Etch rate detection for anti-reflective coating layer and absorber layer etching

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9142467-B2
Application number	US-201414558422-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2014
Priority date	Dec 19, 2011
Publication date	Sep 22, 2015
Grant date	Sep 22, 2015

Abstract

A method and apparatus for etching a photomask substrate with enhanced process monitoring is provided. In one embodiment, a method of determining an etching endpoint includes performing an etching process on a first tantalum containing layer through a patterned mask layer, directing a radiation source having a first wavelength from about 200 nm and about 800 nm to an area uncovered by the patterned mask layer, collecting an optical signal reflected from the area covered by the patterned mask layer, analyzing a waveform obtained the reflected optical signal reflected from the substrate from a first time point to a second time point, and determining a first endpoint of the etching process when a slope of the waveform is changed about 5 percent from the first time point to the second time point.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of determining an etching endpoint of a tantalum containing layer disposed on a substrate during an etching process, comprising:
performing an etching process on a tantalum and oxygen containing layer disposed on a first surface of a substrate through a patterned mask layer in a plasma etch chamber;
directing a first radiation source having a first wavelength from about 200 nm and about 800 nm from the first surface of the substrate to an area unc…

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Grimbergen Michael

Classifications

• H10P74/203

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10P50/267

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10P74/238 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01J37/32963

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01J37/32972

  Electricity · mapped topic