Etch Process Sensitivity To An Inductively Coupled Plasma Etcher Treated With Fluorine-Based Plasma
Abstract
Significant etch rate drop after the treatment of an etch chamber with Fluorine-based plasma has been found for some silicon etch processes on an inductively coupled plasma reactor, which might cause problems in IC production line once the etch chamber runs alternative processes with F-based and F-free chemistry, or needs frequent cleaning with F-plasma. In this work, a systematic study of the root cause of process sensitivity to the etch chamber treated with F-plasma has been conducted. The experimental results show that pressure is a key factor to affect the etch rate drop. Processes at high pressure are more sensitive than those at low pressure because the quenching of neutral reactive species becomes more severe after the F-treatment. O2 addition also increases the etch rate sensitivity, basically due to higher O2(subscript: )concentration after F-treatment which enhances the oxidation of silicon. The EDX and XPS elemental analysis of the chamber interior wall reveals a significant composition change after the interaction with F-plasma, the altered surface might accelerate the recombination of free radical species.
- Publication:
-
APS Annual Gaseous Electronics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- October 1997
- Bibcode:
- 1997APS..GEC.NW208X