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Mass Spectrometric Study of ECR Microwave Plasma Etching of Si3N4 Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2011

Ming Jin  and
Kwan C. Kao
Ming Jin
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaR3T 2N2
Kwan C. Kao
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaR3T 2N2
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Abstract

The effects of ion impinging energy on the etching of Si3N4 films in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) microwave plasma etching system have been studied. An alternating frequency (10 MHz) bias voltage was used to control the ion impinging energy. The experimental results show that the etching rate in the initial period (less than 3 min) of the etching process is noticeably lower than that in the following period for bias voltage Va > 10 V. The length of the initial period depends on the plasma density. The etching rate in the following period depends on the bias voltage. But the above dependence disappears for Va < 10V. It is found that the surface oxide contribution to the bias effects is negligible. The mass spectrometric measurement of the transient of the etching product SiF4 confirms these bias effects. The effects may be attributed to the ion radiation damage to the subregion lattice even at low ion energies.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 268: Symposium K – Materials Modification by Energetic Atoms and Ions , 1992 , 11
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1992

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References

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