Etching Apparatus with Dual DC Pulse Electrode Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current semiconductor etching processes using plasma struggle with achieving uniform etching rates across substrates due to variations in electric potential, leading to inefficiencies and inconsistencies in the etching process.
Innovation Solution
An etching apparatus and method that utilize a stacked structure with an electrode plate and insulation coating layer, where a first DC pulse is applied directly to the substrate via electrode rods and a second DC pulse is applied to the electrode plate to control the electric potential of the substrate, ensuring uniform electric potential distribution and etching through capacitive coupling, allowing for controlled acceleration of reactive ions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single DC pulse is applied to the substrate, then the etching process is simplified, but uniform electric potential distribution across the substrate cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate treatment is segmented into two distinct electrical connections: electrode rods contacting specific regions and an electrode plate contacting other regions. This segmentation allows independent voltage control of different substrate areas, achieving uniform electric potential distribution while maintaining manageable process complexity through modular voltage application.
2Productivity
If electrode rods are placed close to hole sidewalls, then the structure is compact, but non-uniform electric field distribution occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode rods are positioned with specific spacing from hole sidewalls to create localized electric field zones. This local quality control ensures that each electrode rod generates a focused, uniform electric field in its designated region, preventing field overlap and non-uniformity while maintaining overall structural compactness through optimized rod placement.
3Productivity
If reactive ions are accelerated without controlled voltage distribution, then the etching rate increases, but uniformity of etching across the substrate deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By applying voltages to both electrode rods and electrode plate, the system creates equipotential regions across different substrate areas. This equipotentiality ensures that reactive ions experience uniform acceleration forces across the entire substrate surface, achieving both high etching rates and uniform etching depth by eliminating potential differences that would cause non-uniform ion bombardment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables uniform etching across the substrate, increasing the etching rate and improving the consistency of the etching process by ensuring that the electric potential of all substrate portions is uniformly increased, leading to more efficient semiconductor device manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
an electric field may be used to accelerate reactive ions in a direction toward a substrate
Implementation Method 2
generating plasma in the chamber
Implementation Method 3
supplying a second DC pulse to the electrode plate to control an electric potential of a second portion of the substrate facing the electrode plate
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for an etching process includes a chamber, a plasma generator disposed in the chamber, a stacked structure disposed in the chamber to support a substrate thereon and including an electrode plate and an insulation coating layer on the electrode plate, electrode rods inserted into through holes of the stacked structure to penetrate through the stacked structure, directly contacting the substrate and spaced apart from sidewalls of the through holes of the stacked structure, at least one DC pulse generator generating a DC pulse to the electrode plate and the electrode rods, first connection lines connecting the DC pulse generator to the electrode rods, and at least one second connection line connecting the DC pulse generator to a lower portion of the electrode plate.