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Measurement of Plasma Etch-Induced Damage to Silicon Beneath Si0 2 Layer: Effective Range of Plasma Etch Damage Through Si0 2

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2011

W. Lee Smith  and
I-Wen Huang Connick
W. Lee Smith
Affiliation:
Therma-Wave, Inc., 47734 Westinghouse Dr., Fremont, CA 94539
I-Wen Huang Connick
Affiliation:
Philips Research Laboratories Sunnyvale, Signetics Corp., 440 Wolfe Rd., Sunnyvale, CA 94088
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Abstract

The ability to pattern VLSI wafers by plasma etching through SiO2 without causing structural damage and chemical contamination to the underlying silicon material is today highly desired. Examples are the plasma etching of metal/silicon contact holes and the fabrication of charge injection windows for EEPROM devices. Damage to underlying silicon, which may adversely affect contact resistance, oxide breakdown or charge retention properties, occurs as the oxide is reduced in thickness below a certain penetration depth (Dox). Dox is the effective projected range of damage-producing particles in Si0 2, and is a function of the distributions of energy, mass, etc., of the plasma constituents. In this paper we describe the use of thermal wave modulated reflectance in conjunction with a simple tapered-oxide film structure to measure the depth of penetration of etch-induced damage through SiO 2. Results on the dependence of the penetration depth on RIE self-bias voltage and other observations of etch-induced surface modifications are reported.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 98: Symposium K – Plasma Processing and Synthesis of Materials II , 1987 , 299
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1987

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References

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