US2020043740A1PendingUtilityA1

Focus ring for plasma etcher

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Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MFG CO LTDPriority: May 31, 2017Filed: Oct 7, 2019Published: Feb 6, 2020
Est. expiryMay 31, 2037(~10.9 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Yu-Chi LinChin-Hsing LinHung Jui ChangYi-Wei ChiuYu-Wei KuoYu Lun Ke
H10P 72/7624H10P 72/0421H10P 72/72H10P 50/283H10P 50/242H01J 37/32642H01J 2237/334H01J 37/32715H01J 37/3299H01L 21/67069H01L 21/6831H01L 21/3065H01L 21/68785H01L 21/31116H10W 20/089H10P 50/268
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Claims

Abstract

A method includes mounting a wafer on a chuck disposed within a chamber of an etching system, the wafer being encircled by a focus ring. While etching portions of the wafer, an etch direction is adjusted to a first desired etch direction by adjusting a vertical position of the focus ring relative to the wafer to a first desired vertical position. While etching portions of the wafer, the etch direction is adjusted to a second desired etch direction by adjusting the vertical position of the focus ring relative to the wafer to a second desired vertical position. The second desired vertical position is different from the first desired vertical position. The second desired etch direction is different from the first desired etch direction.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An etching apparatus comprising:
 a chamber;   a chuck disposed within the chamber, the chuck being configured to hold a wafer during an etching process performed on the wafer;   a focus ring disposed within the chamber, the focus ring encircling the chuck, the focus ring being configured to control an etch direction of the etching process; and   a focus ring control system coupled to the focus ring, the focus ring control system being configured to adjust a vertical position of the focus ring relative to the wafer.   
     
     
         2 . The etching apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a laser detector disposed within the chamber, the laser detector facing the focus ring, the laser detector being configured to detect the vertical position of the focus ring relative to the wafer. 
     
     
         3 . The etching apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the laser detector is further configured to transmit a transmitted laser beam toward the focus ring, receive a reflected laser beam reflected from the focus ring, and generate a sense signal based on the transmitted laser beam and the reflected laser beam. 
     
     
         4 . The etching apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising a feedback system coupled to the laser detector and the focus ring control system, the feedback system being configured to receive the sense signal from the laser detector and transmit a control signal to the focus ring control system. 
     
     
         5 . The etching apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the feedback system is configured to receive a user-generated signal from a user. 
     
     
         6 . The etching apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the etching process is a plasma etching process, and wherein the focus ring is configured to control a direction of ions of the plasma etching process. 
     
     
         7 . The etching apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the focus ring control system is an actuator disposed within the chamber. 
     
     
         8 . An etching apparatus comprising:
 a chamber;   a chuck disposed within the chamber, the chuck being configured to hold a wafer during a plasma etching process performed on the wafer;   a focus ring disposed within the chamber, the focus ring surrounding the chuck, the focus ring being configured to control a direction of ions of the plasma etching process;   a focus ring control system coupled to the focus ring, the focus ring control system being configured to adjust a vertical position of the focus ring relative to the wafer; and   a detector disposed within the chamber, the detector being configured to detect the vertical position of the focus ring relative to the wafer.   
     
     
         9 . The etching apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the focus ring has a non-vertical inner sidewall. 
     
     
         10 . The etching apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a feedback system coupled to the detector and the focus ring control system, the feedback system being configured to receive a sense signal from the detector and transmit a control signal to the focus ring control system. 
     
     
         11 . The etching apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the detector is a laser detector. 
     
     
         12 . The etching apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the laser detector is configured to transmit a transmitted laser beam toward the focus ring, receive a reflected laser beam reflected from the focus ring, and generate a sense signal based on the transmitted laser beam and the reflected laser beam. 
     
     
         13 . The etching apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein an inner diameter of the focus ring is between about 302 mm and about 314 mm. 
     
     
         14 . The etching apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein a width of the focus ring is between about 20 mm and about 30 mm. 
     
     
         15 . An etching apparatus comprising:
 a chamber;   a chuck disposed within the chamber, the chuck being configured to hold a wafer;   a focus ring disposed within the chamber, the focus ring encircling the chuck, the focus ring being configured to control a direction of ions within the chamber;   a detector disposed within the chamber, the detector being configured to detect a distance between the detector and the focus ring;   a focus ring control system coupled to the focus ring, the focus ring control system being configured to move the focus ring in a direction perpendicular to a major surface of the chuck; and   a feedback system coupled to the detector and the focus ring control system, the feedback system being configured to receive at least one of a sense signal from the detector and a user-generated signal from a user, and transmit a control signal to the focus ring control system.   
     
     
         16 . The etching apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the user-generated signal is based on a desired distance between the detector and the focus ring. 
     
     
         17 . The etching apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the detector is a laser detector. 
     
     
         18 . The etching apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the laser detector is configured to transmit a transmitted laser beam toward the focus ring and receive a reflected laser beam reflected from the focus ring. 
     
     
         19 . The etching apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the focus ring control system is an actuator. 
     
     
         20 . The etching apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the feedback system is disposed within the chamber.

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