Etching Apparatus and Process with Thickness and Uniformity Control
First Claim
1. A semiconductor wafer treatment process, comprising the steps of:
- introducing a gas into a reaction chamber through a segmented shower head, independently controlling the flow of processing gas through different segments of the shower head to adjust processing rates in different areas of a wafer which correspond to the different segments, monitoring a parameter in each of the different areas, and adjusting the flow of gas through the segments in accordance with the monitored parameter.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and process for etching semiconductor wafers and the like in which a substrate is supported by a pedestal within a chamber, and at least one gas capable of etching the substrate or a film material on the substrate is introduced into the chamber through a segmented gas injection element which is separated from the substrate by a distance approximately less than its size from which the distribution of the flow or mixture of gas can be altered spatially proximate to the substrate in a controlled and variable way, for each wafer or substrate if desired, by having a varying amount or mixture of gas flow to some or all of the segments such as to cause the etching rate distribution to vary across the substrate.
310 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A semiconductor wafer treatment process, comprising the steps of:
- introducing a gas into a reaction chamber through a segmented shower head, independently controlling the flow of processing gas through different segments of the shower head to adjust processing rates in different areas of a wafer which correspond to the different segments, monitoring a parameter in each of the different areas, and adjusting the flow of gas through the segments in accordance with the monitored parameter.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
17. A process of treating a substrate in a reactor with a showerhead electrode having a plurality of interior compartments which can be individually supplied with gas and are substantially isolated from each other and are distributed within the electrode to cover a total area corresponding to and roughly covering that of the substrate, with each of interior compartments communicating with a discharge volume outside the electrode through a plurality of small holes, comprising the steps of:
- individually supplying every compartment within the electrode with processing gas such that each compartment receives a fixed proportion of the processing gas relative to the other compartments, supplying controllable amounts of gas other than the processing gas to a portion of the compartments to alter the processing rate in areas of the substrate corresponding to the compartments receiving the other gas, and energizing the electrode with RF energy to ionize the gas and produce a plasma of active species for treating the substrate.
- View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
Specification