Mass spectroscopy is used to characterize the endpoint uniformity of silicon dioxide etching in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma etch process. Etch products are observed using a two stage differentially pumped mass spectrometry system attached to the ECR process chamber. Specifically, using and etch gases, the partial pressure of CO-containing etch products decays near the endpoint, and the rate of signal decay is directly correlated with the uniformity determined from optical interferometry thickness measurements. To correlate the mass spectrometer signal with the etch rate variation across the wafer, etch uniformity is altered by changing the ECR electromagnet geometry and by modifying the initial oxide uniformity. A etch product material balance is developed to model the observed concentration versus time data, resulting in a quantitative correlation between change in endpoint slope and uniformity. The ability to utilize a process-state sensor, such as a mass spectrometer, for wafer-state information will result in new approaches for sensing, optimizing, and controlling integrated circuit fabrication processes.
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November 1998
This content was originally published in
Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures Processing, Measurement, and Phenomena
Research Article|
November 01 1998
Endpoint uniformity sensing and analysis in silicon dioxide plasma etching using in situ mass spectrometry
J. J. Chambers;
J. J. Chambers
Engineering Research Center for Advanced Electronic Materials Processing, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
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K. Min;
K. Min
Engineering Research Center for Advanced Electronic Materials Processing, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
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G. N. Parsons
G. N. Parsons
Engineering Research Center for Advanced Electronic Materials Processing, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
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J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 16, 2996–3002 (1998)
Article history
Received:
October 23 1997
Accepted:
August 21 1998
Citation
J. J. Chambers, K. Min, G. N. Parsons; Endpoint uniformity sensing and analysis in silicon dioxide plasma etching using in situ mass spectrometry. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 1 November 1998; 16 (6): 2996–3002. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.590332
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