公开(公告)号：US6113731A

公开(公告)日：2000-09-05

申请号：US735444

申请日：1997-01-02

申请人： Hongching Shan ,  Roger Lindley ,  Claes Bjorkman ,  Xue Yu Qian ,  Richard Plavidal ,  Bryan Pu ,  Ji Ding ,  Zongyu Li ,  Kuang-Han Ke ,  Michael Welch

发明人： Hongching Shan ,  Roger Lindley ,  Claes Bjorkman ,  Xue Yu Qian ,  Richard Plavidal ,  Bryan Pu ,  Ji Ding ,  Zongyu Li ,  Kuang-Han Ke ,  Michael Welch

IPC分类号： H05H1/46 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/00 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/203 ,  H01L21/205 ,  H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/687 ,  C23F1/02

CPC分类号： H01L21/67069 ,  H01J37/32623 ,  H01J37/3266 ,  H01L21/68735

摘要： A plasma chamber having a magnet which produces a magnetic field such that, within a region parallel to and adjacent to the workpiece, the direction of the magnetic field is approximately the vector cross product of (i) the gradient of the magnitude of the magnetic field, and (ii) a vector extending perpendicularly from the workpiece surface toward the plasma. Alternatively, the plasma chamber includes a north magnetic pole and a south magnetic pole located at distinct azimuths around the periphery of the workpiece. The azimuth of the south magnetic pole relative to the north magnetic pole is clockwise around the central axis, and each magnetic pole faces a direction which is more toward than away from a central axis of the workpiece area. An additional aspect of the invention is a plasma chamber having a rotating magnetic field produced by electromagnets spaced around the periphery of the workpiece which receive successive fixed amounts of electrical current during successive time intervals. During each transition between the time intervals, the current supplied to each electromagnet is changed relatively slowly or relatively quickly according to whether the current change includes a change in polarity.

摘要翻译： 具有磁体的等离子体室产生磁场，使得在与工件平行并邻近工件的区域内，磁场的方向近似为（i）磁场强度梯度的矢量交叉积 ，和（ii）从工件表面朝向等离子体垂直延伸的矢量。 或者，等离子体室包括北磁极和位于工件周围的不同方位角处的南磁极。 南磁极相对于北磁极的方位角是围绕中心轴顺时针旋转的，每个磁极面对的方向远离工件区域的中心轴线。 本发明的另一方面是等离子体室，其具有由围绕工件周边间隔开的电磁体产生的旋转磁场，其在连续的时间间隔期间接收连续的固定量的电流。 在时间间隔期间的每个转换期间，根据电流变化是否包括极性变化，提供给每个电磁体的电流相对缓慢或相对较快地改变。

公开(公告)号：US6022446A

公开(公告)日：2000-02-08

申请号：US517178

申请日：1995-08-21

申请人： Hongching Shan ,  Bryan Pu ,  Ji Ding ,  Michael Welch

发明人： Hongching Shan ,  Bryan Pu ,  Ji Ding ,  Michael Welch

IPC分类号： H05H1/46 ,  C23F4/00 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/00

CPC分类号： H01J37/32082 ,  H01J37/32623 ,  H01J37/3266

摘要： The present invention is embodied in a plasma reactor for processing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer having an axis of symmetry, the reactor including a reactor chamber with a ceiling, a pedestal for supporting the workpiece within the chamber under the ceiling, a processing gas supply inlet into the chamber, an RF plasma power source coupled to the pedestal, and a magnetic field source near the ceiling providing a radially symmetrical magnetic field relative to the axis of symmetry within a portion of the chamber near the ceiling. The magnetic field source can include an electromagnet or plural magnets disposed over the ceiling in a radially symmetrical fashion with respect to the axis of symmetry. The plural magnets may be permanent magnets or electromagnets. The radially symmetrical magnetic field penetrates from the ceiling into the chamber to a shallow depth, and the height of the ceiling above the workpiece exceeds the depth.

