Thin film etching method and semiconductor device fabrication using same
First Claim
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1. A method for etching a thin film, the method comprising:
- providing a substrate having a thin film layer thereon;
etching the thin film layer on the substrate, while monitoring the removal of an endpoint detection layer located remotely from the substrate; and
stopping the etching when a predetermined amount of the endpoint detection layer has been removed.
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Abstract
A method for etching a thin film and fabricating a semiconductor device includes etching the thin film on a substrate, while monitoring the removal of an endpoint detection layer remotely located from the substrate, such that precise control of the thin film etching is provided by monitoring the removal of the endpoint detection layer. The endpoint detection layer is formed on a surface of an etching apparatus that is exposed to the same etching conditions as the thin film to be etched. The etching of the thin film is stopped when a predetermined amount of the endpoint detection layer has removed from the surface of the etching apparatus.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for etching a thin film, the method comprising:
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providing a substrate having a thin film layer thereon; etching the thin film layer on the substrate, while monitoring the removal of an endpoint detection layer located remotely from the substrate; and stopping the etching when a predetermined amount of the endpoint detection layer has been removed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for etching a thin film, the method comprising:
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providing a plasma etching apparatus having a process chamber equipped with an optical endpoint detection device; forming an optical layer on at least a portion of the process chamber; placing a device substrate having the thin film thereon in the process chamber and etching the thin film, while monitoring the optical layer with the endpoint detection device; and terminating the etching upon command from the endpoint detection device. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
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forming a gate electrode on a gate dielectric layer overlying a substrate; forming a spacer material on the gate electrode; and placing the substrate in an etching chamber and etching the spacer material using an etching process to form sidewall spacers on sidewalls of gate electrode, wherein an endpoint of the etching process is determined by monitoring the removal of a material layer from a surface of the etching chamber. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method for controlling the etching a thin film having a predetermined thickness, the method comprising:
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forming an endpoint detection layer on at least a portion of an inner surface of a plasma etching apparatus, wherein a thickness of the endpoint detection layer is correlated with the predetermined thickness of the thin film; etching the thin film and the endpoint detection layer in the plasma etching apparatus, while monitoring the endpoint detection layer; and stopping the etching when a predetermined amount of the endpoint detection layer has been removed. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification