AVS 51st International Symposium
    Plasma Science and Technology Friday Sessions
       Session PS1+DI-FrM

Paper PS1+DI-FrM3
High-k Materials Etching

Friday, November 19, 2004, 9:00 am, Room 213A

Session: High K and Difficult Materials Etch
Presenter: D. Wu, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
Authors: D. Wu, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
B. Ji, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
S.A. Motika, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
E.J. Karwacki, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
M.J. Plishka, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
Correspondent: Click to Email
As integrated circuit (IC) device geometry shrinks, high-k materials are needed to maintain adequate breakdown voltage. Due to their high chemical inertness and extremely low volatility, removal of the high-k materials has been technically challenging. In this paper, we will present an effective plasma etching process where a mixture of BCl3 and NF3 is identified as the reactive gas. Compared to pure BCl3, the etch rate for HfO2 was doubled after adding 25% NF3 to BCl3, and the etch rate for HfSixOy was also doubled after adding 15% NF3 to BCl3. Pure BCl3 did not etch ZrO2 at a condition of 0.55 W/cm2 power density and 500 mTorr chamber pressure. But an etch rate of 6 nm/min was achieved when using a mixture of 20% NF3 in BCl3. Detailed experimental setup and data analysis will be reviewed in this paper.