公开(公告)号：US5891348A

公开(公告)日：1999-04-06

申请号：US592821

申请日：1996-01-26

申请人： Yan Ye ,  Gerald Zheyao Yin ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma ,  Steve S. Y. Mak

发明人： Yan Ye ,  Gerald Zheyao Yin ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma ,  Steve S. Y. Mak

IPC分类号： H05H1/46 ,  C23C16/44 ,  C23C16/455 ,  C23F4/00 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/00 ,  H01L21/205 ,  H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/304 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/687 ,  H05H1/00

CPC分类号： H01L21/67069 ,  H01J37/3244 ,  H01J37/32642 ,  H01L21/68721 ,  Y10S156/915

摘要： An apparatus (20) for uniformly processing substrates (25) having a surface with a center (80) and a peripheral edge (85). The apparatus (20) comprises (i) a process chamber (30) having a gas distributor (55) for distributing process gas in the process chamber (30); (ii) a support (75) for supporting a substrate (25) in the process chamber (30); (iii) a plasma generator for forming a plasma from the process gas in the process chamber (30); and (iv) a focus ring (90) in the process chamber (30). The focus ring (90) comprises (a) a wall (95) surrounding the substrate (25) to substantially contain the plasma on the substrate surface, and (b) a channel (100) in the wall (95). The channel (100) has an inlet (105) adjacent to, and extending substantially continuously around the peripheral edge (85) of the substrate surface. The inlet (105) of the channel (100) has a width w sized to allow a sufficient amount of process gas to flow into the channel (100) to maintain substantially equal processing rates at the center (80) and peripheral edge (85) of the substrate surface.

摘要翻译： 一种用于均匀地处理具有中心（80）和周缘（85）的表面的基板（25）的装置（20）。 设备（20）包括（i）具有用于在处理室（30）中分配处理气体的气体分配器（55）的处理室（30）。 （ii）用于在处理室（30）中支撑衬底（25）的支撑件（75）; （iii）用于在所述处理室（30）中从所述处理气体形成等离子体的等离子体发生器; 和（iv）处理室（30）中的聚焦环（90）。 聚焦环（90）包括（a）围绕基底（25）以在基底表面上基本上包含等离子体的壁（95），和（b）壁（95）中的通道（100）。 通道（100）具有与衬底表面的周边边缘（85）相邻并且基本上连续地延伸的入口（105）。 通道（100）的入口（105）具有宽度w，其尺寸允许足够量的处理气体流入通道（100），以在中心（80）和外围边缘（85）处保持基本上相等的处理速率， 的基板表面。

公开(公告)号：US5756400A

公开(公告)日：1998-05-26

申请号：US568064

申请日：1995-12-08

申请人： Yan Ye ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma ,  Gerald Zheyao Yin ,  Keshav Prasad ,  Mark Siegel ,  Steve S. Y. Mak ,  Paul Martinez ,  James S. Papanu ,  Danny Chien Lu

发明人： Yan Ye ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma ,  Gerald Zheyao Yin ,  Keshav Prasad ,  Mark Siegel ,  Steve S. Y. Mak ,  Paul Martinez ,  James S. Papanu ,  Danny Chien Lu

IPC分类号： C23F4/00 ,  B08B7/00 ,  H01L21/205 ,  H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/304 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/00

CPC分类号： B08B7/0042 ,  Y10S438/905

摘要： The present invention provides an apparatus and process for plasma cleaning the interior surfaces of semiconductor processing chambers. The method is directed to the dry etching of accumulated contaminant residues attached to the inner surfaces of the plasma processing chamber and includes introducing a cleaning gas mixture of a halogen-containing gas; activating a plasma in an environment substantially free of oxygen species; contacting the contaminant residues with the activated cleaning gas to volatilize the residues; and removing the gaseous by-products from the chamber. The etchant gaseous mixture comprises an even or greater amount of at least one fluorine-containing gas and an even or lesser amount of at least one chlorine-containing gas. The instant invention enables the intermittent use of the cleaning steps in an ongoing plasma processing of semiconductor wafers without chamber downtime and significant loss of wafer production.

