The present invention relates to plasma etching of semiconductive materials, and more specifically to controlling charge flow vertically through the semiconductor wafer layers during reactive ion etching.
During reactive ion etching, variations in etch depth and profile can occur across the wafer surface for the same desired feature. It would be advantageous to minimize such variations to better control dimensions for features such as vias and trenches.
Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of reactive ion etching which reduces variations in etch depth and profile across the wafer surface for the same desired feature.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of reactive ion etching which controls etch depth and profile near the wafer edge.
A further object of the invention is to control etch depth and profile during reactive ion etching of wafers which have alternating n and p-type layers.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of controlling charge flow vertically through the semiconductor wafer layers during reactive ion etching.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.
The above and other objects, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, are achieved in the present invention which is directed to a method of reactive ion etching a wafer comprising providing a plasma processing tool having a wafer chuck within a chamber and an electrode for creating a plasma within the chamber above the wafer chuck. The method also includes providing on the wafer chuck a semiconductor wafer having a p− layer and an n+ layer. Both p− and n+ layers have exposed peripheral edges during plasma etching to electrically form with the plasma processing tool during plasma etching a diode having an anode comprising the plasma, a cathode comprising the wafer chuck and a gate comprising the n+ layer peripheral edge. The method further includes controlling charge flow during plasma etching adjacent the peripheral edge of the n+ layer to reduce charge transport into, within and out of the semiconductor wafer adjacent the n+ layer peripheral edge, and reactive ion etching the n+ layer while controlling the charge flow along the peripheral edge of the n+ layer.
In a related aspect the present invention is directed to a method of reactive ion etching a wafer comprising providing a plasma processing tool having a wafer chuck within a chamber and an electrode for creating a plasma within the chamber above the wafer chuck and providing on the wafer chuck a semiconductor wafer having a p− layer and, above the p− layer, a n+ layer to be etched. The n+ layer has a peripheral edge, and the p− layer has during plasma etching an exposed peripheral edge. As a result, the semiconductor wafer electrically forms with the plasma processing tool during plasma etching an anode comprising the plasma, a cathode comprising the wafer chuck and a gate comprising the n+ layer peripheral edge. The method further includes controlling charge flow during plasma etching adjacent the peripheral edge of the n+ layer to reduce charge transport into, within and out of the semiconductor wafer adjacent the n+ layer peripheral edge, and reactive ion etching the n+ layer while controlling the charge flow along the peripheral edge of the n+ layer.
During reactive ion etching the plasma processing tool can electrically form a diode with the semiconductor wafer.
The reactive ion etching can create vias or trenches in the n+ layer.
The charge flow during plasma etching can be controlled by applying adjacent the peripheral edge of the n+ layer a coating layer of a material that reduces charge flow to the portion of the semiconductor wafer below the material, while leaving a major portion of the n+ layer surface free of the material during the reactive ion etching. The material can be an electrical non-conductor, a polymer or a resist.
The n+ layer can have a bevel between the n+ layer surface and the n+ layer peripheral edge, and the coating layer can extend along the n+ layer bevel. The coating layer can extend along the n+ layer peripheral edge, and/or can extend along a portion of the n+ layer surface adjacent the n+ layer peripheral edge. The coating layer can extend along a portion of a peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer in contact with the wafer chuck.
The charge flow during plasma etching can be controlled by doping the n+ layer adjacent the n+ layer peripheral edge with an implant of an n or p type dopant that reduces charge flow to the portion of the semiconductor wafer adjacent the n+ layer peripheral edge, while leaving a major portion of the n+ layer surface free of the dopant during the reactive ion etching.
The charge flow during plasma etching can be controlled by providing variation in electrical conductivity between the p− layer and the wafer chuck adjacent the exposed edge of the p− layer as compared to a remaining central region of the p− layer above the wafer chuck to reduce charge flow to the portion of the semiconductor wafer adjacent the n+ layer peripheral edge. The variation in electrical conductivity between the p− layer and the wafer chuck adjacent the exposed edge of the p− layer can be provided by reducing conductivity of the wafer chuck below the exposed edge of the p− layer as compared to conductivity of the wafer chuck below the remaining region of the p− layer. The variation in electrical conductivity between the p− layer and the wafer chuck adjacent the exposed edge of the p− layer can be provided by reducing contact of the wafer chuck with the semiconductor wafer below the exposed edge of the p− layer as compared to contact of the wafer chuck below the remaining region of the p− layer.
The charge flow during plasma etching can be controlled by applying radiation selected from the group consisting of heat and electromagnetic radiation to reduce charge from adjacent the peripheral edge of the n+ layer, as compared to a remaining portion of the semiconductor wafer, during the reactive ion etching.
The features of the invention believed to be novel and the elements characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The figures are for illustration purposes only and are not drawn to scale. The invention itself, however, both as to organization and method of operation, can best be understood by reference to the detailed description which follows taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
In describing the embodiment of the present invention, reference will be made herein to
A plasma processing tool 20 is depicted in
The wafer that can be etched by the method of the present invention has alternating p and n-type semiconductor layers. The n-type semiconductor layer has a larger electron concentration than hole concentration, and can be doped, for example, with phosphorus. The p-type semiconductor layer has a larger hole concentration than electron concentration, and can be doped, for example, with boron. The wafer to be etched in the example shown consists of a p− layer of <100> orientation silicon substrate 40 in contact with chuck 26 and, directly above layer 40, a n+ layer of epitaxial silicon 42 with an upper surface to be etched. Initially, a thin layer of the n+ layer 42′ can surround the side edges of p− layer 40, and can even extend under it (not shown), between the p− layer and the chuck. Above n+ layer 42 is undoped silicon SOI layer 46, and between layers 42 and 46, isolating silicon oxide BOX layer 48. A photoresist layer 44 is deposited over the surface of layer 46 and contains openings created there through (by normal lithographic methods) which are configured to the pattern to be etched in layer 42. Other layers can be present between BOX layer 48 and resist layer 44.
During reactive ion etching a radio frequency (RF) electric field is created between electrodes 28 and 30, which creates a plasma 36 of the reactive gas above the wafer. During the process the plasma builds up a positive charge and the wafer electrically connected to the chuck and builds up a negative charge, and the result is that the positive ions of the reactive gas 34 etch the exposed portions of the layer 42 beneath resist layer 44. As shown in
For the type of wafer to be reactive ion etched as shown in
The DC electrical potentials of the wafer and plasma tool structure are shown in
As shown more particularly in
Accordingly, in accordance with the present invention, charge transport into, within and out of the wafer during RIE can be controlled to avoid these detrimental changes in current flow.
A first method of controlling charge flow in wafer structures of the type shown herein, and generally when reactive ion etching an n+ layer disposed over a p− layer, is by patterning or depositing material on the wafer edge, top and/or bottom surface. This is shown by way of example in
A further example of edge coating is shown in
Another method of controlling charge flow in wafer structures is shown in
The method of the present invention therefore intentionally uses one or more of neighboring diode-like junctions within a semiconductor substrate, as described above, for the purpose of controlling patterning during subsequent reactive ion etch.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a solution to one or more of the objects above. Use of the method of the invention can allow for superior design and construction of switchgear, filamentary emitters and trench arrays by ensuring critical dimension uniformity and nanoscale control of electrical discharges during reactive ion etching.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising”, when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all elements or steps in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will embrace any such alternatives, modifications and variations as falling within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/850,491, filed Sep. 10, 2015, the contents of which are incorporated by reference it its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20170076951 A1 | Mar 2017 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14850491 | Sep 2015 | US |
Child | 15266121 | US |