US2007148965A1PendingUtilityA1

Method and composition for plasma etching of a self-aligned contact opening

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Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Jan 3, 2001Filed: Jan 26, 2007Published: Jun 28, 2007
Est. expiryJan 3, 2021(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Shane J. Trapp
H10P 76/4085H10P 76/405H10P 50/283H10P 50/73H10W 20/069H10W 10/17H10W 10/014H10W 20/076
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Claims

Abstract

A method of forming a self-aligned contact opening in an insulative layer formed over a substrate in a semiconductor device involves etching the insulative layer with at least one fluorocarbon and ammonia.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A method of forming a contact opening in an insulative layer formed over a substrate in a semiconductor device, said method comprising: 
 etching said insulative layer with an etching composition consisting of ammonia and at least one fluorocarbon so as to form said contact opening, wherein the flow rate ratio of said at least one fluorocarbon to said ammonia is from about 2:1 to about 40:1, and said flow rate of said ammonia is in the range from about 2 sccm to about 6 sccm.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said method is performed to produce a self-aligned contact opening, said opening is self-aligned between two adjacent gate stack structures with side wall spacers.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said etching includes plasma etching.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said etching is performed within a temperature range of about −50 to about 80 degrees Celsius.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said etching is performed within a temperature range of about 0 to about 50 degrees Celsius.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said etching is performed at an operating pressure of about 25 to about 60 milliTorrs.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said etching is performed at an operating pressure of about 40 to about 50 milliTorrs.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said etching is performed through a patterned photoresist mask.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said fluorocarbon is at least one member selected from the group consisting of fluorinated carbons, fluorohydrocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons and chlorofluorohydrocarbons.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said at least one fluorocarbon is at least one member selected from the group consisting of C 4 F 8 , C 4 F 6 , C 5 F 8 , CF 4 , C 2 F 6 , C 3 F 8 , CHF 3 , and CH 2 F 2 .  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said at least one fluorocarbon is at least one member selected from the group consisting of CF 4 , CHF 3 , and CH 2 F 2 .  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said method is performed without forming an etch stop.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said side wall spacers remain unetched during formation of said self-aligned contact opening.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said at least one fluorocarbon and said ammonia are flowed into a reaction chamber containing said semiconductor device such that the flow rate ratio of said at least one fluorocarbon to said ammonia is not less than about 3:1.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the flow rate ratio of said at least one fluorocarbon to said ammonia is within the range of about 3:1 to about 20:1.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said flow rate ratio is within the range of about 4:1 to about 10:1.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said at least one fluorocarbon is at least two members selected from the group of CF 4 , CHF3, and CH 2 F 2 .  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said at least one fluorocarbon comprises CF 4 , CHF3, and CH 2 F 2 .  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said at least one fluorocarbon is CF 4  which is flowed into a reaction chamber at a flow rate of about 15 to about 20 sccm.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said CF 4  is flowed into a reaction chamber at a flow rate of about 18 sccm.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said at least one fluorocarbon is CHF 3  which is flowed into a reaction chamber at a flow rate of about 35 to about 45 sccm.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said CHF 3  is flowed into a reaction chamber at a flow rate of about 40 sccm.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said at least one fluorocarbon is CH 2 F 2  which is flowed into a reaction chamber at a flow rate of about 10 to about 15 sccm.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said CH 2 F 2  is introduced at a flow rate of about 13 sccm.

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