AVS 49th International Symposium
    Plasma Science Wednesday Sessions
       Session PS+TF-WeP

Paper PS+TF-WeP27
The Etching Mechanism of Au Thin Films in Cl@sub 2@/Ar High Density Plasma

Wednesday, November 6, 2002, 11:00 am, Room Exhibit Hall B2

Session: Plasma Etching & Deposition
Presenter: Y.S. Chang, Chung-Ang University, Korea
Authors: Y.S. Chang, Chung-Ang University, Korea
D.P. Kim, Chung-Ang University, Korea
C.I. Kim, Chung-Ang University, Korea
E.G. Chang, Chung-Ang University, Korea
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Au is employed extensively in the electrodes of high dielectric capacitors or in compound semiconductor devices, principally because of its high electrical conductivity and its property of relative chemical inertness. Since the report of Au thin film etching has a few, we studied the etch characteristics of Au thin films by using high density plasma etching system. In the study, Au thin films were etched with a Cl@sub 2@/Ar gas combination in an inductively coupled plasma. The experiment was done by controlling the etching parameters such as gas mixing ratio, radio frequency power, direct current bias, and chamber pressure. The surface reaction of the etched Au thin films was investigated with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) using narrow scan spectra. Ar ion bombardment is more dominant than chemical reaction between Au and Cl. The results of secondary ion spectrometer (SIMS) analysis were the same as results of XPS analysis. In addition, optical emission spectroscopy (OES) were investigated to analyze radical density of Cl and Ar in plasma. The profile of etched Au investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM).