Method for etching tungsten

• US 4,849,067 A
• Filed: 07/16/1987
• Issued: 07/18/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Crank, Sue E., Carter, Duane E., Davis, Cecil J., Jucha, Rhett B., Jones, John I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, William A.
• Application Number:
  US07/074,411
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 156/643, 156/646, 156/656, 156/659.1, 156/662, 156/664, 252/79.1, 204/192.32, 204/192.35, 427/38, 427/39, 437/192, 437/200, 437/245, 437/228
• US Class Current: 216/75
• 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: H01L 21/32136 using plasmas

Abstract

A fluorine based metal etch chemistry, wherein an admixture of etch products (or species which are closely related to etch products) is added during the post etch stage, i.e. during the stage when the pattern has partially cleared by overetch is not yet completed, to maintain the balance of chemistries which provides selectivity and anisotropy. In a tungsten etch, WF₆ is usefully added during the post etch period to provide this loading.

Claims

1. A method for etching Tungsten on a wafer comprising:

(a) transferring a wafer into a process vacuum chamber;

(b) applying a pressure to said chamber less than ambient to maintain said chamber at less than ambient;

(c) providing a sulfur containing fluorine gas to a remote plasma chamber separated from said chamber and producing a remote plasma;

(d) providing a silicon containing fluorine gas to said remote plasma chamber separated from said chamber and producing a remote plasma;

(e) adding a bromine containing gas and a resist selectivity enhancement gas to said remote plasma chamber; and

(f) applying a radio frequency signal across two electrodes one of which is adjacent to the wafer and causing a plasma to be formed whose dark space is in the vicinity of the surface of the slice;

(g) flowing the gas mixture over said wafer; and

(h) flowing tungsten and fluorine gas in addition to the gas mixture over said wafer disposed within said chamber during the overetch period.

2. A method for etching tungsten on a wafer comprising:

(a) disposing said wafer into a process chamber at low pressure;

(b) generating a remote plasma from a sulfur containing fluorine gas, silicon containing fluorine gas, a source of bromine, and a resist selectivity enhancement gas;

(c) introducing said remote plasma into said chamber to a face of said wafer;

(d) generating an in situ plasma with said chamber; and

(e) introducing a tungsten and fluorine gas in addition to said remote plasma into said chamber during an overetch period.