Apparatus and method for detecting an endpoint in a vapor phase etch
First Claim
1. A method for etching a sample comprising:
- providing a sample to be etched to an etching chamber;
providing a vapor phase etchant through the chamber to etch the sample, the vapor phase etchant capable of etching the sample in a non-energized state, wherein the etchant is selected from the group consisting of noble gas fluorides and halogen fluorides;
wherein the etchant is mixed with a non-etchant gaseous additive;
wherein a partial pressure of said etchant gas in said gas mixture is at least about 0.1 mbar, and the molar ratio of said non-etchant gaseous additive to said etchant gas is from about 1;
1 to about 500;
1;
passing the vapor phase etchant and/or etching products into and out of the etching chamber when etching the sample;
monitoring the vapor phase etchant and/or an etching product within or coming from the etching chamber,determining the end point of the etch based on the monitoring of the gas in or from the etching chamber;
wherein the sample comprises a silicon material that is part of a silicon portion that is etched relative to a non-silicon portion of the sample, said non-silicon portion consisting of a member selected from the group consisting of a non-silicon metal, a compound of a non-silicon metal, and a silicon-containing compound in which silicon is bonded to a non-silicon element; and
wherein both said silicon portion and said non-silicon portion are exposed to the etchant gas.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Processes for the removal of a layer or region from a workpiece material by contact with a process gas in the manufacture of a microstructure are enhanced by the ability to accurately determine the endpoint of the removal step. A vapor phase etchant is used to remove a material that has been deposited on a substrate, with or without other deposited structure thereon. By creating an impedance at the exit of an etching chamber (or downstream thereof), as the vapor phase etchant passes from the etching chamber, a gaseous product of the etching reaction is monitored, and the endpoint of the removal process can be determined. The vapor phase etching process can be flow through, a combination of flow through and pulse, or recirculated back to the etching chamber.
36 Citations
100 Claims
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1. A method for etching a sample comprising:
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providing a sample to be etched to an etching chamber; providing a vapor phase etchant through the chamber to etch the sample, the vapor phase etchant capable of etching the sample in a non-energized state, wherein the etchant is selected from the group consisting of noble gas fluorides and halogen fluorides;
wherein the etchant is mixed with a non-etchant gaseous additive;
wherein a partial pressure of said etchant gas in said gas mixture is at least about 0.1 mbar, and the molar ratio of said non-etchant gaseous additive to said etchant gas is from about 1;
1 to about 500;
1;passing the vapor phase etchant and/or etching products into and out of the etching chamber when etching the sample; monitoring the vapor phase etchant and/or an etching product within or coming from the etching chamber, determining the end point of the etch based on the monitoring of the gas in or from the etching chamber; wherein the sample comprises a silicon material that is part of a silicon portion that is etched relative to a non-silicon portion of the sample, said non-silicon portion consisting of a member selected from the group consisting of a non-silicon metal, a compound of a non-silicon metal, and a silicon-containing compound in which silicon is bonded to a non-silicon element; and wherein both said silicon portion and said non-silicon portion are exposed to the etchant gas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96)
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97. A method for etching a sample comprising:
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providing a sample to be etched to an etching chamber; providing a vapor phase etchant to the chamber, the vapor phase etchant being a spontaneous chemical etchant, to etch the sample, and passing unreacted vapor phase etchant and etching products out of the etching chamber during the etch, wherein the etchant is selected from the group consisting of noble gas fluorides and halogen fluorides;
wherein the etchant is mixed with a non-etchant gaseous additive;
wherein a partial pressure of said etchant gas in said gas mixture is at least about 0.1 mbar, and the molar ratio of said non-etchant gaseous additive to said etchant gas is from about 1;
1 to about 500;
1;monitoring the vapor phase etchant and/or etching product within or coming from the etching chamber dining the etch; determining the end point of the etch based on said monitoring; wherein the sample comprises a silicon material that is part of a silicon portion that is etched relative to a non-silicon portion of the sample, said non-silicon portion consisting of a member selected from the group consisting of a non-silicon metal, a compound of a non-silicon metal, and a silicon-containing compound in which silicon is bonded to a non-silicon element; and wherein both said silicon portion and said non-silicon portion are exposed to the etchant gas.
