-free the substrate processing region and the region defined between the partition and the showerhead.

2. The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of gas outlets defined along internal walls of the substrate processing system between the partition and the pedestal.

3. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the partition is disposed about 2,500 to 3,000 mils from the showerhead.

4. The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising an ion suppressor comprising a third plurality of openings, the ion suppressor positioned between the showerhead and the first gas inlet.

5. The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a faceplate defining the first gas inlet; and

a power supply, wherein the power supply is configured to deliver RF power to the faceplate relative to the showerhead to strike a plasma discharge.

6. The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a pump, and

a gas outlet connecting the substrate processing region to the pump, wherein the gas outlet is positioned radially external to the pedestal along an interior wall of the substrate processing system.

7. The substrate processing system of claim 6, wherein the gas outlet is the exclusive gas outlet of the substrate processing system.

8. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the second gas inlet is positioned to fluidly isolate a gas flowing through the second gas inlet from accessing the plasma region.

9. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein:

the showerhead has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface,

the first surface faces the partition, and

the pedestal is disposed from 1,000 to 4,000 mils from the first surface.

10. The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first gas source, and

a second gas source, wherein;

the first gas inlet is configured to receive a first gas from the first gas source, and

the second gas inlet is configured to receive a second gas different from the first gas from the second gas source and to deliver the second gas to a substantially plasma-free region.

11. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein:

the showerhead defines a plurality of apertures,

the plurality of apertures open into a substantially plasma-free region, and

the plurality of apertures do not open into the plasma region.

12. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the substrate processing system does not comprise a gas inlet configured to deliver a gas directly into the substrate processing region.

13. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the substrate processing system does not comprise a gas outlet disposed between the partition and the pedestal.

14. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein:

each opening of the first plurality of openings is cylindrical and has a first diameter,

each opening of the second plurality of openings is cylindrical and has a second diameter, and

the first diameter is equal to the second diameter.

15. A plasma processing system, the plasma processing system comprising:

a first gas inlet;

a pedestal configured to support a substrate;

a showerhead positioned between the first gas inlet and the pedestal, the showerhead comprising an electrically conductive plate defining a first plurality of openings and a plurality of apertures;

a partition positioned between the pedestal and the showerhead, the partition defining a second plurality of openings, and wherein a region is defined between the showerhead and the partition;

an ion suppressor comprising a third plurality of openings, the ion suppressor positioned between the showerhead and the first gas inlet;

a second gas inlet positioned to deliver a precursor within the showerhead and through the plurality of apertures of the showerhead before entering the region defined between the showerhead and the partition ;

a plasma region defined between the first gas inlet and the showerhead;

a substrate processing region defined between the partition and the pedestal; and

a power supply configured to strike a plasma discharge in the plasma region while maintaining the substrate processing region and the region defined between the showerhead and the partition substantially plasma free.

16. The plasma processing system of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of gas outlets positioned along a chamber wall between the partition and the pedestal.

17. The plasma processing system of claim 15, further comprising a gas outlet positioned between the pedestal and the partition.

18. The plasma processing system of claim 17, wherein the gas outlet is the exclusive gas outlet of the plasma processing system.

19. The plasma processing system of claim 15, wherein the plasma processing system does not comprise a gas inlet configured to deliver a gas directly into the substrate processing region.

20. The plasma processing system of claim 15, wherein:

each opening of the first plurality of openings is cylindrical and has a first diameter,

each opening of the second plurality of openings is cylindrical and has a second diameter, and

the first diameter is equal to the second diameter.