Method and apparatus of etching a clean trench in a semiconductor material

• US 5,512,130 A
• Filed: 03/09/1994
• Issued: 04/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: VanMeurs, Richard P., Frank, James G., Barna, Gabriel G., Carter, Duane E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breneman, R. Bruce
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOUDREAU, GEORGE A
• Application Number:
  US08/209,750
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 156/643, 156/646, 156/662, 156/345, 156/65 D, 156/651, 156/653, 216/67
• US Class Current: 438/714
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3347 bottom of holes or trenches
• 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 37/32706 Polarising the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3065 Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching

Abstract

An etching apparatus (10) includes a process chamber (12) partially surrounded by an upper electrode (14) and a lower electrode (16). A semiconductor material (18) lies within the process chamber (12) and in contact with the lower electrode (16). The lower electrode (16) is connected to a first power supply (22) operating at a substantially high frequency and is also connected to a second power supply (24) operating at a relatively low frequency. The lower frequency of the second power supply (24) provides a degree of anisotropic control to the trench etching process performed on the semiconductor material (18). The added anisotropic control allows for the elimination of sidewall deposition enhancing materials within a plasma chemistry introduced into the process chamber (12) by a gas distributor (20). Without the requirement of a sidewall deposition enhancing material during trench etching of the semiconductor material (18), buildup of residue due to sidewall deposition does not occur within process chamber (12).

Claims

1. A method of etching in a semiconductor material, comprising the steps of:

providing a process chamber and placing said semiconductor material on a first electrode in said process chamber;

applying a first power supply to said first electrode of said process chamber at a first power level, the first power supply operating at a first frequency;

simultaneously applying a second power supply to said first electrode at a second power level, the second power supply operating at a second frequency;

introducing a plasma chemistry within the process chamber to selectively etch the semiconductor material;

allowing said plasma chemistry to etch said semiconductor material for a predetermined time period while said first and second power supplies are applied;

subsequently applying said first power supply operating at said first frequency at a third power output level, said third power output level being lower than said first power level;

simultaneously applying said second power supply operating at said second frequency at a fourth power output level which is higher than said second power output level; and

allowing said plasma chemistry to etch said semiconductor material for a second predetermined time period while said first and second power supplies are applied at said third and fourth power output levels, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma chemistry contains materials that do not produce a buildup of sidewall deposition on one or more trenches formed in said semiconductor material by said selective etching or residue within the process chamber.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency is substantially greater than the second frequency to provide anisotropic control of the etching of said semiconductor material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second frequency generates higher ion energies and higher sheath fields as compared to the first frequency.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the plasma chemistry includes hydrogen bromide and boron trichloride.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the plasma chemistry includes chlorine to enhance the etching rate.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

placing the selectively etched semiconductor material in a solution to remove any sidewall deposit buildup in the one or more trenches formed in the semiconductor material.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said solution includes hydrogen and fluorine.

9. A method of etching a semiconductor material within a process chamber, comprising the steps of:

providing an electrode within said process chamber which supports the semiconductor material;

executing the first part of a two part process on said semiconductor material for a first predetermined time period, wherein the first part comprises the steps of;

(a) applying a first power supply at a first predetermined level to said electrode of a process chamber, the first power supply operating at a first frequency;

(b) simultaneously applying a second power supply to the electrode at a second power output level, the second power supply operating at a second frequency, the first frequency being substantially greater than the second frequency to provide anisotropic control of the trench etching; and

(c) introducing a plasma chemistry within the process chamber to selectively etch said semiconductor material, the plasma chemistry containing materials that do not produce a buildup of sidewall deposition on areas etched away within said semiconductor material or residue within the process chamber; and

subsequently executing the second part of said two part process on said semiconductor material for a second predetermined time period, wherein said second part comprises the steps of;

(d) applying said first power supply operating at said first frequency at a third power level;

(e) applying said second power supply operating at said second frequency at a fourth power level; and

(f) etching said semiconductor material a second time by exciting said plasma chemistry with the energies from said first and second power supplies.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said first power output level is at least ten times said second power output level.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the plasma chemistry contains materials that do not include nitrogen or oxygen.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first frequency is at least a factor of 100 greater than the second frequency.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

varying an amount of power applied by the first and second power supplies to control an etch rate for the selective etch of said semiconductor material.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said third power output level is less than said first power output level.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said fourth power output level is less than said third power output level.

16. A method of etching a semiconductor material within a process chamber, comprising the steps of:

providing a process chamber having at least one electrode, said semiconductor material being placed on said electrode;

providing a plasma chemistry within said process chamber, said plasma chemistry comprising hydrogen bromide and boron trichloride;

executing a three part etching process, wherein the first part comprises the steps of;

(a) applying a high frequency power supply to said electrode at a first power output level;

(b) simultaneously applying a low frequency power supply to said electrode at a second power output level; and

(c) allowing said plasma chemistry to etch said semiconductor material while being excited by said high and low frequency power supplies for a predetermined time period;

subsequently executing the second part of said three part process, wherein said second part comprises the steps of;

(d) adding chlorine to said plasma chemistry;

(e) applying said high frequency power supply to said electrode at said first power output level;

(f) simultaneously applying said low frequency power supply to said electrode at said second power output level; and

(g) allowing said plasma chemistry to etch said semiconductor material while being excited by said high and low frequency power supplies for a second predetermined time period; and

subsequently executing the third part of said three part process, wherein said third part comprises the steps of;

(h) removing the hydrogen bromide from said plasma chemistry;

(i) applying said high frequency power supply to said electrode at a third power output level;

(j) simultaneously applying said low frequency power supply to said electrode at fourth power output level; and

(k) allowing the plasma chemistry to etch the semiconductor material while being excited by said high and low frequency signals for a third predetermined time period.