摘要翻译： 本发明提供了一种用于等离子体清洁半导体处理室内表面的装置和方法。 该方法涉及连接到等离子体处理室的内表面上的累积污染物残留物的干蚀刻，并且包括引入含卤素气体的清洁气体混合物; 在基本上不含氧物质的环境中激活等离子体; 使污染物残留物与活化的清洁气体接触以挥发残余物; 并从室中除去气态副产物。 蚀刻剂气体混合物包含甚至或更多量的至少一种含氟气体和甚至或更少量的至少一种含氯气体。 本发明能够在半导体晶片的持续等离子体处理中间歇地使用清洁步骤，而无需室停机和晶片生产的显着损失。

公开(公告)号：US6020686A

公开(公告)日：2000-02-01

申请号：US908533

申请日：1997-08-07

申请人： Yan Ye ,  Hiroji Hanawa ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma ,  Gerald Zheyao Yin

发明人： Yan Ye ,  Hiroji Hanawa ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma ,  Gerald Zheyao Yin

IPC分类号： H05H1/46 ,  C23C14/24 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/203 ,  H01L21/205 ,  H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H05B37/02

CPC分类号： H01J37/32091 ,  H01J37/32082 ,  H01J37/321

摘要： The invention is embodied in a plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer, the reactor having a pair of parallel capacitive electrodes at the ceiling and base of the processing chamber, respectively, each of the capacitive electrodes capacitively coupling RF power into the chamber in accordance with a certain RF phase relationship between the pair of electrodes during processing of the semiconductor wafer for ease of plasma ignition and precise control of plasma ion energy and process reproducibility, and an inductive coil wound around a portion of the chamber and inductively coupling RF power into the chamber for independent control of plasma ion density. Preferably, in order to minimize the number of RF sources while providing independent power control, the invention includes power splitting to separately provide power from a common source or sources to the pair of electrodes and to the coil.

摘要翻译： 本发明体现在用于处理半导体晶片的等离子体反应器中，反应器分别在处理室的天花板和底部具有一对平行的电容电极，每个电容电极根据电容电容将RF功率电容耦合到室中 在半导体晶片的处理期间该对电极之间的某些RF相位关系易于等离子体点火并且精确控制等离子体离子能量和工艺再现性，以及感应线圈，其缠绕在腔室的一部分上并将RF功率感应耦合到 用于独立控制等离子体离子密度。 优选地，为了在提供独立的功率控制的同时最小化RF源的数量，本发明包括功率分配以从共同的源或源分别向一对电极和线圈供电。

公开(公告)号：US5710486A

公开(公告)日：1998-01-20

申请号：US436513

申请日：1995-05-08

申请人： Yan Ye ,  Hiroji Hanawa ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma ,  Gerald Zheyao Yin

发明人： Yan Ye ,  Hiroji Hanawa ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma ,  Gerald Zheyao Yin

IPC分类号： H05H1/46 ,  C23C14/24 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/203 ,  H01L21/205 ,  H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01J7/24

CPC分类号： H01J37/32091 ,  H01J37/32082 ,  H01J37/321

摘要： The invention is embodiment in a plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer, the reactor having a pair of parallel capacitive electrodes at the ceiling and base of the processing chamber, respectively, each of the capacitive electrodes capacitvely coupling RF power into the chamber in accordance with a certain RF phase relationship between the pair of electrodes during processing of the semiconductor wafer for ease of plasma ignition and precise control of plasma ion energy and process reproducibility, and an inductive coil wound around a portion of the chamber and inductively coupling RF power into the chamber for independent control of plasma ion density. Preferably, in order to minimize the number of RF sources while providing independent power control, the invention includes power splitting to separately provide power from a common source or sources to the pair of electrodes and to the coil.

