Invited Paper PS1-MoM1
Fluorocarbon-based Plasma Etching Processes for Silicon Dioxide and Silica Dielectrics - Mechanistic Insights and Current Issues
Plasma-based transfer of resist patterns into silica-based dielectric materials using fluorocarbon discharges is one of the most widely employed and investigated application of plasma etching processes. Despite its long history and intensive research and development efforts, a number of important questions remain in our understanding of silicon dioxide plasma etching processes. In addition, the transition to lower dielectric constant insulators in back-end-of-line structures is based on an evolution from silicon dioxide to silica containing carbon-groups and nanopores. With this conversion, certain aspects of the plasma etching processes change and new phenomena can become important. In this talk we present an overview of important developments and current issues in this field.