Section 3: Etching
Jaeger Chapter 2
Reader
Etch Process - Figures of Merit
• Etch rate
• Etch rate uniformity
• Selectivity
• Anisotropy
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Bias and anisotropy
dm etching mask
hf film
substrate Bias B d f dm
df
Complete Isotropic Etching
dm
Vertical Etching = Lateral Etching Rate
B = 2 × hf
Complete Anisotropic Etching
substrate Lateral Etching rate = 0
df B=0
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Degree of Anisotropy
rlat: lateral etch rate
rver: vertical etch rate
Af: degree of isotropy
rlat
Af 1
rver
0 A f 1
isotropic anisotropic
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Etching Selectivity S
rA (vertical etching velocity of material A)
S AB
rB (vertical etching velocity of material B )
Wet Etching
S is controlled by:
chemicals, concentration, temperature
RIE
S is controlled by:
plasma parameters, plasma chemistry,
gas pressure, flow rate & temperature.
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Selectivity Example
SiO2
Si
SiO2/Si etched by HF solution
SSiO2, Si Selectivity is very large ( ~ infinity)
SiO2/Si etched by RIE (e.g. CF4 plasma)
SSiO2, Si Selectivity is finite ( ~ 10 )
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Uniformity
(a) Film thickness variation across wafer
h f max h f 1
Thickness variation factor
Nominal thickness
•The variation factor is dictated by the deposition method,
deposition equipment, and manufacturing practice.
(b) Film etching rate variation
variation factor
rf min rf 1 f
Worst case etching time required to etch the film
h f max h f 1
rf min rf 1 f
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Wet Etching
1 3
1 Reactant transport to surface
2 Selective and controlled reaction of etchant with
the film to be etched
3 Transport of by-products away from surface
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Wet Etching (cont.)
• Wet etch processes are generally isotropic
• Etch rate is governed by temperature, concentration,
chemicals, etc.
• Wet etch processes can be highly selective
• Acids are commonly used for etching:
HNO3 <=> H+ + NO3-
HF <=> H+ + F-
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Wet Etch Processes
Etch rate (A/min)
(1) Silicon Dioxide
6:1 BOE
To etch SiO2 film on Si, use 1200
650
HF + H2O
18 26 T (oC)
SiO2 + 6HF H2SiF6 + 2H2O
Note: HF is usually buffered with NH4F to maintain [H+] at a constant
level (for constant etch rate). This HF buffer is called Buffered Oxide
Etch (BOE)
NH4F NH3 + HF
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Wet Etch Processes (cont.)
(2) Silicon Nitride
To etch Si3N4 film on SiO2, use
H3PO4
(phosphoric acid)
(180oC: ~100 A/min etch rate)
Typical selectivities:
– 10:1 for nitride over oxide
– 30:1 for nitride over Si
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Wet Etch Processes (cont.)
(3) Aluminum
To etch Al film on Si or SiO2, use
H3PO4 + CH3COOH + HNO3 + H2O
(phosphoric acid) (acetic acid) (nitric acid)
(~30oC)
6H+ + 2Al 3H2 + 2Al3+
(Al3+ is water-soluble)
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Wet Etch Processes (cont.)
(4) Silicon
(i) Isotropic etching
Use HF + HNO3 + H2O
3Si + 4HNO3 3SiO2 + 4NO + 2H2O
SiO2 + 6HF H2SiF6 + 2H2O
(ii) Anisotropic etching (e.g. KOH) for single crystalline Si
etch rate selectivity 400 times higher in <100> crystal directions
than in <111> directions
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Drawbacks of Wet Etching
• Lack of anisotropy
• Poor process control
• Excessive particulate contamination
=> Wet etching used for noncritical feature sizes
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Reactive Ion Etching (RIE)
RF Parallel-Plate
13.56 ~ plasma Reactor
MHz
wafers
Plasma generates (1) Ions
(2) Activated neutrals
Enhance chemical reaction
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Remote Plasma Reactors
Plasma Sources e.g. quartz
(1) Transformer plasma coils
Coupled
Plasma
(TCP) wafers
(2) Electron
-bias Pressure
Cyclotron
Resonance pump1mTorr 10mTorr
bias~ 1kV
(ECR)
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RIE Etching Sequence
gas flow
5
1
diffusion of diffusion of by product
reactant desorption
2 3 4
X
chemical
reaction gaseous by products
adsorption
Substrate
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Volatility of Etching Product
* Higher vapor pressure higher volatility
(high vapor pressure)
e.g . Si 4 F * SiF4
e.g . Cu Cl * CuCl(low vapor pressure )
Example
Difficult to RIE Al-Cu
alloy with high Cu content
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Examples
For etching Si Use CF4 gas
CF4 e CF3 F * 2e
Si 4 F * SiF4
F* are Fluorine radicals (highly reactive, but neutral)
Aluminum
CCl4 e CCl3 Cl * 2e
Al 3Cl * AlCl3
Photoresist
COx
C x H y Oz O2
HOx
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How to Control Anisotropy ?
1) ionic bombardment to damage expose surface.
2) sidewall coating by inhibitor prevents sidewall etching.
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How to Control Selectivity ?
Rate
Rate SiO
SiO22
SS
Rate
RateSiSi
E.g. SiO2 etching in CF4+H2 plasma
S
Rates P.R.
SiO2
Si
SiO2
Si H 2%
%H2 in (CF4+H2)
F * H HF F * content
Reason:
SiF4
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Example: Si etching in CF4+O2 mixture
Reason:
(1)O CFx COFx F *
Rates Si F* increases Si etching rate
( 2)Si O2 SiO2
1
2 SiF 4 O 2 SiO 2 4 F * rate
%O2 in CF4
Poly-Si
Oxide
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Example: RIE of Aluminum Lines
* It is a three-step sequence :
1) Remove native oxide with BCl3
2) Etch Al with Cl-based plasma
3) Protect fresh Al surface with thin oxidation
2 Cl2-based RIE
1 BCl3 P.R.
native Al2O3
Al
3 Form oxide again (gently)
Al Al
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