Characterization of SiO2 Etching Profiles in Pulse-Modulated Capacitively Coupled Plasmas

Abstract

Although pulse-modulated plasma has overcome various problems encountered during the development of the high aspect ratio contact hole etching process, there is still a lack of understanding in terms of precisely how the pulse-modulated plasma solves the issues. In this research, to gain insight into previously observed phenomena, SiO2 etching characteristics were investigated under various pulsed plasma conditions and analyzed through plasma diagnostics. Specifically, the disappearance of micro-trenching from the use of pulse-modulated plasma is analyzed via self-bias, and the phenomenon that as power off-time increases, the sidewall angle increases is interpreted via radical species density and self-bias. Further, the change from etching to deposition with decreased peak power during processing is understood via self-bias and electron density. It is expected that this research will provide an informative window for the optimization of SiO2 etching and for basic processing databases including plasma diagnosis for advanced plasma processing simulators.

Investigation of SiO2 Etch Characteristics by C6F6/Ar/O2 Plasmas Generated Using Inductively Coupled Plasma and Capacitively Coupled Plasma

“…As the semiconductor device size has decreased to nanoscale due to the high integration of the circuit, the critical dimension has decreased to a few nanometers and the device structure has changed from 2D to 3D. To fabricate these devices, etching technologies such as pulsed plasma etching technology and multiple patterning technology are widely investigated [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] and applied using two different plasma etching systems, namely the capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) etching system and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching system.…”

The Reflectance Characteristics of an Inverse Moth-Eye Structure in a Silicon Substrate Depending on SF6/O2 Plasma Etching Conditions

“…Various variables, such as upper RF power and process pressure, exist in the plasma etching process, and the etch rate and etch profile can be changed by tuning these conditions [ 38 , 39 ]. For example, an increase in upper RF power increases the dissociation action of the injected gas, increasing the density of radicals in the plasma, and affecting the electron temperature in a certain range [ 40 , 41 ].…”

Functional Nanomaterials from Waste and Low‐Value Natural Products: A Technological Approach Level

“…[138,139] This set of processes often requires the application of more complex equipment, as compared to the thermochemical methods. [140,141] To date, many types of plasma systems have been designed such as, e.g., DC discharge-based platforms, [142][143][144] microwave systems, [145][146][147] inductively coupled plasma (ICP), [148][149][150] and capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) [151,152] systems, radio-frequency (RF) and magnetrons, [153][154][155][156] and many others. [157][158][159][160] Figure 9.…”