Experimental Tests Of The Steady-State Model For Oxygen Reactive Ion Etching Of Silicon-Containing Polymers

Jurgensen, Charles W.; Shugard, A.; Dudash, N.; Reichmanis, Elsa; Vasile, M. J.

doi:10.1117/12.968326

Cited by 10 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…[45][46][47] The effect of the plasma etching conditions on polymer etch behavior has been studied using a number of models, but they are typically restricted for the particular discharge properties employed in those studies. [48][49][50][51][52] Based on the measured etching rates, compositional information, and surface chemistry determination, we developed a simple etching model which can explain the observed etch behavior. In our approach, we present a very basic and simple etch model, which captures basic trends in removal.…”

Section: A Influence Of Surface Composition On Polymer Etching Ratementioning

confidence: 99%

Dependence of photoresist surface modifications during plasma-based pattern transfer on choice of feedgas composition: Comparison of C4F8- and CF4-based discharges

Engelmann¹,

Bruce²,

Weilnboeck³

et al. 2009

Journal of Vacuum Science &Amp; Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures Processing, Measurement, and Phenomena

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The authors report a study of the impact of surface chemical factors on etch rates along with surface and line edge roughness introduction for prototypical photoresist (PR) materials and structures during plasma-based pattern transfer employing fluorocarbon (FC) discharges. For selected photoresist materials and model polymers (193nm PR, 248nm, PR, and polymethyladamantyl methacrylate), the influence of bulk polymer properties on plasma durability was clarified by comparing etch rates, surface roughness introduction, and profile evolution of nanostructures. They studied the effects of both fluorocarbon fragment deposition and polymer surface fluorination by gas phase fluorine atoms on plasma etching resistance and surface roughness evolution of the organic materials by comparing discharges fed with C4F8∕Ar or CF4∕Ar∕H2 gas mixtures. The spatial frequency distribution of surface roughness was obtained using fast Fourier transformation of atomic force microscopy data. A graphitic layer was formed for Ar containing discharges on the polymer surfaces. Fluorocarbon deposition on the damaged photoresist affected roughening in two opposing ways: ion-induced mixing with the damaged polymer layer increased surface roughening, whereas for simple FC precursor deposition a reduction in surface roughness was seen. The latter effect was especially important during profile evolution of three-dimensional structures. Fluorination of the photoresist surfaces by fluorine-rich plasma increased polymer etching yields, and for highly fluorinated surfaces inhibited the formation of the graphitic surface layer. The destruction of the adamantyl structure is usually found in fluorocarbon/argon discharges and is a major origin of roughness evolution for 193nm PR materials. Process conditions having high etch yields were found to improve the roughness results of 193nm PR after etch. The fluorination of the photoresist materials prevented the formation of characteristic small scale roughness features at the cost of large scale roughness introduction. Use of low energy density process conditions prevented the introduction of large scale roughness and can be explained by suppression of surface roughness growth by an ion-induced transfer mechanism. Alternatively, CF4∕H2 processing also showed improved roughness results due to a separate layer deposition of the fluorocarbon film on top of the photoresist material. The etch results for all process conditions can be combined in a surface roughening model where the roughening behavior of the film scales linearly with the energy density delivered to the polymer surface during processing. Even for a range of feedgas chemistries, adamantyl-containing polymers show enhanced roughening rates, suggesting that the instability of the adamantyl structure used in 193nm PR polymers is the performance limiting factor for processing these PR materials.

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Section: A Influence Of Surface Composition On Polymer Etching Ratementioning

confidence: 99%

Dependence of photoresist surface modifications during plasma-based pattern transfer on choice of feedgas composition: Comparison of C4F8- and CF4-based discharges

Engelmann¹,

Bruce²,

Weilnboeck³

et al. 2009

Journal of Vacuum Science &Amp; Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures Processing, Measurement, and Phenomena

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“…One major application is in lithography. [9][10][11] Thus, silicon containing polymers are good candidates as top layer resist materials for bilayer lithography in almost any NGL scheme, supposing that problems related to line-edge roughness ͑LER͒ after plasma development are solved. 6 157 nm lithography is also considered, where most of the polymers based on carbon skeleton, usually employed as resist for lithography, have too high absorbance unless they are at least partially fluorinated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasma oxidation of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane polymers

Eon

Raballand

Cartry

et al. 2006

Journal of Vacuum Science &Amp; Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures Processing, Measurement, and Phenomena

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International audienceCopolymers containing polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS™) units have been developed to be used as photoresist components in a bilayer resist scheme for 193 nm lithography. This article reports on the behavior of these new POSS based materials under oxygen plasmas. The authors demonstrate using in situ ellipsometry and in situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy that during the first seconds in the plasma a silicon oxide layer is formed on the top surface of the POSS materials. This superficial layer prevents etching and material consumption. An ion-enhanced oxidation model is proposed to describe and explain the experimental data and further investigate POSS etching mechanisms in oxygen plasma. The model shows that the oxide formation rate is reduced exponentially with the oxide thickness. It also predicts that thickness loss has its main roots in the layer densification that occurs when the oxide is formed and shows that the oxide formation is ion enhanced and thus favored at −100 V compared to 0 V bia

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“…[50][51][52][53] The etch selectivity between silylated and nonsilylated regions is a strong function of ion energy. 53 Gokan et al 54 proposed that the etch rate of organosilicon polymers is proportional to the ratio of atoms/silicon atoms in a monomer unit; 2,51 for low silicon content, porous SiO 2 films are formed.…”

Section: B Dry Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wet silylation and oxygen plasma development of photoresists: A mature and versatile lithographic process for microelectronics and microfabrication

Gogolides

1996

Journal of Vacuum Science &Amp; Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures Processing, Measurement, and Phenomena

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Experimental Tests Of The Steady-State Model For Oxygen Reactive Ion Etching Of Silicon-Containing Polymers

Cited by 10 publications

References 0 publications

Dependence of photoresist surface modifications during plasma-based pattern transfer on choice of feedgas composition: Comparison of C4F8- and CF4-based discharges

Dependence of photoresist surface modifications during plasma-based pattern transfer on choice of feedgas composition: Comparison of C4F8- and CF4-based discharges

Plasma oxidation of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane polymers

Wet silylation and oxygen plasma development of photoresists: A mature and versatile lithographic process for microelectronics and microfabrication

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