公开(公告)号：US20020195423A1

公开(公告)日：2002-12-26

申请号：US10104109

申请日：2002-03-22

Applicant: REFLECTIVITY, INC.

Inventor： Satyadev R. Patel ,  Gregory P. Schaadt ,  Douglas B. MacDonald ,  Hongqin Shi ,  Andrew G. Huibers ,  Peter Heureux

IPC: C23F001/00 ,  B44C001/22 ,  C03C015/00 ,  C03C025/68

CPC classification number: B81C1/00 ,  B81B2201/045 ,  B81C1/00476 ,  B81C1/00531 ,  B81C1/00595 ,  B81C99/0025 ,  B81C2201/0138 ,  B82Y30/00 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/3081 ,  H01L21/32135

Abstract: The etching of a material in a vapor phase etchant is disclosed where a vapor phase etchant is provided to an etching chamber at a total gas pressure of 10 Torr or more, preferably 20 Torr or even 200 Torr or more. The vapor phase etchant can be gaseous acid etchant, a noble gas halide or an interhalogen. The sample/workpiece that is etched can be, for example, a semiconductor device or MEMS device, etc. The material that is etched/removed by the vapor phase etchant is preferably silicon and the vapor phase etchant is preferably provided along with one or more diluents. Another feature of the etching system includes the ability to accurately determine the end point of the etch step, such as by creating an impedance at the exit of the etching chamber (or downstream thereof) so that when the vapor phase etchant passes from the etching chamber, a gaseous product of the etching reaction is monitored, and the end point of the removal process can be determined. The vapor phase etching process can be flow through, a combination of flow through and pulse, or recirculated back to the etching chamber. A first plasma or wet chemical etch (or both) can be performed prior to the vapor phase etch.

Abstract translation: 公开了在气相蚀刻剂中的材料的蚀刻，其中气蚀刻蚀刻剂以10托或更大，优选20托或甚至200托或更大的总气体压力提供给蚀刻室。 气相蚀刻剂可以是气态酸蚀刻剂，惰性气体卤化物或中间卤素。 被蚀刻的样品/工件可以是例如半导体器件或MEMS器件等。通过气相蚀刻剂蚀刻/去除的材料优选为硅，并且气相蚀刻剂优选与一个或多个 稀释剂。 蚀刻系统的另一特征包括能够精确地确定蚀刻步骤的终点，例如通过在蚀刻室的出口处（或其下游）处产生阻抗，使得当气相蚀刻剂从蚀刻室 ，监测蚀刻反应的气体产物，并且可以确定除去过程的终点。 气相蚀刻工艺可以流过，流过和脉冲的组合，或再循环回蚀刻室。 可以在气相蚀刻之前执行第一等离子体或湿化学蚀刻（或两者）。