Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US20040106257?dq=6,460,050
Timestamp: 2016-05-31 08:48:57
Document Index: 125472776

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3']

Patent US20040106257 - Method for fabricating semiconductor device - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsA silicon oxide film is formed on a semiconductor substrate made of silicon. Subsequently, a resist film containing carbon is formed on the silicon oxide film, and thereafter the formed resist film is patterned, thereby forming a resist pattern. Subsequently, the resist pattern is exposed to a sulfur...http://www.google.com/patents/US20040106257?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US20040106257 - Method for fabricating semiconductor deviceAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS20040106257 A1Publication typeApplicationApplication numberUS 10/720,197Publication dateJun 3, 2004Filing dateNov 25, 2003Priority dateApr 12, 2002Also published asCN1296968C, CN1505103A, US7119020Publication number10720197, 720197, US 2004/0106257 A1, US 2004/106257 A1, US 20040106257 A1, US 20040106257A1, US 2004106257 A1, US 2004106257A1, US-A1-20040106257, US-A1-2004106257, US2004/0106257A1, US2004/106257A1, US20040106257 A1, US20040106257A1, US2004106257 A1, US2004106257A1InventorsHideaki Okamura, Takao Yamaguchi, Tomoyuki SasakiOriginal AssigneeMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (5), Referenced by (205), Classifications (9), Legal Events (5) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetMethod for fabricating semiconductor device
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0027] (Embodiment 1) [0028] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawings. [0029] [0029]FIGS. 1A through 1D show the cross-sectional structures of a semiconductor device in the order corresponding to process steps of the method for fabricating the same according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [0030] First, as shown in FIG. 1A, a silicon oxide film 2 made of an inorganic material is formed in the upper part of a semiconductor substrate 1 made of silicon (Si), for example, by a thermal oxidation method. Subsequently, the top of the formed silicon oxide film 2 is coated with a resist film. Thereafter, the resist film is patterned using a lithography method, thereby forming a resist pattern 3. [0031] Next, as shown in FIG. 1B, the resist pattern located on the semiconductor substrate 1 is exposed to plasma-like sulfur dioxide (SO2), thereby forming a C—S reaction part 3 a containing C—S bonds on each of the sidewalls of the resist pattern 3. More specifically, plasma is generated, for example, using inductively coupled plasma etching equipment, wherein the flow rate of sulfur dioxide is 50 ml/min (0� C., 1 atm), the gas pressure is 1 Pa, the upper discharge power is 200 W, and the lower discharge power is 30 W. This plasma irradiation allows sulfur dioxide to be decomposed into sulfur (to be formed in plasma) and then allows the generated sulfur atoms to bond to carbon atoms contained in the resist pattern 3, thereby forming a C—S reaction part 3 a on each of the sidewalls of the resist pattern 3. The formed C—S reaction part 3 a protects each of the sidewalls of the resist pattern 3 and also improves the strength of the resist pattern 3. At this time, the silicon oxide film 2 hardly reacts with sulfur. Therefore, sulfur is not adhered to the surface of the silicon oxide film 2 so that the next process step for performing dry etching of the silicon oxide film 2 is not affected. [0032] Next, as shown in FIG. 1C, the silicon oxide film 2 is etched using a fluorocarbon gas as an etching gas and the resist pattern 3 as a mask. For example, tetrafluorocarbon (CF4) and trifluoromethyl (CHF3) are employed as a fluorocarbon gas. At this time, since each of the sidewalls of the resist pattern 3 is protected by the C—S reaction part 3 a, etching can be performed without causing the resist pattern 3 to collapse. [0033] Next, as shown in FIG. 1D, the resist pattern 3 is removed through ashing and cleaning processes. [0034] Thereafter, the semiconductor device is completed in the usual manner. [0035] In this way, according to the first embodiment, the formed resist pattern 3 is exposed to the gas containing sulfur, resulting in each of the sidewalls of the resist pattern 3 being protected by the C—S reaction part 3 a and being improved in strength. Therefore, the resist collapse can be prevented from being caused in the resist pattern 3, thereby obtaining a desired shape of the silicon oxide film 2. [0036] (Embodiment 2) [0037] [0037]FIGS. 2A through 2C show the cross-sectional structures of a semiconductor device in the order corresponding to process steps of a method for fabricating the same according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [0038] First, as shown in FIG. 2A, a silicon oxide film 2 made of an inorganic material is formed in the upper part of a semiconductor substrate 1 made of silicon, for example, by a thermal oxidation method. Subsequently, the top of the formed silicon oxide film 2 is coated with a resist film. Thereafter, the resist film is patterned using a lithography method, thereby forming a resist pattern 3. [0039] Next, as shown in FIG. 2B, the silicon oxide film 2 is etched by using a fluorocarbon gas as an etching gas with a sulfur dioxide gas being supplied and by using the resist pattern 3 as a mask. More specifically, capacitively coupled plasma etching equipment is employed, wherein the flow rate of tetrafluorocarbon (CF4) is 50 ml/min, the flow rate of trifluoromethyl (CHF3) is 30 ml/min, the flow rate of a carrier gas made of argon is 500 ml/min, the flow rate of sulfur dioxide is 30 ml/min, the whole gas pressure is 5 Pa, the upper discharge power is 1000 W, and the lower discharge power is 1500 W. Here, the flow rate of each gas is the one in a standard state, i.e., under 0� C. and 1 atm. [0040] This etching process allows sulfur dioxide added to the etching gas to generate plasma and to be decomposed, and sulfur atoms produced by this decomposition are bonded to carbon atoms contained in the resist pattern 3, thereby forming a C—S reaction part 3 a on each of the sidewalls of the resist pattern 3. The formed C—S reaction part 3 a protects each of the sidewalls of the resist pattern 3 and also improves the strength of the resist pattern 3. At this time, sulfur hardly reacts with the silicon oxide film 2. Therefore, sulfur does not affect the etching of the silicon oxide film 2. [0041] Next, as shown in FIG. 2C, the resist pattern 3 is removed through ashing and cleaning processes. [0042] Thereafter, a semiconductor device is completed in the usual manner. [0043] In this way, according to the second embodiment, when dry etching is performed on the silicon oxide film 2 by using the formed resist pattern 3 as a mask, the gas containing sulfur is added to the etching gas. Therefore, each of the sidewalls of the resist pattern 3 can be protected by the C—S reaction part 3 a and improved in strength. As a result, resist collapse can be prevented from being caused in the resist pattern 3, thereby obtaining a desired shape of the silicon oxide film 2. [0044] Furthermore, the need for providing a process step of only exposing the resist pattern 3 to the gas containing sulfur is eliminated, resulting in improved throughput of the fabricating process. [0045] In the first and second embodiments, the silicon oxide film 2 is employed as a film to be etched. However, even if another silicon oxide film such as TEOS (tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate) or BPSG (boron-doped phospho-silicate glass), a silicon nitride film, a silicon oxynitride film, polysilicon, or amorphous silicon is employed as a film to be etched, the same effects can be obtained. [0046] This method is also effective in etching metal interconnect made of copper (Cu) or aluminium (Al). [0047] Although tetrafluorocarbon and trifluoromethyl are employed as the etching gas, other etching gases may be employed. [0048] Although sulfur dioxide is employed as the gas containing sulfur, sulfur monoxide (SO) may be employed. [0049] It is preferable that the line width of the resist pattern 3 is 200 nm or less and the value of the ratio of the height of the resist pattern 3 to the line width thereof (aspect ratio) is 2.8 or more. In this way, when the resist pattern is fine and has a high aspect ratio, the effects of the present invention become more noticeable. 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