公开(公告)号：US11664232B2

公开(公告)日：2023-05-30

申请号：US17098426

申请日：2020-11-15

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Huma Ashraf ,  Kevin Riddell ,  Codrin Prahoveanu

IPC: H01L21/3065 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/308 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/683 ,  H01L29/16

CPC classification number: H01L21/3065 ,  H01J37/32082 ,  H01J37/32449 ,  H01J37/32715 ,  H01L21/308 ,  H01L21/67069 ,  H01L21/6831 ,  H01J2237/2007 ,  H01J2237/334 ,  H01L29/16 ,  H01L29/1608

Abstract: A structure comprising a substrate and a component which forms involatile metal etch products is plasma etched. A structure comprising a substrate and a component which forms involatile metal etch products is provided. The structure is positioned on a support within a chamber having a first gas inlet arrangement comprising one or more gas inlets and a second gas inlet arrangement comprising one or more gas inlets. The structure is etched by performing a first plasma etch step using a first etch process gas mixture which is only introduced into the chamber through the first gas inlet arrangement. The structure is further etched by performing a second plasma etch step using a second etch process gas mixture which is only introduced into the chamber through the second gas inlet arrangement.

公开(公告)号：US20210175082A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-10

申请号：US17098404

申请日：2020-11-15

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Huma Ashraf ,  Alex Croot ,  Kevin Riddell

IPC: H01L21/04 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/033

Abstract: A substrate with a mask formed thereon is provided. The substrate is formed from a compound semiconductor material. A first plasma etch step is performed to anisotropically etch the substrate through the opening to produce a partially formed feature having a bottom surface comprising a peripheral region. A second plasma etch step is performed to anisotropically etch the bottom surface of the partially formed feature through the opening while depositing a passivation material onto the mask so as to reduce a dimension of the opening. The reduction of the dimension of the opening causes an attenuation in etching of the peripheral region thereby producing a fully formed feature having a bottom surface comprising a central region and an edge region. The central region is deeper than the edge region of the bottom surface of the fully formed feature.

公开(公告)号：US20230170188A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-01

申请号：US17983341

申请日：2022-11-08

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Alex Huw Wood ,  Kevin Riddell ,  Huma Ashraf ,  Janet Hopkins

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32449 ,  H01J37/32816 ,  H01J2237/3343 ,  H01J2237/182 ,  H01J37/321

Abstract: An additive-containing aluminium nitride film is plasma etched. The additive-containing aluminium nitride film contains an additive element selected from scandium, yttrium or erbium. A workpiece is placed upon a platen within a plasma chamber. The workpiece includes a substrate having an additive-containing aluminium nitride film deposited thereon and a mask disposed upon the additive-containing aluminium nitride film, which defines at least one trench. A first etching gas is introduced into the chamber with a first flow rate, a second etching gas is introduced into the chamber with a second flow rate, and a plasma is established within the chamber to etch the additive-containing aluminium nitride film exposed within the trench. The first etching gas comprises boron trichloride and the second etching gas comprises chlorine. A ratio of the first flow rate to the second flow rate is greater than or equal to 1:1.

公开(公告)号：US20230197457A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-22

申请号：US18075128

申请日：2022-12-05

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Alex Wood ,  Kevin Riddell ,  Huma Ashraf

IPC: H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/308 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/768 ,  H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/3086 ,  H01L21/02631 ,  H01L21/67253 ,  H01L21/76862 ,  H01L21/67207 ,  H01L21/02389 ,  H01J37/32174

Abstract: An additive-containing aluminium nitride film containing an additive element selected from Sc, Y or Er is plasma etched through a mask for a period of time, t, with a plasma formed in a gaseous atmosphere having an associated gas pressure while an RF bias power is applied to the additive-containing aluminium nitride film. The gas pressure is reduced and/or the RF bias power is increased for a majority of the period of time t, so that the plasma etching becomes less chemical and more physical over a majority of the period of time, t.

