Method for anisotropic etching conductive film

• US 5,719,068 A
• Filed: 11/22/1995
• Issued: 02/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzawa, Hideomi, Takemura, Yasuhiko, Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Breneman, R. Bruce
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOUDREAU, GEORGE A
• Application Number:
  US08/562,270
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 156/643.1, 156/646.1, 156/662.1, 156/656.1, 216/63, 216/74, 437/44
• US Class Current: 438/304
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3137 Plasma-assisted co-operation
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/32137 of silicon-containing layers

Abstract

In producing a semiconductor device having GOLD structure, a conductive film containing mainly silicon, tungsten, or/and molybdenum is etched by anisotropic etching using halogen fluoride (such as ClF, ClF₃, BrF, BrF₃, IF, and IF₃) as an etching gas, without producing plasma. In this anisotropic etching, a chamber is maintained to obtain a high vacuum state. Molecular beams of halogen fluoride generated by an evaporator is irradiated into the substrate in a vertical direction (right angle) substantially to the substrate, in order to increase the degree of vertical etching to the substrate than that of horizontal etching. The halogen fluoride are excited by using the RF coil and the RF power source to promote etching.

Claims

1. An anisotropic etching method comprising the steps of:

producing a molecular beam of halogen fluoride in a chamber; and

irradiating the molecular beam of halogen fluoride in a substantially perpendicular direction to a substrate on which a conductive film is formed to give priority to etching of the conductive film in a vertical direction,

wherein the molecular beam of the halogen fluoride is excited by RF.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the conductive film includes one of silicon, tungsten, and molybdenum at 95% or more of a composition.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the halogen fluoride includes one of ClF, ClF₃, BrF, BrF₃, IF, and IF₃.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the conductive film includes one of tungsten silicide and molybdenum silicide.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is rotated during anisotropic etching.

6. An etching method comprising the step of anisotropically etching a conductive film by using a halogen fluoride as an etching gas, wherein the anisotropic etching step including the steps of,

producing a molecular beam of halogen fluoride, and

irradiating the molecular beam of halogen fluoride in a direction substantially perpendicular to a substrate on which a conductive fill is formed,

wherein the molecular beam of the halogen fluoride is excited by RF.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the conductive film includes one of silicon, tungsten, and molybdenum at 95% or more of a composition.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the halogen fluoride includes one of ClF, ClF₃, BrF, BrF₃, IF, and IF₃.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the conductive film includes one of tungsten silicide and molybdenum silicide.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the substrate is rotated during anisotropic etching.

11. An etching method comprising the steps of:

forming a conductive fill on a substrate;

placing in a chamber the substrate on which the conductive film is formed;

obtaining a vacuum state in the chamber;

jetting out halogen fluoride to produce a molecular beam of the halogen fluoride in the chamber which is in the vacuum state; and

irradiating the molecular beam of the halogen fluoride in a direction substantially perpendicular to the substrate to anisotropically etch the conductive film,

wherein the molecular beam of the halogen fluoride is excited by RF.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the conductive film includes one of silicon, tungsten, and molybdenum at 95% or more of a composition.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the halogen fluoride includes one of ClF, ClF₃, BrF, BrF₃, IF, and IF₃.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the conductive film includes one of tungsten silicide and molybdenum silicide.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the substrate is rotated during anisotropic etching.

16. An etching method comprising the steps of:

producing a molecular beam of halogen fluoride in a chamber; and

irradiating the molecular beam of halogen fluoride in a direction substantially perpendicular to a substrate on which a conductive film is formed to give priority to etching of the conductive film in a vertical direction, so that the conductive film is anisotropically-etched without producing plasma,

wherein the molecular beam of the halogen fluoride is excited by RF.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the conductive film includes on of silicon, tungsten, and molybdenum at 95% or more of a composition.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the halogen fluoride includes one of ClF, ClF₃, BrF, BrF₃, IF, and IF₃.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the conductive film includes one of tungsten silicide and molybdenum silicide.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the substrate is rotated during anisotropic etching.

21. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

preparing a semiconductor layer;

forming a gate insulating film on the semiconductor layer;

forming a gate electrode on said gate insulating film, said gate electrode having a pair of side faces;

performing a first ion introduction into first portions of said semiconductor layer with said gate electrode used as a first mask to form a first pair of impurity regions;

forming a conductive film over said semiconductor layer and said gate electrode;

performing an anisotropic etching of said conductive film to form a pair of side wall spacers on the side faces of said gate electrode; and

performing a second ion introduction into second portions of said semiconductor layer with said gate electrode and said side wall spacers used as a second mask to form a second pair of impurity regions,

wherein said anisotropic etching is performed by directing a molecular beam of halogen fluoride toward said conductive film in a direction perpendicular to said semiconductor layer.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said first pair of impurity regions have a same conductivity type as said second pair of impurity regions.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein phosphorous ions are introduced by said first ion introduction.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein arsenic ions are introduced by said second ion introduction.

25. The method claim 21 wherein said first pair of impurity regions are doped with a smaller concentration of ions than said second pair of impurity regions.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein said halogen fluoride is selected from the group consisting of ClF, ClF₃, BrF, BrF₃, IF and IF₃.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein said conductive film comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicon, tungsten and molybdenum.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein said molecular beam of said halogen fluoride is excited by RF.