Etching

Reading Assignments:
Plummer, Chap 10.1~10.4

Etching
Light
Mask

Etch Rate

Photoresist

Deposited Film
Substrate
Film deposition

Selectivity
Photoresist application

Exposure

Directional
(CD and profile)

Etch mask

Development

Important process
consideration:

Etching

Resist removal

Uniformity

Process that removes material from surface

Damage (Dry etch)
Chemical, physical or combination of the two
Selective or blanket etch
Selective etch transfers IC design image on the photoresist to the surface layer on
wafer
Other applications: Mask making, Printed electronic board, Artwork, etc.
2

Etching Methods
The process can remove the material from the surface
is called ETCHING.
A + B(s) AB N

ETCHING : Wet etching and Dry etching.

 Liquid
 Chemical solvent
 Chemical reaction.

 Dry (or called Plasma Etching)

 Gas
 Physical bombardment. or
Chemical reaction.(or combination)
Jyyang in NDL

Etch Rate

Selectivity
Selectivity is the ratio of etch rates of different
materials.
Very important in patterned etch
Selectivity to underneath layer and to photoresist

ER
S=
ER

Practical Etching Profiles

a)

lateral etch
b)

over etch
More directional etching

Anisotropic Af = 1 rlat/rver
a) isotropic

b) anisotropic

c) completely
anisotropic

Microloading Effect
depth/width ; etch rate
Aspect Ratio Dependent Etch Rate

ARDE effect

wafer
faster etch rate

slower etch rate

Microscopic loading effect

wafer
Jyyang in NDL

Microloading Effect
Smaller hole has a lower etch rate than the
larger holes
Etchants are more difficult to pass through the
smaller hole
Etch byproducts are harder to diffuse out
Lower pressure can minimize the effect.
Longer MFP, easier for etchants reaching the
film and for etch byproducts to get out

Over Etch
Film thickness and etch
rate is not uniform
Over etch: removes the
leftover film
Selectivity of etched
film and substrate
Endpoit Detector
Optical Emission
Spectroscopy, OES
Mass Spectroscopy, MS
Laser-Induce
Fluorescence, LIF
9

Wet Etching
Mechanism
Step 1:
Diffusion (reactant)
Step 2:
Reaction
Step 3:
Desorption (product)

Main factors

Isotropic

Reactant
product

boundary layer
PR
Film

reaction

wafer

reactant concentration
reaction time
reaction temperature
Jyyang in NDL

10

Wet Etch
Chemical solution to dissolve the materials on the wafer
surface
The byproducts are gases, liquids or materials that are
soluble in the etchant solution.
Three basic steps : etch, rinse, and dry
Spin Dryer

Etchant Sink

D.I. Wafer Rinse

11

12

Wet Etch Profiles

7 - 8 m
Photoresist
3m
Film
Substrate

Isotropic

3 m

Etch
Bias

PR
Film
Substrate

Cant be used for feature size smaller than 3 m

Replaced by plasma etch for fine line patterning

13

Si Anisotropic Etching
Si may be etched by direct
dissolution of Si atoms.
The (111)-plane has higher Si bonds density
than the (100)-plane. The etch rate in (111)plane is expected to be lower.
Anisotropic etching or oriented dependent
etching becomes possible.

Wb = W0 2l cot 54.7 D = W0 2l

Etch (100)-oriented Si through a

window creates V-groove (54.7o).
19 wt% KOH AT 80C, (100) : (110) : (111) =
100 : 16 : 1
10 wt% KOH at 80C, (100)-Si etch rate ~
1.1um/min, selectivity to SiO2>600.
14

Plasma Etch or Dry Etch Reactive Ion Etch (RIE)

Combination of chemical and physical etch
Plasma process, ion bombardment (physical) plus free
radicals (chemical)
Misleading name, should be called ion-assisted etch or
ion-induced etch
High and controllable etch rate
Anisotropic and controllable etch profile
Good and controllable selectivity
All patterned etches are RIE processes in 8 fabs
15

Schematic of RIE System

Provide DC bias!

