Plasma etching
Encyclopedia
Plasma etching is a form of plasma processing
used to fabricate integrated circuit
s. It involves a high-speed stream of glow discharge (plasma
) of an appropriate gas mixture being shot (in pulses) at a sample. The plasma source, known as etch species, can be either charged (ion
s) or neutral (atom
s and radicals
). During the process, the plasma will generate volatile etch products at room temperature from the chemical reaction
s between the elements of the material etched and the reactive species generated by the plasma. Eventually the atoms of the shot element embed themselves at or just below the surface of the target, thus modifying the physical properties of the target.
a variety of source gases in a vacuum system by using RF excitations. The frequency of operation of the RF power source is frequently 13.56 MHz, chosen by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) for industrial and scientific use. Nevertheless, it can be used at lower frequencies (kilohertz) or higher (microwave
).
The mode of operation of the plasma system will change if the operating pressure changes. Also, it is different for different structures of the reaction chamber. In the simple case, the electrode structure is symmetrical, and the sample is placed upon the grounded electrode. Free radicals such as fluorine
or chlorine
are created in the plasma and react at the sample surface.
Without the assistance of the plasma, much higher temperature would be required. The low processing temperature is possible because the plasma generates atom
s, molecular radicals
and positive ions
that are more chemically reactive than the normal molecular gases from which the species are created.
The key to developing successful complex etching processes is to find the appropriate gas etch chemistry that will form volatile products with the material to be etched. For some difficult materials (such as magnetic materials), the volatility can only be obtained when the wafer temperature is increased.
Plasma processing
Plasma processing is a plasma-based material processing technology that aims at modifying the chemical and physical properties of a surface.Plasma processing techniques include:*Plasma activation*Plasma etching*Plasma modification*Plasma functionalization...
used to fabricate integrated circuit
Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...
s. It involves a high-speed stream of glow discharge (plasma
Plasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
) of an appropriate gas mixture being shot (in pulses) at a sample. The plasma source, known as etch species, can be either charged (ion
Ion
An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge. The name was given by physicist Michael Faraday for the substances that allow a current to pass between electrodes in a...
s) or neutral (atom
Atom
The atom is a basic unit of matter that consists of a dense central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons...
s and radicals
Radical (chemistry)
Radicals are atoms, molecules, or ions with unpaired electrons on an open shell configuration. Free radicals may have positive, negative, or zero charge...
). During the process, the plasma will generate volatile etch products at room temperature from the chemical reaction
Chemical reaction
A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. Chemical reactions can be either spontaneous, requiring no input of energy, or non-spontaneous, typically following the input of some type of energy, such as heat, light or electricity...
s between the elements of the material etched and the reactive species generated by the plasma. Eventually the atoms of the shot element embed themselves at or just below the surface of the target, thus modifying the physical properties of the target.
Plasma generation
Plasma systems ionizeIonization
Ionization is the process of converting an atom or molecule into an ion by adding or removing charged particles such as electrons or other ions. This is often confused with dissociation. A substance may dissociate without necessarily producing ions. As an example, the molecules of table sugar...
a variety of source gases in a vacuum system by using RF excitations. The frequency of operation of the RF power source is frequently 13.56 MHz, chosen by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) for industrial and scientific use. Nevertheless, it can be used at lower frequencies (kilohertz) or higher (microwave
Microwave
Microwaves, a subset of radio waves, have wavelengths ranging from as long as one meter to as short as one millimeter, or equivalently, with frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz. This broad definition includes both UHF and EHF , and various sources use different boundaries...
).
The mode of operation of the plasma system will change if the operating pressure changes. Also, it is different for different structures of the reaction chamber. In the simple case, the electrode structure is symmetrical, and the sample is placed upon the grounded electrode. Free radicals such as fluorine
Fluorine
Fluorine is the chemical element with atomic number 9, represented by the symbol F. It is the lightest element of the halogen column of the periodic table and has a single stable isotope, fluorine-19. At standard pressure and temperature, fluorine is a pale yellow gas composed of diatomic...
or chlorine
Chlorine
Chlorine is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is the second lightest halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17. The element forms diatomic molecules under standard conditions, called dichlorine...
are created in the plasma and react at the sample surface.
Without the assistance of the plasma, much higher temperature would be required. The low processing temperature is possible because the plasma generates atom
Atom
The atom is a basic unit of matter that consists of a dense central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons...
s, molecular radicals
Radical (chemistry)
Radicals are atoms, molecules, or ions with unpaired electrons on an open shell configuration. Free radicals may have positive, negative, or zero charge...
and positive ions
Ion
An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge. The name was given by physicist Michael Faraday for the substances that allow a current to pass between electrodes in a...
that are more chemically reactive than the normal molecular gases from which the species are created.
The key to developing successful complex etching processes is to find the appropriate gas etch chemistry that will form volatile products with the material to be etched. For some difficult materials (such as magnetic materials), the volatility can only be obtained when the wafer temperature is increased.