Controlled polymerization on plasma reactor wall
First Claim
1. An integrated plasma etch process performed in a single etching reactor, comprising a plurality of etching cycles for processing sequential ones of a plurality of production substrates disposable on a pedestal adjacent a processing space of said reactor, wherein a side portion of said reactor surrounds said processing space, each etching cycle of said process comprising the following steps performed in the stated order of:
- while no production substrate is disposed on said pedestal, depositing from a first gas mixture admitted into said chamber a first polymeric coating onto said side portion;
loading a sequential one of said plurality of production substrates onto said pedestal in said reactor adjacent said processing space;
etching said sequential one of said plurality of production substrates in an etching process that deposits a second polymeric coating onto said side portion, wherein said etching step includesa first etching substep in which a third polymeric coating, which is at least a part of the second polymeric coating, is deposited onto said side portion, anda second and subsequent etching substep in which said third polymeric coating is etched from said side portion;
unloading said sequential one of said plurality of production substrates from said pedestal; and
while no production substrate is disposed on said pedestal, cleaning said side portion of said reactor such that said second polymeric coating is removed from said side portion.
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Abstract
An integrated etch process, for example as used for etching an anti-reflection layer and an underlying aluminum layer, in which the chamber wall polymerization is controlled by coating polymer onto the sidewall by a plasma deposition process prior to inserting the wafer into the chamber, etching the structure, and after removing the wafer from the chamber, plasma cleaning the polymer from the chamber wall. The process is process is particularly useful when the etching is performed in a multi-step process and the polymer is used for passivating the etched structure, for example, a sidewall in an etched structure and in which the first etching step deposits polymer and the second etching step removes polymer. The controlled polymerization eliminates interactions of the etching with the chamber wall material, produces repeatable results between wafers, and eliminates in the etching plasma instabilities associated with changing wall conditions.
37 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An integrated plasma etch process performed in a single etching reactor, comprising a plurality of etching cycles for processing sequential ones of a plurality of production substrates disposable on a pedestal adjacent a processing space of said reactor, wherein a side portion of said reactor surrounds said processing space, each etching cycle of said process comprising the following steps performed in the stated order of:
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while no production substrate is disposed on said pedestal, depositing from a first gas mixture admitted into said chamber a first polymeric coating onto said side portion; loading a sequential one of said plurality of production substrates onto said pedestal in said reactor adjacent said processing space; etching said sequential one of said plurality of production substrates in an etching process that deposits a second polymeric coating onto said side portion, wherein said etching step includes a first etching substep in which a third polymeric coating, which is at least a part of the second polymeric coating, is deposited onto said side portion, and a second and subsequent etching substep in which said third polymeric coating is etched from said side portion; unloading said sequential one of said plurality of production substrates from said pedestal; and while no production substrate is disposed on said pedestal, cleaning said side portion of said reactor such that said second polymeric coating is removed from said side portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An integrated silicon etch process, comprising the steps performed in a plasma reactor for each of a plurality of sequentially processed production wafers:
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depositing from a plasma of a first gas mixture including CF4 and HBr a first polymeric coating onto a part of said reactor; a first etching step of etching a first layer overlying a silicon layer in one of said production wafers with a plasma of a second gas mixture, said first etching step causing a second polymeric coating to deposit on said part; a second etching step of etching said silicon layer with a plasma of a third gas mixture comprising bromine; and cleaning said part with a plasma of a fourth gas mixture comprising oxygen. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification