In-situ barc and nitride etch process

• US 5,972,796 A
• Filed: 12/10/1997
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Fishburn, Fred D., Kaida, Masahiro, Lassister, Tom, Yang, Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Utech, Benjamin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vinh, Lan
• Application Number:
  US08/988,049
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 438/706, 438/710, 438/724, 438/725, 438/744, 438/737
• US Class Current: 438/706
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31116 by dry-etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31138 by dry-etching

Abstract

A method for etching a semiconductor device (10) having BARC layer (22) and nitride layer (20) includes etching BARC layer (22) until reaching a first set point in the fabrication reaction chamber and then etching nitride layer (20) in-situ the fabrication reaction chamber immediately following etching BARC layer (22).

Claims

1. A method for etching a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:

placing a semiconductor device in a fabrication reactor chamber, said semiconductor device comprising a BARC layer and a nitride layer;

etching a portion of said BARC layer substrate until reaching a first set point in the fabrication reactor; and

etching a portion of said nitride layer semiconductor substrate in-situ said fabrication reactor immediately following said step for performing said BARC layer etching step.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of etching said BARC layer at a power of approximately 400 watts and said nitride etch process performing step occurs at a power of approximately 250 watts, further performing said BARC layer etching step and said nitride layer etching step at a pressure of approximately 55 militorr.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of performing said BARC layer etching step using the gases of CF₄, CHF₃, O₂ and Argon.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of performing said nitride layer etching step using the gases of CHF₃, O₂, and Argon.