公开(公告)号：US20210193908A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-24

申请号：US17101951

申请日：2020-11-23

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Huma Ashraf ,  Kevin Riddell ,  Codrin Prahoveanu

IPC: H01L41/332 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: A structure comprising a semiconductor substrate and a layer of PZT (lead zirconate titanate) is etched by performing a first plasma etch step with a first etch process gas mixture. The first etch process gas mixture comprises at least one fluorine containing species. The first plasma etch step is performed so that involatile metal etch products are deposited onto interior surfaces of the chamber. The structure is further etched by performing a second plasma etch step with a second etch process gas mixture. The second etch process gas mixture comprises at least one fluorocarbon species. The second plasma etch step is performed so that a fluorocarbon polymer layer is deposited onto interior surfaces of the chamber to overlay involatile metal etch products deposited in the first plasma etch step and to provide a substrate on which further involatile metal etch products can be deposited.

公开(公告)号：US20210193471A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-24

申请号：US17098426

申请日：2020-11-15

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Huma Ashraf ,  Kevin Riddell ,  Codrin Prahoveanu

IPC: H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/308 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/683 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: A structure comprising a substrate and a component which forms involatile metal etch products is plasma etched. A structure comprising a substrate and a component which forms involatile metal etch products is provided. The structure is positioned on a support within a chamber having a first gas inlet arrangement comprising one or more gas inlets and a second gas inlet arrangement comprising one or more gas inlets. The structure is etched by performing a first plasma etch step using a first etch process gas mixture which is only introduced into the chamber through the first gas inlet arrangement. The structure is further etched by performing a second plasma etch step using a second etch process gas mixture which is only introduced into the chamber through the second gas inlet arrangement.

公开(公告)号：US11037793B2

公开(公告)日：2021-06-15

申请号：US16447851

申请日：2019-06-20

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Huma Ashraf ,  Kevin Riddell ,  Alex Wood

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/308 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/306 ,  H01L21/02

Abstract: According to the invention there is provided a method of plasma etching a silicon-based compound semiconductor substrate, the method comprising providing the substrate within an etch chamber and performing a cyclical process on the substrate, each cycle comprising supplying an etchant gas into the chamber, energising the gas into a plasma, and performing an etch step on the substrate using the plasma; and performing a desorption step, wherein during the desorption step, the only gas that is supplied into the etch chamber is an inert gas, so as to allow reactive species that have adsorbed to the surface of the substrate during the etch step to desorb from the surface of the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US10431436B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-01

申请号：US15690414

申请日：2017-08-30

Applicant: SPTS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

Inventor： Huma Ashraf ,  Kevin Riddell ,  Roland Mumford ,  Grant Baldwin

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/67

Abstract: A method and system are for monitoring and controlling deformation of a wafer substrate during a plasma etching of the wafer substrate. The method includes disposing a wafer substrate on a platen assembly within a process chamber so that an entire upper surface of the wafer is exposed, passing a process gas into the process chamber, applying a radio frequency bias voltage to the platen assembly, generating a plasma within the process chamber, monitoring a voltage difference between the platen assembly and the process chamber, during the etch process, and attenuating or extinguishing the plasma to prevent further etching once a threshold monitored voltage is reached.

公开(公告)号：US20240212998A1

公开(公告)日：2024-06-27

申请号：US18375238

申请日：2023-09-29

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Andrew Rubin ,  Kevin Riddell ,  Nicolas Launay

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/683

CPC classification number: H01J37/32724 ,  H01L21/6833

Abstract: A method of plasma etching a workpiece and a plasma etching apparatus are provided. At least one semiconductor layer is plasma etched by generating a plasma in the plasma chamber. A period of time after the plasma is ignited, the operation of the ESC is switched to a monopolar mode of operation in which the electrodes have the same voltage applied to each electrode. The operation of the ESC is switched to a second bipolar mode of operation in which a positive voltage is applied to one of the electrodes and a negative voltage is applied to another of the electrodes.

公开(公告)号：US20240006181A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-04

申请号：US18213865

申请日：2023-06-25

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Huma Ashraf ,  Kevin Riddell ,  Alex Croot

IPC: H01L21/3065 ,  H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01L21/3065 ,  H01J37/32449 ,  H01J2237/3345

Abstract: A plasma etch step anisotropically etches a silicon carbide semiconductor substrate through an opening to produce a feature. The plasma etch step generates a plasma from an etchant gas mixture that includes at least one fluorine-containing component and chlorine gas. The etchant gas mixture can further include SiCl4, an oxygen-containing component, and/or inert gas component.