摘要翻译： 本发明体现在用于处理诸如具有对称轴的半导体晶片的工件的等离子体反应器中，该反应器包括具有天花板的反应室，用于将工件支撑在天花板下方的室内的处理气体 供应入室的入口，耦合到基座的RF等离子体电源以及靠近天花板的磁场源，在靠近天花板的腔室的一部分内相对于对称轴提供径向对称的磁场。 磁场源可以包括相对于对称轴线以径向对称的方式设置在天花板上方的电磁体或多个磁体。 多个磁体可以是永磁体或电磁体。 径向对称的磁场从天花板穿透入室至浅深度，工件上方天花板的高度超过深度。

公开(公告)号：US5843847A

公开(公告)日：1998-12-01

申请号：US639388

申请日：1996-04-29

申请人： Bryan Pu ,  Hongching Shan ,  Michael Welch

发明人： Bryan Pu ,  Hongching Shan ,  Michael Welch

IPC分类号： H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/00

CPC分类号： H01L21/31116

摘要： A method of etching a dielectric layer on a substrate with high etching selectivity, low etch rate microloading, and high etch rates is described. In the method, the substrate is placed in a process zone, and a plasma is formed from process gas introduced into the process zone. The process gas comprises (i) fluorocarbon gas for etching the dielectric layer and for forming passivating deposits on the substrate, (ii) carbon-oxygen gas for enhancing formation of the passivating deposits, and (iii) nitrogen-containing gas for etching the passivating deposits on the substrate. The volumetric flow ratio of fluorocarbon:carbon-oxygen:nitrogen-containing gas is selected to provide a dielectric to resist etching selectivity ratio of at least about 10:1, an etch rate microloading of

摘要翻译： 描述了以高蚀刻选择性，低刻蚀速率微载物和高蚀刻速率蚀刻衬底上的电介质层的方法。 在该方法中，将衬底放置在工艺区域中，并且将等离子体从引入工艺区域的工艺气体形成。 工艺气体包括（i）用于蚀刻介电层并用于在衬底上形成钝化沉积物的碳氟化合物气体，（ii）用于增强钝化沉积物形成的碳 - 氧气，和（iii）用于蚀刻钝化的含氮气体 沉积在基材上。 选择氟碳：碳 - 氧：含氮气体的体积流量比以提供电介质以抵抗至少约10:1的蚀刻选择率，<10％的蚀刻速率微载荷，以及在 至少约100nm / min。 优选地，选择氟碳：碳 - 氧：含氮气体的体积流量比，使得新蚀刻特征的侧壁上的钝化沉积物的形成速率近似等于钝化沉积物的去除速率。

公开(公告)号：US5740009A

公开(公告)日：1998-04-14

申请号：US758531

申请日：1996-11-29

申请人： Bryan Pu ,  Hongching Shan ,  Kuang-Han Ke ,  Michael Welch ,  Semyon Sherstinsky ,  Alfred Mak ,  Ling Chen ,  Sue Zhang ,  Leonel Arturo Zuniga ,  Samuel C. Wilson

发明人： Bryan Pu ,  Hongching Shan ,  Kuang-Han Ke ,  Michael Welch ,  Semyon Sherstinsky ,  Alfred Mak ,  Ling Chen ,  Sue Zhang ,  Leonel Arturo Zuniga ,  Samuel C. Wilson

IPC分类号： H01L21/683 ,  H01L21/687 ,  H02N13/00

CPC分类号： H01L21/68735 ,  H01L21/6831 ,  H01L21/6833 ,  H02N13/00

摘要： Apparatus for retaining a wafer having improved wafer and chuck edge protection, contains an protection ring that circumscribes a pedestal and is biased to be in constant contact with the backside of the wafer. A biasing element uniformly biases the protection ring into contact with the circumferential edge of the wafer. The protection ring has an annular plan form that circumscribes an electrostatic chuck for retaining the wafer in a stationery position. Vertical travel of the ring is restricted by a hard stop that is formed by a portion of a focus ring which overhangs the protection ring. After a wafer is placed upon the chuck and the chucking force enabled, the chucking force easily overcomes the bias force upon the protection ring and the wafer rests upon the chuck support surface. The protection ring contacts the backside of the wafer to ensure that pedestal and electrostatic chuck are not exposed to the plasma and, when a silicon protection ring is used, the effective area of the wafer is extended beyond the physical dimensions of the wafer to facilitate a more uniform plasma distribution over the wafer.

