In this study, silicon oxynitride (SiON) has been etched in a inductively coupled plasma. The process parameters examined include a radio frequency source power, bias power, pressure, and flow rate. For process optimization, a statistical experimental design was employed to investigate parameter effects under various plasma conditions. The etch rate increased almost linearly with increasing the source or bias power. Main effect analysis revealed that the etch rate is dominated by the source power. The flow rate exerted the least impact on both etch rate and profile angle. It was estimated that the effect is transparent only as the etchant is supplied sufficiently. Depending on the pressure levels, the etch rate varied in a complicated way. Parameter effects on the profile angle were very small and the profile angle varied between 83° and 87° for all etching experiments. In nearly all experiments, microtrenching was observed. The etch rate and profile angle, optimized at source power, bias power, pressure, and flow rate, are and 86°, respectively.
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Research Article|
April 21 2005
Etching of oxynitride thin films using inductively coupled plasma
Byungwhan Kim;
Byungwhan Kim
a)
Department of Electronic Engineering,
Sejong University
, 98, Goonja-Dong, Kwangjin-Gu, Seoul, 143-747, Korea
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Dukwoo Lee;
Dukwoo Lee
Department of Electronic Engineering,
Sejong University
, 98, Goonja-Dong, Kwangjin-Gu, Seoul, 143-747, Korea
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Nam Jung Kim;
Nam Jung Kim
Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
Chonnam National University
, 300, Yongbong-Dong, Buk-Ku, Kwangju-Si, 500-757, Korea
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Byung Teak Lee
Byung Teak Lee
Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
Chonnam National University
, 300, Yongbong-Dong, Buk-Ku, Kwangju-Si, 500-757, Korea
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a)
Electronic mail: [email protected]
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 23, 520–524 (2005)
Article history
Received:
December 02 2004
Accepted:
February 22 2005
Citation
Byungwhan Kim, Dukwoo Lee, Nam Jung Kim, Byung Teak Lee; Etching of oxynitride thin films using inductively coupled plasma. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 1 May 2005; 23 (3): 520–524. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.1897701
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