Plasma etching method capable of detecting end point and plasma etching device therefor

• US 8,518,283 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPP Technologies Co., Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SPP Technologies Co., Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Takashi, Tanaka, Masahiko, Nozawa, Yoshiyuki, Murakami, Shoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Norton, Nadine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Remavege, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US12/089,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20090277872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,223 Days
• Field of Search: 216/37, 216/58, 216/59, 216/60, 216/67, 216/74, 216/79, 438/689, 438/706, 438/710, 438/719
• US Class Current: 216/60
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3343 Problems associated with etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32963 End-point detection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3065 Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/26 Acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection, in-situ thickness measurement endpoint detection arrangements in CMP apparatus B24B37/013, in discharge apparatus H01J37/32
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

The present invention relates to a plasma etching method in which a special area for detecting an end point needs not to be set and an equipment therefor. At an etching step of forming SF₆ gas into plasma to etch an etching ground on a Si film, the step is configured by two steps of: a large-amount supply step of supplying a large amount of SF₆ gas; and a small-amount supply step of supplying a small amount of SF₆ gas. An end-point detecting processor 34 measures an emission intensity of Si or SiFx in the plasma at the small-amount supply step, and determines that an etching end point is reached when the measured emission intensity becomes equal to or less than a previously set reference value.

Claims

1. A plasma etching method capable of detecting an end point in which a Si film of a silicon substrate including the Si film formed on a surface side and a lower layer film formed below the Si film is etched, the plasma etching method for etching the Si film by supplying etching gas containing SF₆ gas so that plasma is formed, wherein

at least two steps of a large-amount supply step of supplying a large amount of SF₆ gas for performing high-speed etching on the silicon substrate and a small-amount supply step at which a supply amount is reduced to supply a small amount of SF₆ gas for performing low-speed etching on the silicon substrate are repeatedly implemented,

at least an emission intensity of Si or fluorinated silicon in the plasma at the small-amount supply step is measured,

only the emission intensity measured at the small-amount supply step is used to determine whether an etching end point where the lower layer film is exposed is reached, and

when the emission intensity of Si or fluorinated silicon becomes equal to or less than a previously set reference value, a determination is made that the etching end point is reached, and a process is ended.

9. The plasma etching method capable of detecting an end point according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein at the large-amount supply step, SF₆ gas of 200 sccm or more is supplied, and at the small-amount supply step, SF₆ gas of 180 sccm or less is supplied.

2. A plasma etching method capable of detecting an end point in which a Si film of a silicon substrate including the Si film formed on a surface side and a lower layer film formed below the Si film is etched, the plasma etching method for etching the Si film by supplying etching gas containing SF₆ gas so that plasma is formed, wherein

at least two steps of a large-amount supply step of supplying a large amount of SF₆ gas for performing high-speed etching on the silicon substrate and a small-amount supply step at which a supply amount is reduced to supply a small amount of SF₆ gas for performing low-speed etching on the silicon substrate are repeatedly implemented,

at least an emission intensity of F in the plasma at the small-amount supply step is measured,

only the emission intensity measured at the small-amount supply step is used to determine whether an etching end point where the lower layer film is exposed is reached, and

when the emission intensity of F becomes equal to or more than a previously set reference value, a determination is made that the etching end point is reached, and a process is ended.

3. A plasma etching method capable of detecting an end point in which a Si film of a silicon substrate including the Si film formed on a surface side and a lower layer film formed below the Si film is etched, the plasma etching method for etching the Si film by supplying etching gas containing SF₆ gas so that plasma is formed, wherein

after a large-amount supply step of supplying a large amount of SF₆ gas for performing high-speed etching on the silicon substrate is implemented for a previously determined time, at least two steps of the large-amount supply step and a small-amount supply step at which a supply amount is reduced to supply a small amount of SF₆ gas for performing low-speed etching on the silicon substrate are repeatedly implemented,

at least an emission intensity of Si or fluorinated silicon in the plasma at the small-amount supply step is measured,

only the emission intensity measured at the small-amount supply step is used to determine whether an etching end point where the lower layer film is exposed is reached, and

when the emission intensity of Si or fluorinated silicon becomes equal to or less than a previously set reference value, a determination is made that the etching end point is reached, and a process is ended.

4. A plasma etching method capable of detecting an end point in which a Si film of a silicon substrate including the Si film formed on a surface side and a lower layer film formed below the Si film is etched, the plasma etching method for etching the Si film by supplying etching gas containing SF₆ gas so that plasma is formed, wherein

after a large-amount supply step of supplying a large amount of SF₆ gas for performing high-speed etching on the silicon substrate is implemented for a previously determined time, at least two steps of the large-amount supply step and a small-amount supply step at which a supply amount is reduced to supply a small amount of SF₆ gas for performing low-speed etching on the silicon substrate are repeatedly implemented,

at least an emission intensity of F in the plasma at the small-amount supply step is measured,

only the emission intensity measured at the small-amount supply step is used to determine whether an etching end point where the lower layer film is exposed is reached, and

when the emission intensity of F becomes equal to or more than a previously set reference value, a determination is made that the etching end point is reached, and a process is ended.