摘要翻译： 本发明是用于处理半导体晶片的等离子体反应器中的实施例，该反应器分别在处理室的天花板和底部具有一对平行的电容电极，每个电容电极根据电容电容将RF功率电容耦合到室中 在半导体晶片的处理期间该对电极之间的某些RF相位关系易于等离子体点火并且精确控制等离子体离子能量和工艺再现性，以及感应线圈，其缠绕在腔室的一部分上并将RF功率感应耦合到 用于独立控制等离子体离子密度。 优选地，为了在提供独立的功率控制的同时最小化RF源的数量，本发明包括功率分配以从共同的源或源分别向一对电极和线圈供电。

公开(公告)号：US5817534A

公开(公告)日：1998-10-06

申请号：US567376

申请日：1995-12-04

申请人： Yan Ye ,  Hiroji Hanawa ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma ,  Gerald Zheyao Yin ,  Peter Loewenhardt ,  Donald Olgado ,  James Papanu ,  Steven S.Y. Mak

发明人： Yan Ye ,  Hiroji Hanawa ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma ,  Gerald Zheyao Yin ,  Peter Loewenhardt ,  Donald Olgado ,  James Papanu ,  Steven S.Y. Mak

IPC分类号： H05H1/46 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/00 ,  H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/304 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H05H1/00

CPC分类号： H01L21/67028 ,  H01J37/32862 ,  Y10S438/905

摘要： The invention is carried out in a plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer, the plasma reactor having a chamber for containing a processing gas and having a conductor connected to an RF power source for coupling RF power into the reactor chamber to generate from the processing gas a plasma inside the chamber, the chamber containing at least one surface exposed toward the plasma and susceptible to contamination by particles produced during processing of the wafer, the invention being carried out by promoting, during processing of the wafer, bombarding of particles from the plasma onto the one surface to remove therefrom contaminants deposited during processing of the wafer. Such promoting of bombarding is carried out by providing an RF power supply and coupling, during processing of the wafer, RF power from the supply to the one surface. The coupling may be performed by a capacitive cleaning electrode adjacent the one surface, the capacitive cleaning electrode connected to the RF power supply. The capacitive cleaning electrode preferably is disposed on a side of the one surface opposite the plasma so as to be protected from contact with the plasma. Alternatively, the coupling may be carried out by a direct electrical connection from the RF power supply to the one surface.

摘要翻译： 本发明在用于处理半导体晶片的等离子体反应器中进行，等离子体反应器具有用于容纳处理气体的室，并具有连接到RF电源的导体，用于将RF功率耦合到反应器室中以从处理气体产生 腔室内的等离子体，该腔室包含至少一个暴露于等离子体的表面并容易受到在晶片加工期间产生的颗粒的污染，本发明通过在晶片加工期间促进从等离子体中轰击颗粒而进行 在一个表面上去除在晶片加工期间沉积的污染物。 通过在晶片的处理期间提供RF电源和耦合来进行轰击的这种促进是从电源到单个表面的RF功率。 耦合可以通过与一个表面相邻的电容清洁电极，电容清洁电极连接到RF电源来进行。 电容式清洁电极优选地设置在与等离子体相对的一个表面的一侧，以便被保护而不与等离子体接触。 或者，耦合可以通过从RF电源到一个表面的直接电连接来执行。

公开(公告)号：US06270687B1

公开(公告)日：2001-08-07

申请号：US09564042

申请日：2000-04-27

申请人： Yan Ye ,  Donald Olgado ,  Avi Tepman ,  Diana Ma ,  Gerald Zheyao Yin ,  Peter Loewenhardt ,  Jeng Hwang ,  Steve S. Y. Mak

发明人： Yan Ye ,  Donald Olgado ,  Avi Tepman ,  Diana Ma ,  Gerald Zheyao Yin ,  Peter Loewenhardt ,  Jeng Hwang ,  Steve S. Y. Mak

IPC分类号： B44C122

CPC分类号： H01J37/32477 ,  H01J37/321

摘要： An RF plasma etch reactor having an etch chamber with electrically conductive walls and a protective layer forming the portion of the walls facing the interior of the chamber. The protective layer prevents sputtering of material from the chamber walls by a plasma formed within the chamber. The etch reactor also has an inductive coil antenna disposed within the etch chamber which is used to generate the plasma by inductive coupling. Like the chamber walls, the inductive coil antenna is constructed to prevent sputtering of the material making up the antenna by the plasma. The coil antenna can take on any configuration (e.g. location, shape, orientation) that is necessary to achieve a desired power deposition pattern within the chamber. Examples of potential coil antenna configurations for achieving the desired power deposition pattern include constructing the coil antenna with a unitary or a segmented structure. The segmented structure involves the use of at least two coil segments wherein each segment is electrically isolated from the other segments and connected to a separate RF power signal. The unitary coil antenna or each of the coil segments can have a planar shape, a cylindrical shape, a truncated conical shape, a dome shape, or any combination thereof. The conductive walls are electrically grounded to serve as an electrical ground (i.e. anode) for a workpiece-supporting pedestal which is connected to a source of RF power to create a bias voltage at the surface of the workpiece.

