Apparatus for etching high aspect ratio features

• US 8,475,625 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2006
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Pamarthy, Sharma, Dao, Huutri, Zhou, Xiaoping, McDonough, Kelly A., Dinev, Jivko, Abooameri, Farid, He, Jim Zhongyi, Dietz, Jeffrey William, Scanlan, Declan, Deshmukh, Subhash, Holland, John P., Paterson, Alexander, Gutierrez, David E., Clark, Robert S., Koosau, Dennis M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lund, Jeffrie R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chandra, Satish
• Application Number:
  US11/381,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20070256785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,617 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345.33, 156/345.24, 118/715, 438/689
• US Class Current: 156/345.33
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3347 bottom of holes or trenches
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3266 Magnetic control means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32706 Polarising the substrate

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus, such as a processing chamber, suitable for etching high aspect ratio features. Other embodiments include a showerhead assembly for use in the processing chamber. In one embodiment, a processing chamber includes a chamber body having a showerhead assembly and substrate support disposed therein. The showerhead assembly includes at least two fluidly isolated plenums, a region transmissive to an optical metrology signal, and a plurality of gas passages formed through the showerhead assembly fluidly coupling the plenums to the interior volume of the chamber body.

Claims

1. A processing chamber comprising:

a chamber body assembly having an interior volume;

a showerhead assembly coupled to a ceiling of the chamber body and having at least two fluidly isolated plenums formed therein, a region transmissive to an optical metrology signal defined through a ceramic plug, a first plurality of gas passages formed through the showerhead assembly fluidly coupling a first plenum of the at least two fluidly isolated plenums to the interior volume of the chamber body, wherein the first gas passages are distributed at a plurality radial distances from a center of the showerhead assembly, and a second plurality of gas passages formed through the showerhead assembly fluidly coupling a second plenum of the at least two fluidly isolated plenums to the interior volume of the chamber body, wherein the second gas passages are distributed at a plurality radial distances from the center of the showerhead assembly, wherein the showerhead assembly further includes a gas distribution plate facing the substrate support assembly fabricated from bulk Yttrium, the gas distribution plate having a plurality of apertures aligned with a plurality of apertures formed in the ceramic plug; and

a substrate support assembly disposed in the chamber body.

2. The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the substrate support assembly further comprises:

an electrostatic chuck; and

a thermal regulating plate disposed below the electrostatic chuck and having at least two independently controllable temperature zones.

3. The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein at least two of the independently controllable temperature zones are laterally spaced.

4. The processing chamber of claim 1 further comprising:

a liner isolating sides of the substrate support assembly from the interior volume of the chamber body, the liner having an upper larger diameter section and a lower smaller diameter section.

5. The processing chamber of claim 4, wherein the liner comprises Yttrium.

6. The processing chamber of claim 4, wherein the liner comprises Y₂O₃.

7. The processing chamber of claim 4 further comprising:

a cover ring disposed on the substrate support assembly and having two downwardly oriented ridges defining a slot capturing an upper end of the liner.

8. The processing chamber of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of plasma power sources coupled to the substrate support assembly.

9. The processing chamber of claim 8, further comprising:

a plurality of magnets disposed around the chamber body.

10. The processing chamber of claim 1 further comprising:

a gas panel having a plurality of gas sources coupled to a mixing manifold, the mixing manifold fluidly coupled to the plenums of the showerhead assembly; and

a least one direct injection gas fluidly coupled to at least one of the plenums and bypassing the mixing manifold.

11. The processing chamber of claim 1 further comprising:

a mixing manifold;

a plurality of first gas sources coupled to the mixing manifold;

a flow controller fluidly coupled between the mixing manifold and the plenums of the showerhead assembly, the flow controller configured to control the ratio of gas flow to the plenums.

12. The processing chamber of claim 11 further comprising:

a least one direct injection gas fluidly coupled to at least one of the plenums and bypassing the mixing manifold.

13. The processing chamber of claim 11, wherein the showerhead assembly further comprises:

a gas distribution plate facing the substrate support assembly fabricated from bulk Yttrium.

14. A processing chamber comprising:

a chamber body assembly having an interior volume;

a showerhead assembly coupled to a ceiling of the chamber body and having an inner gas flow plenum and an outer gas flow plenum, the plenums being fluidly isolated, and a region transmissive to an optical metrology signal, the transmissive region comprising a ceramic plug having a plurality of apertures, the showerhead assembly further comprising a gas distribution plate having a plurality of apertures aligned with the apertures formed in the ceramic plug;

a substrate support assembly disposed in the chamber body and having at least two independently controllable laterally spaced temperature zones;

an optical metrology system arranged to view the interior volume of the chamber body through the plurality of apertures of the ceramic plug and the plurality of apertures of the gas distribution plate of the showerhead assembly;

a bias power source coupled to the substrate support assembly;

at least two plasma power sources coupled to the substrate support assembly;

a gas panel having a plurality of gas sources coupled to a mixing manifold, the mixing manifold fluidly coupled to the plenums of the showerhead assembly; and

a least one direct injection gas source fluidly coupled to at least one of the plenums and bypassing the mixing manifold.

15. The processing chamber of claim 14 further comprising:

a wall liner isolating an interior wall of the chamber body from the interior volume; and

an inner liner isolating sides of the substrate support assembly from the interior volume, wherein the liners are formed from, or coated with, Yttrium, a Yttrium alloy or an oxide of Yttrium.

16. The processing chamber of claim 15 further comprising:

a ceramic cover ring disposed on the substrate support assembly and having two downwardly oriented ridges defining a slot capturing an upper end of the inner liner.

17. The processing chamber of claim 14 further comprising:

a flow controller fluidly coupled between the mixing manifold fluidly and the plenums of the showerhead assembly, the flow controller configured to control the ratio of gas flow to the zone.

18. The processing chamber of claim 17 wherein the at least one direct injection gas source is only coupled to at least one of the plenums between the flow controller and the showerhead assembly, bypassing the mixing manifold.

19. The processing chamber of claim 14, wherein the showerhead assembly further comprises:

a plurality of showerhead plates having the plenums defined therein;

wherein the gas distribution plate faces the substrate support assembly and fabricated from bulk Yttrium; and

wherein the ceramic plug is disposed through the center of at least one of the showerhead plates and having the transmissive region defined therein.

20. A processing chamber comprising:

a chamber body assembly having an interior volume;

a gas distribution plate disposed in the interior volume and having a lower side and an upper side, the gas distribution plate having an outer set of gas flow holes, and inner set of gas flow holes, and a set of optical metrology holes;

an inner gas flow zone fluidly coupled to the interior volume through the first set of gas flow holes;

an outer gas flow zone fluidly isolated from the inner zone and coupled to the interior volume through the second set of gas flow holes;

a ceramic plug disposed on the upper side of the gas distribution plate and having a plurality of holes aligned with the optical metrology holes;

a window aligned with the plug;

a substrate support assembly disposed in the chamber body and having at least two independently controllable laterally spaced temperature zones, the substrate support assembly facing the lower side of the gas distribution plate;

an optical metrology system arranged to view the interior volume of the chamber body through an optical passage defined by the window, the holes in the plug and optical metrology holes;

a bias power source coupled to the substrate support assembly; and

at least two plasma power sources coupled to the substrate support assembly.

21. The processing chamber of claim 20, wherein the gas distribution plate comprises Yttrium.

22. The processing chamber of claim 20, wherein the gas distribution plate comprises Y₂O₃.