Method for dry etching of transition metals

Patent · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998

OSTI ID:871865

Ashby, Carol I. H. ^[1]; Baca, Albert G ^[2]; Esherick, Peter ^[2]; Parmeter, John E ^[2]; Rieger, Dennis J ^[3]; Shul, Randy J ^[2]

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1. Edgewood, NM
2. Albuquerque, NM
3. Tijeras, NM

A method for dry etching of transition metals. The method for dry etching of a transition metal (or a transition metal alloy such as a silicide) on a substrate comprises providing at least one nitrogen- or phosphorous-containing .pi.-acceptor ligand in proximity to the transition metal, and etching the transition metal to form a volatile transition metal/.pi.-acceptor ligand complex. The dry etching may be performed in a plasma etching system such as a reactive ion etching (RIE) system, a downstream plasma etching system (i.e. a plasma afterglow), a chemically-assisted ion beam etching (CAIBE) system or the like. The dry etching may also be performed by generating the .pi.-acceptor ligands directly from a ligand source gas (e.g. nitrosyl ligands generated from nitric oxide), or from contact with energized particles such as photons, electrons, ions, atoms, or molecules. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, an intermediary reactant species such as carbonyl or a halide ligand is used for an initial chemical reaction with the transition metal, with the intermediary reactant species being replaced at least in part by the .pi.-acceptor ligand for forming the volatile transition metal/.pi.-acceptor ligand complex.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• Assignee: Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
• Patent Number(s): US 5814238
• OSTI ID: 871865
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

method
dry
etching
transition
metals
metal
alloy
silicide
substrate
comprises
providing
nitrogen-
phosphorous-containing
-acceptor
ligand
proximity
form
volatile
complex
performed
plasma
reactive
rie
downstream
afterglow
chemically-assisted
beam
caibe
generating
ligands
directly
source
gas
nitrosyl
generated
nitric
oxide
contact
energized
particles
photons
electrons
atoms
molecules
preferred
embodiments
intermediary
reactant
species
carbonyl
halide
initial
chemical
reaction
replaced
forming
substrate comprises
plasma etching
dry etching
comprises providing
preferred embodiments
transition metals
preferred embodiment
transition metal
chemical reaction
metal alloy
nitric oxide
plasma etch
reactant species
source gas
beam etching
ligand complex
/216/438/