摘要翻译： RF等离子体蚀刻反应器具有具有导电壁的蚀刻室和形成面向腔室内部的部分壁的保护层。 保护层防止在室内形成的等离子体从室壁溅射材料。 蚀刻反应器还具有设置在蚀刻室内的感应线圈天线，其用于通过感应耦合产生等离子体。 类似于室壁，感应线圈天线被构造成防止由等离子体溅射构成天线的材料。 线圈天线​​可以承受在室内实现期望的功率沉积图案所必需的任何配置（例如位置，形状，取向）。 用于实现期望的功率沉积模式的电位线圈天线配置的示例包括以整体或分段结构构造线圈天线。 分段结构涉及使用至少两个线圈段，其中每个段与其它段电隔离并连接到单独的RF功率信号。 单线圈天线或每个线圈段可以具有平面形状，圆柱形，截顶圆锥形，圆顶形或其任何组合。 导电壁电接地以用作工件支撑基座的电接地（即阳极），工件支撑基座连接到RF功率源，以在工件的表面产生偏置电压。

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：US06488862B1

公开(公告)日：2002-12-03

申请号：US09428307

申请日：1999-10-27

申请人： Yan Ye ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma ,  Gerald Yin

发明人： Yan Ye ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma ,  Gerald Yin

IPC分类号： C23F100

CPC分类号： H01L21/32131 ,  C23F4/00 ,  Y10T428/12229 ,  Y10T428/12528 ,  Y10T428/12771 ,  Y10T428/12826 ,  Y10T428/12896

摘要： Copper can be pattern etched at acceptable rates and with selectivity over adjacent materials using an etch process which utilizes a solely physical process which we have termed “enhanced physical bombardment”. Enhanced physical bombardment requires an increase in ion density and/or an increase in ion energy of ionized species which strike the substrate surface. To assist in the removal of excited copper atoms from the surface being etched, the power to the ion generation source and/or the substrate offset bias source may be pulsed. In addition, when the bombarding ions are supplied from a remote source, the supply of these ions may be pulsed. Further, thermal phoresis may be used by maintaining a substrate temperature which is higher than the temperature of a surface in the etch chamber. It is also possible to use a chemically reactive species in combination with the physical ion bombardment without causing copper corrosion problems, so long as the concentration of the chemically reactive ion component is sufficiently low that the etching is carried out in a physical bombardment dominated etch regime.

摘要翻译： 铜可以以可接受的速率进行图案蚀刻，并且使用使用仅称为“增强物理轰击”的物理过程的蚀刻工艺对相邻材料具有选择性。 增强的物理轰击需要离子密度的增加和/或离子化物质的离子能量的增加，这些物质撞击到基底表面。 为了帮助从被蚀刻的表面去除激发的铜原子，离子产生源和/或衬底偏置偏置源的功率可以是脉冲的。 此外，当从远程源供应轰击离子时，这些离子的供应可以是脉冲的。 此外，可以通过保持高于蚀刻室中的表面的温度的衬底温度来使用热电泳。 只要化学反应离子组分的浓度足够低以致蚀刻在物理轰击主导的蚀刻状态下进行，也可以将化学反应物质与物理离子轰击结合使用而不引起铜腐蚀问题 。

公开(公告)号：US5968847A

公开(公告)日：1999-10-19

申请号：US42146

申请日：1998-03-13

申请人： Yan Ye ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma

发明人： Yan Ye ,  Diana Xiaobing Ma

IPC分类号： C23F4/00 ,  H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L21/768 ,  H01L21/00 ,  B44C1/22

