Workpiece processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11049730-B2
Application number	US-201916375071-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2019
Priority date	Apr 5, 2018
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

A method of processing a workpiece includes: forming a ruthenium film on the workpiece and disposing a mask on the ruthenium film; etching the ruthenium film through a plasma processing; forming a protective film on the workpiece through an atomic layer deposition method, the protective film including a first region extending along a side wall surface of the mask and a second region extending over the ruthenium film; and etching the protective film so as to remove the second region while leaving the first region. The etching the ruthenium film includes a first step of etching the ruthenium film through a plasma processing using an oxygen-containing gas, and a second step of etching the ruthenium film through a plasma processing using a chlorine-containing gas. The first step and the second step are alternately performed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of processing a workpiece, the method comprising:
providing the workpiece including a ruthenium film and a mask on the ruthenium film;
etching the ruthenium film through a plasma processing;
forming a protective film on the workpiece through an atomic layer deposition method, the protective film including a first region extending along a side wall surface of the mask and a second region extending over the ruthenium film; and
etching the protective film so as to remove the second region while leaving the first region,
wherein the etching the ruthenium film includes:
a first step of etching the ruthenium film through a plasma processing using an oxygen-containing gas; and
a second step of etching the ruthenium film through a plasma processing using a chlorine-containing gas,
wherein the first step and the second step are alternately performed,

wherein the protective film is an organic film, and
the forming the protective film includes performing a plurality of cycles each including:
supplying a gas containing an electron-donating substituent; and
supplying a gas containing an electron-attracting substituent.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protective film is a film selected from a group consisting of a metal film, an oxide film, a nitride film, and an organic film.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the protective film includes performing a plurality of cycles each including:
supplying a precursor gas containing a raw material of the protective film to the workpiece so as to deposit a precursor containing the raw material of the protective film on the workpiece; and
generating plasma in order to supply active species to the precursor on the workpiece.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
acquiring in-plane distribution data of a thickness of the ruthenium film; and
determining a target temperature at each position on the workpiece such that the thickness of the ruthenium film becomes flat, based on a relationship between an etching amount per cycle in which the first step and the second step are included as one set and a temperature of the workpiece and a processing time of each step, which is acquired in advance, the in-plane distribution data of the thickness of the ruthenium film, and a target processing time of each step,
wherein the target processing time in the first step is equal to or shorter than a processing time in which a reaction between ruthenium and oxygen is saturated, and/or the target processing time in the second step is equal to or shorter than a processing time in which a reaction between ruthenium and chlorine is saturated, and
wherein, in the first step and the second step, a temperature distribution of the workpiece is controlled such that the determined target temperature at each position on the workpiece is acquired.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
acquiring a relationship among an etching amount per cycle in which the first step and the second step are included as one set, a temperature of the workpiece, and a processing time of each step; and
determining a target processing time of each step based on the relationship and a target temperature set within a temperature range corresponding to the relationship,
wherein the target processing time in the first step is set to be equal to or longer than a processing time in which a reaction between ruthenium and oxygen is saturated, and/or the target processing time in the second step is set to be equal to or longer than a processing time in which a reaction between ruthenium and chlorine is saturated.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing an exhaust processing after the first step and/or the second step.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after the etching the ruthenium film, determining whether or not the number of execution cycles in which the first step and the second step are included as one set is equal to a specified number of cycles that is a threshold value predetermined in order to determine a timing of forming the protective film.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein, when it is determined that the number of execution cycles is equal to the specified number of cycles in the determining whether or not the number of execution cycles is equal to the specified number of cycles, the forming the protective film and the etching the protective film are executed again.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
when it is determined that the number of execution cycles is not equal to the specified number of cycles in the determining whether or not the number of execution cycles is equal to the specified number of cycles, or when the forming the protective film and the etching the protective film are terminated after the determining whether or not the number of execution cycles is equal to the specified number of cycles, determining whether or not the number of execution cycles is equal to a preset target number of cycles.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein, when it is determined that the number of execution cycles is equal to the specified number of cycles in the determining whether or not the number of execution cycles is equal to the specified number of cycles, the method is terminated, and when it is determined that the number of execution cycles is not equal to the specified number of cycles in the determining whether or not the number of execution cycles is equal to the specified number of cycles, the etching the ruthenium and the determining whether or not the number of execution cycles is equal to the specified number of cycles are executed again.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
acquiring a relationship among an etching amount per cycle in which the first step and the second step are included as one set, a temperature of the workpiece, and a processing time of each step; and
determining a target temperature and a target processing time of each step based on the relationship.

12. A method of processing a workpiece, the method comprising:
providing the workpiece including a ruthenium film and a mask on the ruthenium film;
etching the ruthenium film through a plasma processing;
forming a protective film on the workpiece through an atomic layer deposition method, the protective film including a first region extending along a side wall surface of the mask and a second region extending over the ruthenium film; and
etching the protective film so as to remove the second region while leaving the first region,
wherein the etching the ruthenium film includes:
a first step of etching the ruthenium film through a plasma processing using an oxygen-containing gas; and
a second step of etching the ruthenium film through a plasma processing using a chlorine-containing gas,

wherein the first step and the second step are alternately performed,
wherein the method further comprises:
acquiring in-plane distribution data of dimensions of the mask; and
determining a target temperature at each position on the workpiece such that the dimensions of the mask become designed values, based on a relationship between a deposition amount of the protective film and a temperature of the workpiece, which is acquired in advance, and the in-plane distribution data of the dimensions of the mask, and

wherein, in the forming the protective film, a temperature distribution of the workpiece is controlled such that the determined target temperature at each position on the workpiece is acquired.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
acquiring in-plane distribution data of a thickness of the ruthenium film; and
determining a target

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Nagatomo Yu
• Kato Takahiko

Classifications

• H10P74/238

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

• H10P72/0604

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0421

  for drying etching · CPC title

• H10P50/71

  using masks for conductive or resistive materials · CPC title

• H10P50/267 Primary

  using plasmas · CPC title