INORGANIC RAPID ALTERNATING PROCESS FOR SILICON ETCH
First Claim
1. A method for etching features into a silicon substrate disposed below a mask in a plasma processing chamber, comprising:
- etching the silicon substrate through the mask comprising a plurality of cycles, wherein each cycle comprises;
a sidewall inorganic deposition phase, comprisingproviding a flow of sidewall deposition phase gas comprising a silicon containing compound gas and at least one of oxygen, nitrogen or NOx, wherein x=1, 2 into the plasma processing chamber;
forming a plasma from the sidewall deposition phase gas in the plasma processing chamber; and
stopping the flow of the sidewall deposition gas into the plasma processing chamber; and
an etch phase, comprising;
providing a flow of an etching gas comprising a halogen component into the plasma processing chamber;
forming a plasma from the etching gas in the plasma processing chamber; and
stopping the flow of the etching gas into the plasma processing chamber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for etching features into a silicon substrate disposed below a mask in a plasma processing chamber is provided. The silicon substrate is etched through the mask comprising a plurality of cycles, wherein each cycle comprises a sidewall deposition phase and an etch phase. The sidewall deposition phase comprises providing a flow of sidewall inorganic deposition phase gas comprising a silicon containing compound gas and at least one of oxygen, nitrogen or NOx, into the plasma processing chamber, forming a plasma from the sidewall deposition phase gas in the plasma processing chamber, and stopping the flow of the sidewall deposition gas into the plasma processing chamber. The etch phase comprises, providing a flow of an etching gas comprising a halogen component, forming a plasma from the etching gas in the plasma processing chamber, and stopping the flow of the etching gas.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for etching features into a silicon substrate disposed below a mask in a plasma processing chamber, comprising:
etching the silicon substrate through the mask comprising a plurality of cycles, wherein each cycle comprises; a sidewall inorganic deposition phase, comprising providing a flow of sidewall deposition phase gas comprising a silicon containing compound gas and at least one of oxygen, nitrogen or NOx, wherein x=1, 2 into the plasma processing chamber; forming a plasma from the sidewall deposition phase gas in the plasma processing chamber; and stopping the flow of the sidewall deposition gas into the plasma processing chamber; and an etch phase, comprising; providing a flow of an etching gas comprising a halogen component into the plasma processing chamber; forming a plasma from the etching gas in the plasma processing chamber; and stopping the flow of the etching gas into the plasma processing chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- 4. The method, as recited in 3, wherein each etch phase is between 0.6 seconds and 10 seconds.
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17. A method for etching features into a silicon substrate disposed below a mask in a plasma processing chamber, comprising:
etching the silicon substrate through the mask comprising at least 10 cycles, wherein each cycle comprises; a sidewall inorganic deposition phase, comprising providing a flow of sidewall deposition phase gas comprising a silane gas and at least one of oxygen, nitrogen or NOx, wherein x=1, 2 into the plasma processing chamber; forming a plasma from the sidewall deposition phase gas in the plasma processing chamber; and stopping the flow of the sidewall deposition gas into the plasma processing chamber; and an etch phase, comprising; providing a flow of an etching gas comprising SF6 into the plasma processing chamber; forming a plasma from the etching gas in the plasma processing chamber; and stopping the flow of the etching gas into the plasma processing chamber. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. An apparatus for selectively etching a silicon nitride layer with respect to a silicon oxide based layer over a substrate, comprising:
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a plasma processing chamber, comprising; a chamber wall forming a plasma processing chamber enclosure; a substrate support for supporting a wafer within the plasma processing chamber enclosure; a pressure regulator for regulating the pressure in the plasma processing chamber enclosure; at least one electrode for providing power to the plasma processing chamber enclosure for sustaining a plasma; a gas inlet for providing gas into the plasma processing chamber enclosure; and a gas outlet for exhausting gas from the plasma processing chamber enclosure; a gas source in fluid connection with the gas inlet, comprising; a silicon containing compound gas source; an oxygen, nitrogen, or NOx gas source; and a halogen component gas source; and a controller controllably connected to the gas source and the at least one electrode, comprising; at least one processor; and computer readable media, comprising; computer readable code for etching the silicon substrate through the mask comprising a plurality of cycles, wherein each cycle comprises; computer readable code for providing a sidewall deposition phase, comprising computer readable code for providing a flow of sidewall deposition phase gas comprising a silicon containing compound gas from the silicon containing compound gas source and at least one of oxygen, nitrogen or NOx, wherein x=1, 2 from the oxygen, nitrogen or NO gas source into the plasma processing chamber; computer readable code for forming a plasma from the sidewall deposition phase gas in the plasma processing chamber; and computer readable code for stopping the flow of the sidewall deposition gas into the plasma processing chamber; and computer readable cod for providing an etch phase, comprising; computer readable code for providing a flow of an etching gas comprising a halogen component into the plasma processing chamber from the halogen component gas source; computer readable code for forming a plasma from the etching gas in the plasma processing chamber; and computer readable code for stopping the flow of the etching gas into the plasma processing chamber.
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Specification