CPC分类号： C23F4/00 ,  H01L21/32136 ,  H01L21/76838 ,  H01L21/7684

摘要： In the preparation of semiconductor structures having multilevel copper conductive features which must be interconnected, it is frequently desired to remove portions of a copper layer deposited over a substrate. In particular, where lines and contacts are created by depositing a copper layer to fill trenches and vias present in a dielectric layer, it is desired to remove the portion of the copper layer which does not form the desired line or contact. The present invention provides a method of etching a copper layer (film) to remove the portion of the film which is not part of the desired conductive interconnect structure, while avoiding over etching of the structure and the formation of corrosive surface contaminants on the surface of the etched copper. The method of etching is referred to as the etchback process, since, in a typical fabrication process, the deposited copper layer is etched back to the upper or "field" surface of a substrate containing trenches and vias which are filled by the copper. The copper layer etchback may be conducted on a substrate surface using a low temperature regime, below about 150.degree. C. Within this low temperature regime, the etchback is preferably conducted using essentially physical bombardment of the copper surface. Or, the etchback may be carried out with the substrate surface at a temperature which falls within a high temperature regime, above about 150.degree. C. Within this high temperature regime, three different etch chemistries may be used. The etch plasma may be formed solely from non-reactive gases; the etch plasma may be formed solely from gases which are produce a reactive species (such as a gas which is a source of chlorine or fluorine), or, the etch plasma may be formed from a combination of non-reactive and reactive gases which are tailored to adjust selectivity and etch rate. When the gas is a source of chlorine or fluorine, it is preferred that the gas be a compound comprising at least one other element in combination with chlorine or fluorine.

公开(公告)号：US06277251B1

公开(公告)日：2001-08-21

申请号：US09515695

申请日：2000-02-29

申请人： Jeng H. Hwang ,  Steve S. Y. Mak ,  Yan Ye

发明人： Jeng H. Hwang ,  Steve S. Y. Mak ,  Yan Ye

IPC分类号： C23C1434

CPC分类号： H01J37/32504

摘要： An assembly for allowing stable power transmission into a plasma processing chamber comprising a dielectric member; and at least one material deposition support assembly secured to the dielectric member for receiving and supporting the deposition of materials during processing of a substrate and a chamber having a controlled environment and containing a plasma of a processing gas. A plasma reactor for processing substrates having a reactor chamber including a chamber sidewall and a dielectric window supported by the chamber sidewall. A plurality of deposition support members is coupled to an inside surface of the dielectric window for receiving and supporting a deposition of materials during processing of substrates. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the plurality of deposition support members is connected to a liner assembly instead of to the dielectric window. The liner assembly is supported by the chamber sidewall. A pedestal is disposed in the reactor chamber for supporting substrates, such as semiconductor wafers, in the reacting chamber. The plasma reactor also includes a processing power source, a processing power gas-introducing assembly for introducing processing gas into the reactor chamber, and a processing power-transmitting member for transmitting power into the reactor interior to aid in sustaining a plasma from the processing gas within the reacting chamber. A method for adjusting the density of plasma contained in a chamber wherein substrates are to be processed. A method of processing (e.g. etching or depositing) a metal layer disposed on a substrate.

摘要翻译： 一种用于允许稳定的电力传输到包括电介质构件的等离子体处理室中的组件; 以及固定到电介质构件的至少一个材料沉积支撑组件，用于在衬底和具有受控环境的腔室的处理过程中接收和支撑材料的沉积并且包含处理气体的等离子体。 一种用于处理基板的等离子体反应器，其具有包括室侧壁和由室侧壁支撑的电介质窗的反应室。 多个沉积支撑构件联接到电介质窗口的内表面，用于在衬底的处理期间接收和支撑材料的沉积。 在本发明的替代实施例中，多个沉积支撑构件连接到衬垫组件而不是电介质窗口。 衬套组件由腔室侧壁支撑。 基座设置在反应室中，用于在反应室中支撑诸如半导体晶片的衬底。 等离子体反应器还包括处理电源，用于将处理气体引入反应室的处理能力气体引入组件和用于将动力传送到反应器内部以帮助维持来自处理气体的等离子体的处理能力传递部件 在反应室内。 一种用于调节包含在其中将要处理衬底的腔室中的等离子体的密度的方法。 处理（例如蚀刻或沉积）设置在基板上的金属层的方法。