ALE smoothness: in and outside semiconductor industry

• US 9,984,858 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Kanarik, Keren Jacobs, Tan, Samantha, Lill, Thorsten, Shen, Meihua, Pan, Yang, Marks, Jeffrey, Wise, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): OLSEN, ALLAN W
• Application Number:
  US15/253,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20170069462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 4/00 Processes for removing metallic material from surfaces, not provided for in group C23F1/00 or C23F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/22 Masks or mask blanks for imaging by radiation of 100nm or shorter wavelength, e.g. X-ray masks, extreme ultraviolet [EUV] masks; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/60 Substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/334 Etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/302 to change their surface-physical characteristics or shape, e.g. etching, polishing, cutting
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/30621 Vapour phase etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3065 Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3105 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31122 of layers not containing Si, e.g. PZT, Al2O3
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/321 After treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/32136 using plasmas

Abstract

Methods of etching and smoothening films by exposing to a halogen-containing plasma and an inert plasma within a bias window in cycles are provided. Methods are suitable for etching and smoothening films of various materials in the semiconductor industry and are also applicable to applications in optics and other industries.

Claims

1. A method of etching and smoothening a substrate surface, the method comprising:

exposing a substrate surface to a reactant and igniting a first plasma to modify a layer of the surface; and

exposing the modified layer to an inert gas and igniting a second plasma at a bias and for a duration sufficient to remove the modified layer without sputtering,

wherein the substrate surface after removing the modified layer is smoother than the substrate surface before exposing the substrate surface to the reactant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate surface comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum gallium nitride, silicon, gallium nitride, tungsten, and cobalt.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactant is a halogen-containing reactant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate surface comprises amorphous carbon and the reactant is oxygen.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactant is a boron-containing halide.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactant is a combination of chlorine and boron trichloride.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the inert gas is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, neon, helium, and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the substrate surface comprises germanium and the bias is between about 20 V_b and about 35 V_b.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the substrate surface comprises silicon and the bias is between about 35 V_b and about 65 V_b.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the substrate surface comprises gallium nitride and the bias is between about 50 V_b and about 100 V_b.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the substrate surface comprises tungsten and the bias is between about 70 V_b and about 80 V_b.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the bias is less than about 100 V_b.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating exposing the substrate surface to the reactant and exposing the modified layer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a process chamber housing a substrate comprising the substrate surface is purged after exposing the substrate surface to the reactant and before exposing the modified layer.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein roughness of the substrate surface before exposing the substrate surface to the reactant is about 100 nm.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate surface is on a substrate comprising a reflective, multi-layer film used as a mask for ultraviolet lithography.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein ions generated in the second plasma are directed towards the substrate surface at an angle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the ions are generated from a rotating component.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate surface is smoothened to decrease surface area of the substrate surface and reduce reactivity in medical applications.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate surface is smoothened to form a smoothened surface for use in precision optics for space or military applications.