摘要翻译： 用于保持具有改进的晶片和卡盘边缘保护的晶片的装置包含限定基座的保护环，并被偏置以与晶片的背面恒定接触。 偏置元件均匀地将保护环偏压成与晶片的周缘接触。 保护环具有环形平面形式，其环绕静电卡盘以将晶片保持在文具位置。 环的垂直行程受到由突出于保护环上的聚焦环的一部分形成的硬停止的限制。 在将晶片放置在卡盘上并且夹持力能够实现之后，夹紧力容易地克服保护环上的偏压力并且晶片搁置在卡盘支撑表面上。 保护环接触晶片的背面以确保基座和静电卡盘不暴露于等离子体，并且当使用硅保护环时，晶片的有效面积延伸超过晶片的物理尺寸以便于 在晶片上更均匀的等离子体分布。

公开(公告)号：US5814563A

公开(公告)日：1998-09-29

申请号：US660966

申请日：1996-06-12

申请人： Ji Ding ,  Hongching Shan ,  Michael Welch

发明人： Ji Ding ,  Hongching Shan ,  Michael Welch

IPC分类号： H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/311

CPC分类号： H01L21/31116

摘要： A method of etching a dielectric layer (20) on a substrate (25) with high etching selectivity, low etch rate microloading, and high etch rates is described. In the method, a substrate (25) having a dielectric layer (20) with resist material thereon, is placed in a process zone (55), and a process gas is introduced into the process zone (55). The process gas comprises (i) fluorohydrocarbon gas for forming fluorine-containing etchant species capable of etching the dielectric layer (20), (ii) NH.sub.3 -generating gas having a liquefaction temperature L.sub.T in a range of temperatures .DELTA.T of from about -60.degree. C. to about 20.degree. C., and (iii) carbon-oxygen gas. The temperature of substrate (25) is maintained within about .+-.50.degree. C. of the liquefaction temperature L.sub.T of the NH.sub.3 -generating gas. A plasma is formed from the process gas to etch the dielectric layer (20) on the substrate (25). Preferably, the volumetric flow ratio of fluorohydrocarbon:NH.sub.3 -generating gas is from about 2.5:1 to about 7:1.

摘要翻译： 描述了以高蚀刻选择性，低蚀刻速率微加载和高蚀刻速率蚀刻衬底（25）上的介电层（20）的方法。 在该方法中，将具有其上具有抗蚀材料的电介质层（20）的基板（25）放置在处理区（55）中，并且处理气体被引入到处理区（55）中。 工艺气体包括（i）用于形成能够蚀刻介电层（20）的含氟蚀刻剂物质的氟代烃气体，（ii）在约-60℃的温度范围T T下具有液化温度LT的NH 3产生气体 约20℃，（iii）碳 - 氧气。 衬底（25）的温度保持在产生NH 3的气体的液化温度LT的约+/- 50℃内。 从处理气体形成等离子体，以蚀刻衬底（25）上的介质层（20）。 优选地，氟代烃：产生NH 3的气体的体积流量比为约2.5:1至约7:1。

公开(公告)号：US06432259B1

公开(公告)日：2002-08-13

申请号：US09461682

申请日：1999-12-14

申请人： Hamid Noorbakhsh ,  Michael Welch ,  Siamak Salimian ,  Paul Luscher ,  Hongching Shan ,  Kaushik Vaidya ,  Jim Carducci ,  Evans Lee

发明人： Hamid Noorbakhsh ,  Michael Welch ,  Siamak Salimian ,  Paul Luscher ,  Hongching Shan ,  Kaushik Vaidya ,  Jim Carducci ,  Evans Lee

IPC分类号： H05H100

CPC分类号： H01J37/32522 ,  H01J37/321 ,  H01J37/3244

摘要： A plasma reactor embodying the invention includes a wafer support and a chamber enclosure member having an interior surface generally facing the wafer support. At least one miniature gas distribution plate for introducing a process gas into the reactor is supported on the chamber enclosure member and has an outlet surface which is a fraction of the area of the interior surface of said wafer support. A coolant system maintains the chamber enclosure member at a low temperature, and the miniature gas distribution plate is at least partially thermally insulated from the chamber enclosure member so that it is maintained at a higher temperature by plasma heating.

