公开(公告)号：US06534416B1

公开(公告)日：2003-03-18

申请号：US09637509

申请日：2000-08-11

申请人： Yan Ye ,  Allen Zhao ,  Xiancan Deng ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma

发明人： Yan Ye ,  Allen Zhao ,  Xiancan Deng ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma

IPC分类号： H01L21302

CPC分类号： H01L21/02071 ,  C23F4/00 ,  H01L21/32136

摘要： Copper can be pattern etched in a manner which provides the desired feature dimension and integrity, at acceptable rates, and with selectivity over adjacent materials. To provide for feature integrity, the portion of the copper feature surface which has been etched to the desired dimensions and shape must be protected during the etching of adjacent feature surfaces. To avoid the trapping of reactive species interior of the etched copper surface, hydrogen is applied to that surface. Hydrogen is adsorbed on the copper exterior surface and may be absorbed into the exterior surface of the copper, so that it is available to react with species which would otherwise penetrate that exterior surface and react with the copper interior to that surface. Sufficient hydrogen must be applied to the exterior surface of the etched portion of the copper feature to prevent incident reactive species present due to etching of adjacent feature surfaces from penetrating the previously etched feature exterior surface. The most preferred embodiment of the invention provides for the use of hydrogen chloride (HCl) and/or hydrogen bromide (HBr) as the sole or principal source of the reactive species used in etching copper. Dissociation of the HCl and/or HBr provides the large amounts of hydrogen necessary to protect the copper feature etched surfaces from penetration by reactive species adjacent the etched surface. Additional hydrogen gas may be added to the plasma feed gas which comprises the HCl and/or HBr when the reactive species density in the etch process chamber is particularly high. Although the HCl or HBr may be used as an additive in combination with other plasma feed gases, preferably HCl or HBr or a combination thereof accounts for at least 40%, and more preferably at least 50%, of the reactive species generated by the plasma. Most preferably, HCl or HBr should account for at least 80% of the reactive species generated by the plasma.

公开(公告)号：US6008140A

公开(公告)日：1999-12-28

申请号：US911878

申请日：1997-08-13

申请人： Yan Ye ,  Allen Zhao ,  Xiancan Deng ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma

发明人： Yan Ye ,  Allen Zhao ,  Xiancan Deng ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma

IPC分类号： C23F4/00 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L21/302

CPC分类号： H01L21/02071 ,  C23F4/00 ,  H01L21/32136

摘要： Copper can be pattern etched in a manner which provides the desired feature dimension and integrity, at acceptable rates, and with selectivity over adjacent materials. To provide for feature integrity, the portion of the copper feature surface which has been etched to the desired dimensions and shape must be protected during the etching of adjacent feature surfaces. To avoid the trapping of reactive species interior of the etched copper surface, hydrogen is applied to that surface. Hydrogen is adsorbed on the copper exterior surface and may be absorbed into the exterior surface of the copper, so that it is available to react with species which would otherwise penetrate that exterior surface and react with the copper interior to that surface. Sufficient hydrogen must be applied to the exterior surface of the etched portion of the copper feature to prevent incident reactive species present due to etching of adjacent feature surfaces from penetrating the previously etched feature exterior surface. The most preferred embodiment of the invention provides for the use of hydrogen chloride (HCl) and/or hydrogen bromide (HBr) as the sole or principal source of the reactive species used in etching copper. Dissociation of the HCl and/or HBr provides the large amounts of hydrogen necessary to protect the copper feature etched surfaces from penetration by reactive species adjacent the etched surface. Additional hydrogen gas may be added to the plasma feed gas which comprises the HCl and/or HBr when the reactive species density in the etch process chamber is particularly high. Although the HCl or HBr may be used as an additive in combination with other plasma feed gases, preferably HCl or HBr or a combination thereof accounts for at least 40%, and more preferably at least 50%, of the reactive species generated by the plasma. Most preferably, HCl or HBr should account for at least 80% of the reactive species generated by the plasma.

摘要翻译： 铜可以以可接受的速率提供期望的特征尺寸和完整性并且具有相对于相邻材料的选择性的方式进行图案蚀刻。 为了提供特征完整性，已经蚀刻到所需尺寸和形状的铜特征表面的部分在蚀刻相邻特征表面期间必须被保护。 为了避免被蚀刻的铜表面内部的活性物质的捕获，将氢施加到该表面。 氢吸附在铜外表面上，并可能被吸收到铜的外表面，使其可以与否则会渗入该外表面的物质反应并与铜表面反应。 必须向铜特征的蚀刻部分的外表面施加足够的氢以防止由于相邻特征表面的蚀刻而渗透先前蚀刻的特征外表面而存在的入射反应物种。 本发明最优选的实施方案提供了使用氯化氢（HCl）和/或溴化氢（HBr）作为用于蚀刻铜的反应物质的唯一或主要来源。 HCl和/或HBr的离解提供了保护铜特征蚀刻表面免受邻近蚀刻表面的反应性物质渗透所需的大量氢。 当蚀刻处理室中的反应物种密度特别高时，可以向包括HCl和/或HBr的等离子体进料气体中加入另外的氢气。 尽管HCl或HBr可以与其他等离子体原料气体组合使用，但优选HCl或HBr或其组合占等离子体产生的反应性物质的至少40％，更优选至少50％ 。 最优选地，HCl或HBr应占等离子体产生的反应性物质的至少80％。