5. A plasma etching method capable of detecting an end point in which a Si film of a silicon substrate including the Si film formed on a surface side and a lower layer film formed below the Si film is etched, the plasma etching method for etching the Si film by repeatedly implementing:

an etching step of etching the Si film by supplying etching gas containing SF₆ gas so that plasma is formed; and

a passivation-layer forming step of forming a passivation-layer on a structural surface formed at the etching step by supplying passivation-layer forming gas containing fluorocarbon gas or O₂ gas so that plasma is formed, wherein

the etching step is configured by at least two steps of;

a large-amount supply step of supplying a large amount of SF₆ gas for performing high-speed etching on the silicon substrate; and

a small-amount supply step at which a supply amount is reduced to supply a small amount of SF₆ gas for performing low-speed etching on the silicon substrate,

at least an emission intensity of Si or fluorinated silicon in the plasma at the small-amount supply step is measured,

only the emission intensity measured at the small-amount supply step is used to determine whether an etching end point where the lower layer film is exposed is reached, and

when the emission intensity of Si or SiFx becomes equal to or less than a previously set reference value, a determination is made that the etching end point is reached, and a process is ended.

6. A plasma etching method capable of detecting an end point in which a Si film of a silicon substrate including the Si film formed on a surface side and a lower layer film formed below the Si film is etched, the plasma etching method for etching the Si film by repeatedly implementing:

an etching step of etching the Si film by supplying etching gas containing SF₆ gas so that plasma is formed; and

a passivation-layer forming step of forming a passivation-layer on a structural surface formed at the etching step by supplying passivation-layer forming gas containing fluorocarbon gas or O₂ gas so that plasma is formed, wherein

the etching step is configured by at least two steps of;

a large-amount supply step of supplying a large amount of SF₆ gas for performing high-speed etching on the silicon substrate; and

a small-amount supply step at which a supply amount is reduced to supply a small amount of SF₆ gas for performing low-speed etching on the silicon substrate,

at least an emission intensity of F in the plasma at the small-amount supply step is measured,

only the emission intensity measured at the small-amount supply step is used to determine whether an etching end point where the lower layer film is exposed is reached, and

when the emission intensity of F becomes equal to or more than a previously set reference value, a determination is made that the etching end point is reached, and a process is ended.

7. A plasma etching method capable of detecting an end point in which a Si film of a silicon substrate including the Si film formed on a surface side and a lower layer film formed below the Si film is etched, the plasma etching method for etching the Si film by repeatedly implementing:

an etching step of etching the Si film by supplying etching gas containing SF₆ gas so that plasma is formed and a passivation-layer forming step of forming a passivation-layer on a structural surface formed at the etching step by supplying passivation-layer forming gas containing fluorocarbon gas or O₂ gas so that plasma is formed, wherein

the etching step and the passivation-layer forming step are repeatedly implemented for a previously determined number of times, and thereafter, the etching step is implemented by dividing into at least two steps of;

a large-amount supply step of supplying a large amount of SF₆ gas for performing high-speed etching on the silicon substrate; and

a small-amount supply step at which a supply amount is reduced to supply a small amount of SF₆ gas for performing low-speed etching on the silicon substrate,

at least an emission intensity of Si or fluorinated silicon in the plasma at the small-amount supply step is measured,

only the emission intensity measured at the small-amount supply step is used to determine whether an etching end point where the lower layer film is exposed is reached, and

when the emission intensity of Si or fluorinated silicon becomes equal to or less than a previously set reference value, a determination is made that the etching end point is reached, a process is ended.

8. A plasma etching method capable of detecting an end point in which a Si film of a silicon substrate including the Si film formed on a surface side and a lower layer film formed below the Si film is etched, the plasma etching method for etching the Si film by repeatedly implementing:

an etching step of etching the Si film by supplying etching gas containing SF₆ gas so that plasma is formed; and

a passivation-layer forming step of forming a passivation-layer on a structural surface formed at the etching step by supplying passivation-layer forming gas containing fluorocarbon gas or O₂ gas so that plasma is formed, wherein

the etching step and the passivation-layer forming step are repeatedly implemented for a previously determined number of times, and thereafter, the etching step is implemented by dividing into at least two steps of;

a large-supply amount step of supplying a large amount of SF₆ gas for performing high-speed etching on the silicon substrate; and

a small-amount supply step at which a supply amount is reduced to supply a small amount of SF₆ gas for performing low-speed etching on the silicon substrate,

at least an emission intensity of F in the plasma at the small-amount supply step is measured,

only the emission intensity measured at the small-amount supply step is used to determine whether an etching end point where the lower layer film is exposed is reached, and

when the emission intensity of F becomes equal to or more than a previously set reference value, a determination is made that the etching end point is reached, and a process is ended.