Thin film etching method

• US 7,935,641 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2007
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Yeon-hee, Park, Yong-young, Lee, Chang-soo, Lee, Jung-hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): EVERHART, CARIDAD
• Application Number:
  US11/984,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20080166834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 438/718, 438/742, 438/722, 216/76, 216/74, 216/75, 257/E21.033, 257/E21.222, 257/E21.486
• US Class Current: 438/742
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate

Abstract

Example methods may provide a thin film etching method. Example thin film etching methods may include forming a Ga—In—Zn—O film on a substrate, forming a mask layer covering a portion of the Ga—In—Zn—O film, and etching the Ga—In—Zn—O film using the mask layer as an etch barrier, wherein an etching gas used in the etching includes chlorine. The etching gas may further include an alkane (C_nH_2n+2) and H₂ gas. The chlorine gas may be, for example, Cl₂, BCl₃, and/or CCl₃, and the alkane gas may be, for example, CH₄.

Claims

1. A thin film etching method comprising:

etching a Ga—

In—

Zn—

O film using a mask layer as an etch barrier, the etching using an etching gas including chlorine and alkane (C_nH_2n+2).

2. The thin film etching method of claim 1, wherein the Ga—

In—

Zn—

O film is a Ga_x+yIn_x+zZn_xO film, wherein y is about 1.0 to about 1.7 and wherein z is about 1.0 to about 1.5.

3. The thin film etching method of claim 1, wherein the alkane is CH₄.

4. The thin film etching method of claim 1, wherein a partial pressure of a component including the alkane is about 30% to about 42% of a total etching gas pressure.

5. The thin film etching method of claim 1, wherein the etching gas further includes an inert gas.

6. The thin film etching method of claim 1, wherein the etching gas further includes H₂.

7. The thin film etching method of claim 1, wherein the etching is performed by at least one of an RIE method, an ME-RIE method, an ICP-RIE method, and an ECR method.

8. The thin film etching method of claim 1, wherein the etching includes applying about 400 W to about 700 W of RF power to a substrate on which the Ga—

In—

Zn—

O film is formed.

9. The thin film etching method of claim 1, wherein the etching is performed by a plasma etching method without applying RF power to the substrate.

10. The thin film etching method of claim 1, wherein the mask layer includes at least one of a photo sensitive layer, a silicon oxide layer, and a silicon nitride layer.

11. The thin film etching method of claim 1, wherein the mask layer is a photo sensitive layer hardened by ultraviolet rays.

12. The thin film etching method of claim 1, wherein the Ga—

In—

Zn—

O film is formed on a substrate by a sputtering method.

13. The thin film etching method of claim 12, wherein a target material used in the sputtering method includes at least one of In₂O₃, Ga₂O₃, and ZnO.

14. The thin film etching method of claim 1, wherein the etching gas includes a first component and a second component, the first component including at least one of Cl₂, BCl₃, and CCl₃.

15. The thin film etching method of claim 14, wherein a partial pressure of the first component is about 46% to 63% of a total etching gas pressure.

16. A thin film etching method comprising:

etching a Ga—

In—

Zn—

O film using a mask layer as an etch barrier, the etching using an etching gas including chlorine and H₂.

17. The thin film etching method of claim 16, wherein the etching gas includes a first component and a second component, the first component including at least one of Cl₂, BCl₃, and CCl₃.

18. The thin film etching method of claim 16, wherein the etching gas includes a first component and a second component, the first component including the chlorine, and the second component including an alkane (C_nH_2n+2).

19. The thin film etching method of claim 16, wherein the etching gas further includes an inert gas.