公开(公告)号：US06547978B2

公开(公告)日：2003-04-15

申请号：US10017001

申请日：2001-12-13

申请人： Yan Ye ,  Allen Zhao ,  Xiancan Deng ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma ,  Chang-Lin Hsieh

发明人： Yan Ye ,  Allen Zhao ,  Xiancan Deng ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma ,  Chang-Lin Hsieh

IPC分类号： B44C0122

CPC分类号： H01L21/02071 ,  C23F4/00 ,  H01L21/32136

摘要： Copper can be pattern etched in a manner which provides the desired feature dimension and integrity, at acceptable rates, and with selectivity over adjacent materials. To provide for feature integrity, the portion of the copper feature surface which has been etched to the desired dimensions and shape must be protected during the etching of adjacent feature surfaces. This is particularly important for feature sizes less than about 0.5 &mgr;m, where presence of even a limited amount of a corrosive agent can eat away a large portion of the feature. The copper feature integrity is protected by several different mechanisms: 1) The reactive etchant species are designed to be only moderately aggressive, so that an acceptable etch rate is achieved without loss of control over the feature profile or the etch surface; 2) Hydrogen is applied over the etch surface so that it is absorbed onto the etch surface, where it acts as a boundary which must be crossed by the reactive species and a chemical modulator for the reactive species; and 3) Process variables are adjusted so that byproducts from the etch reaction are rendered more volatile and easily removable from the etch surface. In an inductively coupled plasma etch chamber, we have observed that the preferred chlorine reactive species are generated when the chlorine is dissociated from compounds rather than furnished as Cl2 gas.

公开(公告)号：US06489247B1

公开(公告)日：2002-12-03

申请号：US09393446

申请日：1999-09-08

申请人： Yan Ye ,  Allen Zhao ,  Xiancan Deng ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma

发明人： Yan Ye ,  Allen Zhao ,  Xiancan Deng ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma

IPC分类号： H01L21302

CPC分类号： H01L21/02071 ,  C23F4/00 ,  H01L21/32136

摘要： Copper can be pattern etched in a manner which provides the desired feature dimension and integrity, at acceptable rates, and with selectivity over adjacent materials. To provide for feature integrity, the portion of the copper feature surface which has been etched to the desired dimensions and shape must be protected during the etching of adjacent feature surfaces. To avoid the trapping of reactive species interior of the etched copper surface, hydrogen is applied to that surface. Hydrogen is adsorbed on the copper exterior surface and may be absorbed into the exterior surface of the copper, so that it is available to react with species which would otherwise penetrate that exterior surface and react with the copper interior to that surface. Sufficient hydrogen must be applied to the exterior surface of the etched portion of the copper feature to prevent incident reactive species present due to etching of adjacent feature surfaces from penetrating the previously etched feature exterior surface. The most preferred embodiment of the invention provides for the use of hydrogen chloride (HCl) and/or hydrogen bromide (HBr) as the sole or principal source of the reactive species used in etching copper. Dissociation of the HCl and/or HBr provides the large amounts of hydrogen necessary to protect the copper feature etched surfaces from penetration by reactive species adjacent the etched surface. Additional hydrogen gas may be added to the plasma feed gas which comprises the HCl and/or HBr when the reactive species density in the etch process chamber is particularly high. Although the HCl or HBr may be used as an additive in combination with other plasma feed gases, preferably HCl or HBr or a combination thereof accounts for at least 40%, and more preferably at least 50%, of the reactive species generated by the plasma. Most preferably, HCl or HBr should account for at least 80% of the reactive species generated by the plasma.

摘要翻译： 铜可以以可接受的速率提供期望的特征尺寸和完整性并且具有相对于相邻材料的选择性的方式进行图案蚀刻。 为了提供特征完整性，已经蚀刻到所需尺寸和形状的铜特征表面的部分在蚀刻相邻特征表面期间必须被保护。 为了避免被蚀刻的铜表面内部的活性物质的捕获，将氢施加到该表面。 氢吸附在铜外表面上，并可能被吸收到铜的外表面，使其可以与否则会渗入该外表面的物质反应并与铜表面反应。 必须向铜特征的蚀刻部分的外表面施加足够的氢以防止由于相邻特征表面的蚀刻而渗透先前蚀刻的特征外表面而存在的入射反应物种。 本发明最优选的实施方案提供了使用氯化氢（HCl）和/或溴化氢（HBr）作为用于蚀刻铜的反应物质的唯一或主要来源。 HCl和/或HBr的离解提供了保护铜特征蚀刻表面免受邻近蚀刻表面的反应性物质渗透所需的大量氢。 当蚀刻处理室中的反应物种密度特别高时，可以向包括HCl和/或HBr的等离子体进料气体中加入另外的氢气。 尽管HCl或HBr可以与其他等离子体原料气体组合使用，但优选HCl或HBr或其组合占等离子体产生的反应性物质的至少40％，更优选至少50％ 。 最优选地，HCl或HBr应占等离子体产生的反应性物质的至少80％。