16

Potential Distribution RF Biased

RF Source

Volt

Plasma Potential

DC Bias

RF potential
Time

V1 A2
=
V2 A1

17

Ion-assisted Etch

Free radical only

Ion Bombardment only

(isotropic)

(anisotropic)

18

Ion-assisted Etch

(anisotropic)

(anisotropic)
19

Ion-induced Etching
Etch rate of reactive radicals with etched material ~ 0
Heavy ion bombardment damages chemical bonds
Exposed surface atoms are easier to react with reactive radicals,
i.e., etch reaction is induced by ion bombardment
Ion bombardment is mainly in vertical direction
Etch conducted only on vertical direction anisotropic etch
Ex. Poly-Si gate etching

20

4F + SiO2(s) SiF4(g)N + O2(g)N

Etch chemistry:
Byproduct volatility
Selectivity
Anisotropy
21

Mask

Mask

Film

Film

Inhibitor vs. Etch Profile

Inhibitor
deposition
or formation

Inhibitor: etch byproducts that impede

further etch process. Important for the
control of etching profile.

Etch

Inhibitor
deposition
or formation

Etch

.
..

.
..
Final
profile

a. Inhibitor deposition rate

fast compared to etch rate

b. Inhibitor deposition rate relatively

slow compared to etch rate

22

Inhibitor vs. Etch Profile

Poly-silicon etch

C2H6 increase the sidewall

inhibitor (polymer ) deposition.

SiO2 etch

Higher C/F ratio increase the sidewall

inhibitor (polymer) deposition. O2
reduces the polymer deposition.
23

High-Density Plasma Etching

magnetic coil

In conventional RIE (10-100 mtorr),

For more directed etching, need stronger ion
bombardment. Possible more damage to
substrate.
Lower pressures can be used to attain more
directional etching and less microloading
effect, but reduces the plasma density and thus
the etching rate.

Microwave
supply
(2.45 GHz)

plasma

gas inlet
wafer
gas outlet,
pump
RF
bias supply
(13.56 MHz)

Anisotropy

Selectivity

Energy

Pressure

Sputter Etching
and Ion Beam
Milling

Physical
Processes

High Density
Plasma Etching
Reactive Ion
Etching
Plasma Etching
Wet Chemical
Etching

Chemical
Processes

In HDP etching (1-10 mtorr) ,

Uses separate RF source as wafer bias. This
separates the plasma power (density), from
the wafer bias (ion accelerating field).
High density plasma can be obtained at low
pressure which improves both the directional
etching and reduces the substrate damage
while keeping the compatible etching rate.
24

Endpoint Detect
Each atom has its own emission wavelength
Color of plasma changes when etch
different materials
Optical sensors can be used to detect the
change and indicate the endpoint for plasma etch processes
excited species`

hv
excited species``

25

Residue
Unwanted leftovers
Causes
insufficient over etch
non-volatile etch byproducts
Sufficient ion bombardment to dislodge
Right amount of chemical etch to scoop

Oxygen plasma ashing: Organic residues

Wet chemical clean: inorganic residues

26

Post Etch Clean

Remove PR

O2 plasma ashing (typical method)

UV + O3
H2SO4: H2O2=3:1 or 5:1 (before metal deposition)
Solvents rinse (after metal deposition)

Remove polymer

H2O rinse
Solvents rinse

Remove particles
SC1 + megasonic clean
Scrubber clean

25

0.4

20

0.3

15

0.2

10

0.1

20

40

60

80

Uniformity (%)

Remove radicals

Ashing Rate (um/min)

H2SO4: H2O2=3:1 or 5:1 (before metal deposition)

Solvents rinse (after metal deposition)
H2SO4+H2O2+HF(ppm)+H2O
0.5

100

O2/He Ratio (%)

27