Transition Metal Film Etching with Stepwise Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor etching techniques fail to maintain surface smoothness during processing, leading to increased roughness and reduced yield due to insufficient consideration of the decomposition of β-diketone gas molecules during etching.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor fabricating method that involves forming an organic metal complex on the surface of a transition metal film by adsorbing a complexing gas and controlling the temperature to prevent surface roughening, using a stepwise temperature increase and gas supply strategy to maintain surface stability and precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If β-diketone gas is used for etching transition metal film, then etching speed is improved, but surface roughness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The etching process is divided into multiple temperature stages: a first temperature range (room temperature to 100°C) for initial etching, and a second temperature range (100°C to 300°C) for subsequent etching. This segmentation allows optimization of each stage - lower temperature reduces decomposition and roughness, while higher temperature maintains etching speed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter dynamically during the etching process. By adjusting temperature from a first range to a second range, the process balances between etching speed and surface quality, preventing excessive decomposition of β-diketone gas molecules that causes roughness
2Productivity
If temperature is increased to maintain etching speed, then productivity is improved, but surface roughness increases due to decomposition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing etching at a lower first temperature range before increasing to a higher second temperature range. This preliminary low-temperature etching reduces decomposition and roughness formation, while subsequent high-temperature etching maintains productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The etching process uses periodic temperature variation, alternating between first and second temperature ranges. This periodic action allows the system to periodically reduce decomposition effects while maintaining overall etching progress, balancing speed and surface quality
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
The method achieves high-precision and high-speed etching while inhibiting surface roughness, thereby improving the yield and maintaining surface smoothness of the etched transition metal films.
Implementation Method 1
a first step including adsorbing the complexing gas to the film
Implementation Method 2
increasing a temperature of the wafer to form an organic metal complex on a surface of the film, and volatilizing and desorbing the organic metal complex
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor fabricating method for a film to be processed containing a transition metal on an upper surface of a semiconductor wafer placed in a processing chamber in a container being etched with a gas for complexing the transition metal supplied into the processing chamber, including a first step of adsorbing, to the film, the complexing gas, while supplying the complexing gas, then increasing a temperature of the wafer to form an organic metal complex on a surface of the film, and volatilizing and desorbing the organic metal complex, and a second step of adsorbing, to the surface of the film, the complexing gas at a low temperature, while supplying the complexing gas, then stopping the supply of the complexing gas, and stepwise increasing the temperature of the wafer to volatilize and desorb an organic metal complex formed on the surface of the film.