摘要翻译： 体现本发明的等离子体反应器包括晶片支撑件和室外壳构件，其具有大致面向晶片支撑件的内表面。 用于将工艺气体引入反应器的至少一个微型气体分配板被支撑在腔室外壳构件上，并且具有出口表面，该出口表面是所述晶片支撑件的内表面区域的一部分。 冷却剂系统将室外壳构件保持在低温，并且微型气体分配板与腔室外壳构件至少部分热绝缘，使得其通过等离子体加热保持在较高温度。

公开(公告)号：US5948168A

公开(公告)日：1999-09-07

申请号：US947820

申请日：1997-10-09

申请人： Hongching Shan ,  Harald Herchen ,  Michael Welch

发明人： Hongching Shan ,  Harald Herchen ,  Michael Welch

IPC分类号： H05H1/46 ,  C23C16/44 ,  C23C16/452 ,  C23C16/455 ,  C23C16/50 ,  C23C16/511 ,  C23C16/52 ,  C23F4/00 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/205 ,  H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  C23C16/00

CPC分类号： C23C16/45565 ,  C23C16/452 ,  C23C16/511 ,  C23C16/52 ,  H01J37/32229 ,  H01J37/32357 ,  H01J37/3244 ,  Y10S438/935

摘要： A plasma reactor has plural dielectric gas injection tubes extending from a gas injection source and through a microwave guide and into the top of the reactor chamber. The semiconductor wafer rests near the bottom of the chamber on a wafer pedestal connected to a bias RF power source which is controlled independently of the microwave source coupled to the microwave guide. The microwaves from the waveguide ignite and maintain a plasma in each of the tubes. Gas flow through the tubes carries the plasmas in all the tubes into the chamber and into contact with the wafer surface.

摘要翻译： 等离子体反应器具有多个介电气体注入管，其从气体注入源延伸并通过微波引导件并进入反应器室的顶部。 半导体晶片位于连接到偏置RF电源的晶片基座上的室底部附近，偏置RF电源独立于耦合到微波引导件的微波源控制。 来自波导的微波在每个管中点燃并保持等离子体。 通过管的气体流将所有管中的等离子体携带到室中并与晶片表面接触。

公开(公告)号：US5865937A

公开(公告)日：1999-02-02

申请号：US517177

申请日：1995-08-21

申请人： Hongching Shan ,  Hiroji Hanawa ,  Robert Wu ,  Michael Welch

发明人： Hongching Shan ,  Hiroji Hanawa ,  Robert Wu ,  Michael Welch

IPC分类号： H05H1/46 ,  C23F4/00 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/205 ,  H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  C23F1/08

CPC分类号： H01J37/32174

摘要： In a plasma reactor including a vacuum chamber for containing at least a reactant gas at a selected pressure and a semiconductor wafer to be processed, a pair of electrodes for capacitively coupling radio frequency power into the chamber and a radio frequency source having a radio frequency power terminal, a circuit for coupling the radio frequency source to the pair of electrodes includes a coil having plural conductive windings and a pair of terminals bounding plural ones of the windings, the pair of terminals coupled to respective ones of the pair of electrodes, one of the windings connected to the power terminal of the radio frequency source, and a grounded conductive tap contacting the coil and slidable along the plural ones of the windings between the pair of terminals for varying a ratio of power apportioned between the pair of electrodes.

摘要翻译： 在包括用于在选定压力下容纳至少一种反应气体的真空室和待处理的半导体晶片的等离子体反应器中，将用于将射频功率电容耦合到腔室中的一对电极和具有射频功率的射频源 端子，用于将射频源耦合到该对电极的电路包括具有多个导体绕组的线圈和限定多个绕组的一对端子，该对端子耦合到该对电极中的相应电极， 连接到射频源的电源端子的绕组以及与线圈接触的接地导线，并且可以沿着一对端子之间的多个绕组滑动，以改变在该对电极之间分配的功率比。

