Plasma etching termination detecting method

• US 6,541,388 B1
• Filed: 09/13/2000
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Saito, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Kunemund, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEO, DUY VU NGUYEN
• Application Number:
  US09/661,446
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 438/14, 438/15, 438/16, 438/712, 438/714, 438/719, 216/59, 216/60, 216/61
• US Class Current: 438/712
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32963 End-point detection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/32137 of silicon-containing layers

Abstract

A method detects an etching termination time point at which a to-be-processed layer formed on an underlayer is etched using plasma. Two types of light components of different wavelengths are applied to the to-be-processed layer, during plasma etching, thereby causing light to reflect from the surface of the to-be-processed layer and from a boundary between the to-be-processed layer and the underlayer, those waveforms of two reflected light components of different wavelengths and included in the reflected light, which result from interference, are detected. An approximate etching termination time point is detected on the basis of a phase difference between the detected waveforms.

Claims

1. A method of detecting an etching termination time point at which a to-be-processed layer formed on an underlayer is etched using plasma, comprising:

applying at the same time, to the to-be-processed layer, at least two types of light components of different wavelengths during plasma etching, thereby causing light to reflect from a surface of the to-be-processed layer and from a boundary between the to-be-processed layer and the underlayer;

detecting waveforms of at least two reflected light components of different wavelengths and included in the reflected light, which result from interference; and

detecting an approximate etching termination time point on the basis of a phase difference between the detected waveforms.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the phase difference is obtained from an intensity ratio between the detected waveforms.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the phase difference is obtained from a differentiation value of an intensity ratio between the detected waveforms.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, after the approximate etching termination time point is detected, an etching mode is switched from a low selective ratio mode to a high selective ratio mode.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the underlayer includes a gate oxide film, and the to-be-processed layer includes a polysilicon layer for a gate electrode.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein light is perpendicularly applied to the to-be-processed layer.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein detecting the approximate etching termination time point on the basis of the phase difference has the step of determining, as the approximate etching termination time point, a time point immediately before the phase difference becomes 0.

8. An etching termination time point detecting method comprising:

applying, to a to-be-processed dummy layer, light having a plurality of wavelengths, thereby causing light to reflect from a surface of the to-be processed dummy layer and from a boundary between the to-be-processed dummy layer and an underlayer;

detecting waveforms of at least two reflected light components of different wavelengths and included in the reflected light, which result from interference;

detecting, as an approximate etching termination time point, a time point at which a phase difference between the detected waveforms becomes 0;

setting a threshold value for detecting the approximate etching termination time point;

applying the light having the plurality of wavelengths to a to-be-processed layer included in a to-be-processed object, thereby causing light to reflect from the surface of the to-be-processed layer and from the boundary between the to-be-processed layer and an underlayer;

detecting waveforms of at least two reflected light components of different wavelengths and included in the reflected light from the to-be processed layer, which result from interference; and

sequentially calculating a phase difference between the detected waveforms, then comparing the calculation result with the threshold value, and determining the approximate etching termination time point of the to-be-processed object.

9. An etching termination time point detecting method comprising:

etching, using plasma, a to-be-processed layer on an underlayer in a low selective ratio mode in which a ratio of a rate of etching the to-be-processed layer to a rate of etching the underlayer is low;

applying at the same time, to the to-be-processed layer, at least two types of light components of different wavelengths during plasma etching, thereby causing light to reflect from a surface of the to-be-processed layer and from a boundary between the to-be-processed layer and the underlayer;

detecting waveforms of at least two reflected light components of different wavelengths and included in the reflected light, which result from interference;

detecting an approximate etching termination time point on the basis of a phase difference between the detected waveforms; and

switching, upon detecting the approximate etching termination time point, the low selective ratio mode to a high selective ratio mode, thereby etching a remaining portion of the to-be-processed layer.