Effects of N{sub 2} addition on chemical dry etching of silicon oxide layers in F{sub 2}/N{sub 2}/Ar remote plasmas
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Kyunggi-do 440-746 (Korea, Republic of) and Center for Advanced Plasma Surface Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Kyunggi-do 440-746 (Korea)
In this study, chemical dry etching characteristics of silicon oxide layers were investigated in the F{sub 2}/N{sub 2}/Ar remote plasmas. A toroidal-type remote plasma source was used for the generation of remote plasmas. The effects of additive N{sub 2} gas on the etch rates of various silicon oxide layers deposited using different deposition techniques and precursors were investigated by varying the various process parameters, such as the F{sub 2} flow rate, the additive N{sub 2} flow rate, and the substrate temperature. The etch rates of the various silicon oxide layers at room temperature were initially increased and then decreased with the N{sub 2} flow increased, which indicates an existence of the maximum etch rates. Increase in the oxide etch rates under the decreased optical emission intensity of the F radicals with the N{sub 2} flow increased implies that the chemical etching reaction is in the chemical reaction-limited regime, where the etch rate is governed by the surface chemical reaction rather than the F radical density. The etch rates of the silicon oxide layers were also significantly increased with the substrate temperature increased. In the present experiments, the F{sub 2} gas flow, the additive N{sub 2} flow rate, and the substrate temperature were found to be the critical parameters in determining the etch rate of the silicon oxide layers.
- OSTI ID:
- 20777325
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, International Journal Devoted to Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 24, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1116/1.2206190; (c) 2006 American Vacuum Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1553-1813
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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