公开(公告)号：US06387288B1

公开(公告)日：2002-05-14

申请号：US09556951

申请日：2000-04-21

申请人： Claes Bjorkman ,  Hongching Shan ,  Michael Welch

发明人： Claes Bjorkman ,  Hongching Shan ,  Michael Welch

IPC分类号： H01L21302

CPC分类号： H01J37/32871

摘要： An apparatus and method for scavenging etchant species from a plasma formed of etchant gas prior to the etchant gas entering a primary processing chamber of a plasma reactor. There is at least one scavenging chamber, each of which is connected at an inlet thereof to an etchant gas source and at an outlet thereof to a gas distribution device of the primary processing chamber. Each scavenging chamber has a radiation applicator that irradiates the interior of the scavenging chamber and creates a plasma therein from etchant gas flowing through the chamber from the etchant gas source to the gas distribution apparatus of the primary processing chamber. The applicator uses either an inductive discharge, capacitive discharge, direct current (DC) discharge or microwave discharge to irradiate the interior of the scavenging chamber and ignite the plasma. An etchant species scavenging source is also disposed within the scavenging chamber. This source provides scavenging material that interacts with the plasma to scavenge etchant species created by the dissociation of the etchant gas in the plasma and form etch by-products comprised of substances from both the etchant species and the scavenging source. The scavenging chambers can be employed, as is or in a modified form, as excitation chambers to excite gases at optimal conditions and feed the modified gases into the primary chamber. The scavenging chamber is modified by removing its scavenging source if this source would adversely interact with the gas being excited.

摘要翻译： 在蚀刻剂气体进入等离子体反应器的初级处理室之前，从蚀刻剂气体形成的等离子体中清除蚀刻剂物质的装置和方法。 至少有一个清除室，每个清除室在其入口处连接到蚀刻剂气体源，并在其出口连接到主处理室的气体分配装置。 每个清扫室具有辐射施加器，其辐射扫气室的内部，并从流化床中的蚀刻剂气体从蚀刻剂气体源到主处理室的气体分配装置产生等离子体。 施加器使用感应放电，电容放电，直流（DC）放电或微波放电来照射扫气室的内部并点燃等离子体。 清扫室内还设有一种蚀刻物质清除源。 该源提供与等离子体相互作用的清除材料，以清除由等离子体中的蚀刻剂气体解离产生的蚀刻剂物质，并形成由来自蚀刻剂物质和清除源的物质构成的蚀刻副产物。 清除室可以按原样或以改进形式用作激发室，以在最佳条件下激发气体并将改性气体进料到主室中。 如果该源与被激发的气体不利地相互作用，则通过去除其清除源来改进扫气室。

公开(公告)号：US6074514A

公开(公告)日：2000-06-13

申请号：US20959

申请日：1998-02-09

申请人： Claes Bjorkman ,  Hongching Shan ,  Michael Welch

发明人： Claes Bjorkman ,  Hongching Shan ,  Michael Welch

IPC分类号： H05H1/46 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  C23F1/02

CPC分类号： H01J37/32871

摘要： An apparatus and method for scavenging etchant species from a plasma formed of etchant gas prior to the etchant gas entering a primary processing chamber of a plasma reactor. There is at least one scavenging chamber, each of which is connected at an inlet thereof to an etchant gas source and at an outlet thereof to a gas distribution device of the primary processing chamber. Each scavenging chamber has a radiation applicator that irradiates the interior of the scavenging chamber and creates a plasma therein from etchant gas flowing through the chamber from the etchant gas source to the gas distribution apparatus of the primary processing chamber. The applicator uses either an inductive discharge, capacitive discharge, direct current (DC) discharge or microwave discharge to irradiate the interior of the scavenging chamber and ignite the plasma. An etchant species scavenging source is also disposed within the scavenging chamber. This source provides scavenging material that interacts with the plasma to scavenge etchant species created by the dissociation of the etchant gas in the plasma and form etch by-products comprised of substances from both the etchant species and the scavenging source. The scavenging chambers can be employed, as is or in a modified form, as excitation chambers to excite gases at optimal conditions and feed the modified gases into the primary chamber. The scavenging chamber is modified by removing its scavenging source if this source would adversely interact with the gas being excited.