Plasma processing method and plasma processing apparatus

• US 20060223317A1
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Kubota, Kazuhiro, Hori, Masaru
• Granted Patent: US 7,393,460 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/689
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/427 using plasma means only
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02126 the material containing Si, O, and at least one of H, N, C, F, or other non-metal elements, e.g. SiOC, SiOC:H or SiONC
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31138 by dry-etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3122 layers comprising polysiloxane compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31633 Deposition of carbon doped silicon oxide, e.g. SiOC

Abstract

The plasma processing method comprises the step of removing an organic material film forming an upper layer relative to a patterned SiOCH series film by the processing with a plasma of a process gas containing an O₂ gas, wherein the plasma has an O₂⁺ ion density not lower than 1×10¹¹ cm⁻³ and an oxygen radical density not higher than 1×10¹⁴ cm⁻³.

Claims

1. A plasma processing method, comprising:

removing an organic material film forming an upper layer relative to a patterned SiOCH series film by using a plasma of a process gas containing an O₂ gas,

wherein the plasma has an O₂⁺ ion density not lower than 1×

10¹¹ cm<sup>−

3</sup> and an oxygen radical density not higher than 1×

10¹⁴ cm<sup>−

3</sup>.

2. The plasma processing method according to claim 1, wherein the O₂⁺ ion has an energy of 0.5 to 7 eV.

3. The plasma processing method according to claim 1, wherein the process pressure is set at 75 to 125 Pa.

4. The plasma processing method according to claim 1, wherein the process gas contains an inert gas.

5. The plasma processing method according to claim 4, wherein the inert gas is selected from the group consisting of Ar, Kr and Xe.

6. The plasma processing method according to claim 4, wherein the O₂⁺ ion is formed by the charge transfer from the ion of the inert gas within the plasma.

7. The plasma processing method according to claim 1, wherein the plasma is a down flow plasma formed by a surface wave type plasma generating means.

8. The plasma processing method according to claim 7, wherein the microwave applied to the surface wave type plasma generating means has a frequency of 500 MHz to 10 GHz.

9. The plasma processing method according to claim 8, wherein the power of the microwave per unit area is 2.0 to 5.0 W/cm².

15. The plasma processing method according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate layer is formed between the SiOCH series film and the organic material film.

10. A plasma processing method, comprising:

removing an organic material film forming an upper layer relative to a patterned SiOCH series film by the processing with a plasma of a process gas consisting of an O₂ gas and an inert gas,

wherein the flow rate ratio of the O₂ gas in the process gas is not higher than 3%, the process pressure is 75 to 125 Pa, and a microwave having a frequency of 500 MHz to 10 GHz is applied to a surface wave type plasma generating means with the power per unit area of the microwave set at 2.0 to 5.0 W/cm².

16. The plasma processing method according to claim 10, wherein an intermediate layer is formed between the SiOCH series film and the organic material film.

11. A plasma processing method, comprising:

removing an organic material film forming an upper layer relative to a patterned SiOCH series film by the processing with a plasma of a process gas consisting of an O₂ gas and an inert gas by using a surface wave type plasma processing apparatus in which a microwave is introduced by using a slot antenna into a process chamber so as to permit the surface wave to be propagated, thereby generating plasma;

wherein the surface wave type plasma processing apparatus comprises a measuring section for measuring the plasma parameter of the plasma within the process chamber, and the plasma parameter is measured by the measuring section so as to carry out the plasma processing while monitoring the plasma parameter.

12. The plasma processing method according to claim 11, wherein the process conditions are controlled based on the values of the plasma parameters within the plasma that have been measured by the measuring section.

13. The plasma processing method according to claim 12, wherein the process conditions include at least one condition selected from the group consisting of the flow rate ratio of the O₂ gas contained in the process gas, the process pressure and the power of the microwave.

14. The plasma processing method according to claim 11, wherein the plasma parameter includes the oxygen radical density, the ion density or the electron density in the plasma.

17. The plasma processing method according to claim 11, wherein an intermediate layer is formed between the SiOCH series film and the organic material film.

18. A control program that, when executed, works a computer to control a plasma processing apparatus using a plasma processing method, the method comprising:

removing an organic material film forming an upper layer relative to a patterned SiOCH series film by using a plasma of a process gas containing an O₂ gas, wherein the plasma has an O₂⁺ ion density not lower than 1×

10¹¹ cm<sup>−

3</sup> and an oxygen radical density not higher than 1×

10¹⁴ cm<sup>−

3</sup>.

19. A computer readable storage medium containing a software that, when executed, works a computer to control a plasma processing apparatus using a plasma processing method, the method comprising:

removing an organic material film forming an upper layer relative to a patterned SiOCH series film by using a plasma of a process gas containing an O₂ gas,

wherein the plasma has an O₂⁺ ion density not lower than 1×

10¹¹ cm<sup>−

3</sup> and an oxygen radical density not higher than 1×

10¹⁴ cm<sup>−

3</sup>.

20. A plasma processing apparatus in which a microwave is introduced by a slot antenna into a process chamber so as to propagate a surface wave, thereby generating a plasma, the apparatus comprising:

a control section for controlling the plasma processing apparatus so as to carry out within the process chamber a plasma processing method comprising the step of removing an organic material film forming an upper layer relative to a patterned SiOCH series film by using a plasma of a process gas containing an O₂ gas, wherein the plasma has an O₂⁺ ion density not lower than 1×

10 ¹¹ cm<sup>−

3</sup> and an oxygen radical density not higher than 1×

10¹⁴ cm<sup>−

3</sup>.