Systems and methods for improved performance in semiconductor processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10892198-B2
Application number	US-201816131942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2018
Priority date	Sep 14, 2018
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

Exemplary etching methods may include flowing a hydrogen-containing precursor into a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include forming a plasma of the fluorine-containing precursor in the remote plasma region. The methods may include etching a pre-determined amount of a silicon-containing material from a substrate in a processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include measuring a radical density within the remote plasma region during the etching. The methods may also include halting the flow of the hydrogen-containing precursor into the semiconductor processing chamber when the radical density measured over time correlates to a produced amount of etchant to remove the pre-determined amount of the silicon-containing material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An etching method comprising:
flowing a hydrogen-containing precursor into a semiconductor processing chamber;
flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of the semiconductor processing chamber;
forming a plasma of the fluorine-containing precursor in the remote plasma region;
etching a pre-determined amount of a silicon-containing material from a substrate in a processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber;
measuring a radical density within the remote plasma region during the etching; and
halting the flow of the hydrogen-containing precursor into the semiconductor processing chamber when the radical density measured over time correlates to a produced amount of etchant to remove the pre-determined amount of the silicon-containing material.

2. The etching method of claim 1 , wherein the measuring is of an atomic trace of hydrogen within the remote plasma region of the semiconductor processing chamber.

3. The etching method of claim 2 , wherein the hydrogen-containing precursor comprises hydrogen, ammonia, or water.

4. The etching method of claim 2 , wherein the measuring is performed with an optical emission spectrometer positioned within a dielectric component at least partially defining the remote plasma region of the semiconductor processing chamber.

5. The etching method of claim 4 , wherein the measuring comprises measuring a peak intensity of radical hydrogen within the remote plasma region of the semiconductor processing chamber.

6. The etching method of claim 2 , further comprising, prior to halting the flow of the hydrogen-containing precursor, identifying an increase in the atomic trace within the remote plasma region.

7. The etching method of claim 6 , wherein the increase correlates to complete removal of the silicon-containing material.

8. The etching method of claim 1 , wherein the remote plasma region is a region defined within the semiconductor processing chamber and separated from the processing region by one or more chamber components.

9. The etching method of claim 1 , further comprising flowing an inert precursor into the remote plasma region and forming a plasma of the inert precursor within the remote plasma region.

10. The etching method claim 9 , wherein a stable plasma of the inert precursor is produced prior to flowing the fluorine-containing precursor into the remote plasma region.

11. The etching method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen-containing precursor is flowed to bypass the remote plasma region during the etching method.

12. An etching method comprising:
flowing a hydrogen-containing precursor into a semiconductor processing chamber;
flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of the semiconductor processing chamber;
forming a plasma of the fluorine-containing precursor in the remote plasma region;
etching in a first etch process a pre-determined amount of a silicon-containing material from a substrate in a processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber;
measuring a radical density within the remote plasma region during the etching;
halting the flow of the hydrogen-containing precursor into the semiconductor processing chamber when the radical density measured over time correlates to a produced amount of etchant to remove the pre-determined amount of the silicon-containing material;
removing the substrate from the semiconductor processing chamber;
forming a plasma of a fluorine-containing precursor in the semiconductor processing chamber;
measuring a radical density of the hydrogen-containing precursor;
extinguishing the plasma of the fluorine-containing precursor when the radical density of the hydrogen-containing precursor reaches a pre-determined threshold; and
performing a second etch process.

13. The etching method of claim 12 , wherein the first etch process and the second etch process are different etch processes.

14. The etching method of claim 12 , wherein the first etch process comprises a first etch for a dual damascene etch process, and wherein the second etch process comprises a second etch for a dual damascene etch process.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Rodrigo Chirantha P
• Parikh Suketu A
• Cheung Tsz Keung
• Achanta Satya Gowthami
• Zhang Jingchun
• Singh Saravjeet
• Kim Tae Won

Classifications

• H10P50/242

  of Group IV materials · CPC title

• H10P74/238 Primary

  comprising acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection or in-situ thickness measurement · CPC title

• H10W20/084

  for dual-damascene structures · CPC title

• H10P50/283

  by chemical means · CPC title

• H01J37/32449

  Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow · CPC title