Silicon oxide

About: Silicon oxide is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 22220 publications have been published within this topic receiving 260986 citations.

Process for selectively etching dielectric layers

Abstract: A method is provided for etching a dielectric structure. The dielectric structure comprises: (a) a layer of undoped silicon oxide or F-doped silicon oxide; and (b) a layer of C,H-doped silicon oxide. The dielectric structure is etched in a plasma-etching step, which plasma-etching step is conducted using a plasma source gas that comprises nitrogen atoms and fluorine atoms. As one example, the plasma source gas can comprise a gaseous species that comprises one or more nitrogen atoms and one or more fluorine atoms (e.g., NF3). As another example, the plasma source gas can comprise (a) a gaseous species that comprises one or more nitrogen atoms (e.g., N2) and (b) a gaseous species that comprises one or more fluorine atoms (e.g., a fluorocarbon gas such as CF4). In this etching step, the layer of C,H-doped silicon oxide is preferentially etched relative to the layer of undoped silicon oxide or F-doped silicon oxide. The method of the present invention is applicable, for example, to dual damascene structures.

Dielectric Films Comprising Silicon And Methods For Making Same

Abstract: Described herein are methods of forming dielectric films comprising silicon, such as, but not limited to, silicon oxide, silicon oxycarbide, silicon carbide, and combinations thereof, that exhibit at least one of the following characteristics: low wet etch resistance, a dielectric constant of 6.0 or below, and/or can withstand a high temperature rapid thermal anneal process. Also disclosed herein are the methods to form dielectric films or coatings on an object to be processed, such as, for example, a semiconductor wafer.

Method of forming fine patterns using silicon oxide layer

Abstract: Provided is a method of forming a fine pattern, in which a silicon oxide layer is formed on a photoresist pattern and dry etching is performed on the resultant structure. According to the method, a photoresist pattern is formed on a material layer on which a fine pattern is to be formed, a silicon oxide layer is conformally deposited on the photoresist pattern without damaging the photoresist pattern, and dry etching is performed on a lower layer. During the dry etching, spacers are formed along the sidewalls of the photoresist pattern, and then, a polymer layer is formed on the photoresist pattern. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the thinning of the photoresist pattern so that a desired pattern can be obtained, and further, to prevent striation or wiggling from occurring on the patterned material layer.

Selective etch of silicon by way of metastable hydrogen termination

Abstract: Methods of etching exposed silicon on patterned heterogeneous structures is described and includes a remote plasma etch formed from a fluorine-containing precursor and a hydrogen-containing precursor Plasma effluents from the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents react with the exposed regions of silicon The plasmas effluents react with the patterned heterogeneous structures to selectively remove silicon while very slowly removing other exposed materials The silicon selectivity results, in part, from a preponderance of hydrogen-containing precursor in the remote plasma which hydrogen terminates surfaces on the patterned heterogeneous structures A much lower flow of the fluorine-containing precursor progressively substitutes fluorine for hydrogen on the hydrogen-terminated silicon thereby selectively removing silicon from exposed regions of silicon The methods may be used to selectively remove silicon far faster than silicon oxide, silicon nitride and a variety of metal-containing materials

Infrared spectroscopy study of low-dielectric-constant fluorine-incorporated and carbon-incorporated silicon oxide films

Abstract: Bonding characteristics of low-dielectric-constant (low-k) fluorine-incorporated silicon oxide (SiOF) and carbon-incorporated silicon oxide (SiOC) films prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The frequency of Si–O stretching vibration mode in SiOF film shifted to higher wave number (blueshift) with the increase of fluorine incorporation, while that in SiOC film shifted to lower wave number (redshift) as the carbon content increased. In N2-annealed SiOC film, the Si–O stretching frequency slightly shifted to lower wave number. To elucidate these phenomena, we have developed the “bonding structure model” based on the electronegativity of an atom. The frequency shifts observed in the FTIR spectra of SiOF and SiOC films were well explained by this model.