| PHYSICS OF GASES, PLASMAS, AND ELECTRIC DISCHARGES |
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A Polymer-Rich Re-deposition Technique for Non-volatile Etching By-products in Reactive Ion Etching Systems |
| A. Limcharoen1**, C. Pakpum2, P. Limsuwan1,3 |
1Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10140, Thailand
2Program in Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Maejo University, Chiang Mai, 50290, Thailand
3Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics, CHE, 328 Si Ayutthaya Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
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| Cite this article: |
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A. Limcharoen, C. Pakpum, P. Limsuwan 2013 Chin. Phys. Lett. 30 075202 |
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Abstract Re-deposition is a non-volatile etching by-product in reactive ion etching systems that is well known to cause dirt on etching work. In this study, we propose a novel etching method called the polymer-rich re-deposition technique, used particularly for improving the etched sidewall where the re-deposition is able to accumulate. This technique works by allowing the accumulated re-deposition on the etched sidewall to have a higher polymer species than the new compounds in the non-volatile etching by-product. The polymer-rich re-deposition is easy to remove along with the photo-resist mask residual at the photo-resist strip step using an isopropyl alcohol-based solution. The traditional, additional cleaning process step used to remove the re-deposition material is not required anymore, so this reduces the overall processing time. The technique is demonstrated on an Al2O3-TiC substrate by C4F8 plasma, and the EDX spectrum confirms that the polymer re-deposition has C and F atoms as the dominant atoms, suggesting that it is a C–F polymer re-deposition.
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Received: 22 April 2013
Published: 21 November 2013
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| PACS: |
52.77.-j
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(Plasma applications)
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52.77.Bn
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(Etching and cleaning)
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82.35.-x
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(Polymers: properties; reactions; polymerization)
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[3] Coburn J W 1979 J. Appl. Phys. 50 5210
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[5] Ji B, Motika S A, Badowski P R, Dheandhanoo S, Stets J R and Kawacki E J 2005 Available: http://www.Electroiq.Com/articles/sst/Print/volume-48/issue-11/features/gases-gas-handling/fluorine-plasma-Chem.-for-high-ar-dielectric-etching.Html [8 April 2012]
[6] Srinivasan N K, Su M C, Michael J V, Jasper A W, Klippenstein S J and Harding L B 2008 J. Phys. Chem. A 112 31 |
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