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98. A method for etching a sample, comprising:
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providing a sample to be etched to an etching chamber; providing a vapor phase etchant through the chamber to etch the sample, the vapor phase etchant capable of etching the sample in a non-energized state, wherein the etchant is selected from the group consisting of noble gas fluorides and halogen fluorides;
wherein the etchant is mixed with a non-etchant gaseous additive;
wherein a partial pressure of said etchant gas in said gas mixture is at least about 0.1 mbar, and the molar ratio of said non-etchant gaseous additive to said etchant gas is from about 1;
1 to about 500;
1;impeding the gas flow out of the etching chamber, wherein the impedance is less than infinity but greater than 0; monitoring gas component levels within or coming from the etching chamber, determining the end point of the etch based on the monitoring of the gas in or from the etching chamber; wherein the sample comprises a silicon material that is part of a silicon portion that is etched relative to a non-silicon portion of the sample, said non-silicon portion consisting of a member selected from the group consisting of a non-silicon metal, a compound of a non-silicon metal, and a silicon-containing compound in which silicon is bonded to a non-silicon element; and wherein both said silicon portion and said non-silicon portion are exposed to the etchant gas.
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99. A method for etching a sample comprising:
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providing a sample to be etched to an etching chamber; providing a vapor phase etchant through the chamber to etch the sample, the vapor phase etchant capable of etching the sample in a non-energized state, wherein the etchant is selected from the group consisting of noble gas fluorides and halogen fluorides;
wherein the etchant is mixed with a non-etchant gaseous additive;
wherein a partial pressure of said etchant gas in said gas mixture is at least about 0.1 mbar, and the molar ratio of said non-etchant gaseous additive to said etchant gas is from about 1;
1 to about 500;
1;monitoring an increase in an etch product over a period of time followed by a decrease in the etch product over a period of time; determining the end point of the etch based on the monitoring of the gas; wherein the sample comprises a silicon material that is part of a silicon portion that is etched relative to a non-silicon portion of the sample, said non-silicon portion consisting of a member selected from the group consisting of a non-silicon metal, a compound of a non-silicon metal, and a silicon-containing compound in which silicon is bonded to a non-silicon element; and wherein both said silicon portion and said non-silicon portion are exposed to the etchant gas.
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100. A method for etching a sample, comprising:
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providing a sample to be etched to an etching chamber that has an optional recirculation loop for recirculating etchant repeatedly through the etching chamber; providing a vapor phase etchant through the chamber to etch the sample, the vapor phase etchant capable of etching the sample in a non-energized state and being passed through the etching chamber or recirculation loop at a rate sufficient to cause a production of an etching product faster than an outflow of the etchant product from the etching chamber or recirculation loop; monitoring the etching product within the etching chamber or recirculation loop; determining the end point of the etch based on the monitoring of the etching product; wherein the etchant is selected from the group consisting of noble gas fluorides and halogen fluorides;
wherein the etchant is mixed with a non-etchant gaseous additive;
wherein a partial pressure of said etchant gas in said gas mixture is at least about 0.1 mbar, and the molar ratio of said non-etchant gaseous additive to said etchant gas is from about 1;
1 to about 500;
1;wherein the sample comprises a silicon material that is pan of a silicon portion that is etched relative to a non-silicon portion of the sample, said non-silicon portion consisting of a member selected from the group consisting of a non-silicon metal, a compound of a non-silicon metal, and a silicon-containing compound in which silicon is bonded to a non-silicon element; and wherein both said silicon portion and said non-silicon portion are exposed to the etchant gas.
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Specification