Chunshi C Cui

6544429, Apr 8, 2003

Sep 24, 1999

09/405869

Hoiman (Raymond) Hung - San Jose CA
Joseph P. Caulfield - Sunnyvale CA
Hongchin Shan - San Jose CA
Kenneth S. Collins - San Jose CA
Chunshi Cui - Santa Clara CA
Michael Rice - Pleasanton CA

Applied Materials Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 213065

216 67, 216 72, 216 79, 438723, 438738, 438743

A plasma etching process, particularly useful for selectively etching oxide over a feature having a non-oxide composition, such as silicon nitride and especially when that feature has a corner that is prone to faceting during the oxide etch. A primary fluorine-containing gas, preferably hexafluorobutadiene (C F ), is combined with a significantly larger amount of the diluent gas xenon (Xe) to enhance nitride selectivity without the occurrence of etch stop. The chemistry is also useful for etching oxides in a time oxide etch in which holes and corners have already been formed, for example counterbore vias in a dual damascene structure. In this case, the relative amount of xenon need not be so high, but xenon still reduces faceting of the oxide corners. The invention may be used with related heavy fluorocarbons and other fluorine-based etching gases. The plasma etching preferably includes striking the plasma with argon, switching to xenon and the fluorine-based gas but at reduced bias power to stabilize the plasma, and then increasing the bias to a full etching level.

6652712, Nov 25, 2003

Dec 19, 2001

10/028646

Shiang-Bau Wang - Hsinchu, TW
Daniel J. Hoffman - Saratoga CA
Chunshi Cui - San Jose CA
Yan Ye - Saratoga CA
Gerardo Delgadino - Santa Clara CA
David McParland - Austin TX
Matthew L. Miller - Newark CA
Steven C. Shannon - San Mateo CA

Applied Materials, Inc - Santa Clara CA

C23C 1600

15634548, 118723 I

An inductive antenna of a plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer is connected to a radio frequency (RF) power source, and consists of a conductor arranged in successive loops that wind in opposing directions, adjacent pairs of the successive loops having facing portions in which current flow is parallel, the facing portions being sufficiently close to at least nearly share a common current path, whereby to form transitions across the facing portions between opposing magnetic polarizations.

6667577, Dec 23, 2003

Dec 18, 2001

10/025408

Steven Shannon - San Mateo CA
Daniel Hoffman - Saratoga CA
Chunshi Cui - San Jose CA
Yan Ye - Saratoga CA
Gerardo Delgadino - Santa Clara CA
Shiang-Bau Wang - Hsinchu, TW
Robert B. Hagen - Newark CA
Matthew L Miller - Newark CA
Stephen Thai - Milpitas CA

Applied Materials, Inc - Santa Clara CA

H01J 724

31511121, 31511181, 118723 I

An RF power applicator of the reactor includes inner and outer conductive radial spokes. The set of inner conductive spokes extends radially outwardly from and is electrically connected to the conductive post toward the conductive side wall. The set of outer conductive spokes extends radially inwardly toward the conductive post from and is electrically connected to the conductive side wall. In this way, the inner and outer sets of conductive spokes are electrically connected together, the combination of the inner and outer set of spokes with the conductive enclosure having a fundamental resonant frequency inversely proportional to the height of the conductive enclosure and the lengths of the inner and outer set of conductive spokes. An RF source power generator is coupled across the RF power applicator and has an RF frequency corresponding to the fundamental resonant frequency.

6797189, Sep 28, 2004

Mar 25, 1999

09/276376

Hoiman (Raymond) Hung - San Jose CA, 95129
Joseph P. Caulfield - Oakland CA, 94618
Hongqing Shan - San Jose CA, 95132
Michael Rice - Pleasanton CA, 94566
Kenneth S Collins - San Jose CA, 95111
Chunshi Cui - Santa Clara CA, 95051

H01L 213065

216 67, 216 72, 216 79, 438723, 438738, 438743

A plasma etching process, particularly useful for selectively etching oxide over a feature having a non-oxide composition, such as silicon nitride and especially when that feature has a corner that is prone to faceting during the oxide etch. A primary fluorine-containing gas, preferably hexafluorobutadiene (C F ), is combined with a significantly larger amount of the diluent gas xenon (Xe) enhance nitride selectivity without the occurrence of etch stop. The chemistry is also useful for etching oxides in which holes and corners have already been formed, for which the use of xenon also reduces faceting of the oxide. For this use, the relative amount of xenon need not be so high. The invention may be used with related heavy fluorocarbons and other fluorine-based etching gases.

62385887, May 29, 2001

Oct 21, 1996

8/733554

Kenneth Collins - San Jose CA
David Groechel - Sunnyvale CA
Raymond Hung - San Jose CA
Michael Rice - Pleasanton CA
Gerald Yin - Cupertino CA
Jian Ding - San Jose CA
Chunshi Cui - Santa Clara CA

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

B44C 122

216 68

The invention is embodied in a method of processing a semiconductor workpiece in a plasma reactor chamber, including supplying a polymer and etchant precursor gas containing at least carbon and fluorine into the chamber at a first flow rate sufficient of itself to maintain a gas pressure in the chamber in a low pressure range below about 20 mT, supplying a relatively non-reactive gas into the chamber at second flow rate sufficient about one half or more of the total gas flow rate into the chamber, in combination with the first flow rate of the precursor gas, to maintain the gas pressure in the chamber in a high pressure range above 20 mT, and applying plasma source power into the chamber to form a high ion density plasma having an ion density in excess of 10. sup. 10 ions per cubic centimeter. In one application of the invention, the workpiece includes an oxygen-containing overlayer to be etched by the process and a non-oxygen-containing underlayer to be protected from etching, the precursor gas dissociating in the plasma into fluorine-containing etchant species which etch the oxygen-containing layer and carbon-containing polymer species which accumulate on the non-oxygen-containing underlayer.

59654635, Oct 12, 1999

Jul 3, 1997

8/888370

Chunshi Cui - Santa Clara CA
Robert W. Wu - Pleasanton CA
Gerald Zheyao Yin - Cupertino CA

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 2100

438723

A low-temperature process for selectively etching oxide with high selectivity over silicon in a high-density plasma reactor. The principal etching gas is a hydrogen-free fluorocarbon, such as C. sub. 2 F. sub. 6 or C. sub. 4 F. sub. 8, to which is added a silane or similar silicon-bearing gas, e. g. , the monosilane SiH. sub. 4. The fluorocarbon and silane are added in a ratio within the range of 2 to 5, preferably 2. 5 to 3. The process provides high polysilicon selectivity, high photoresist facet selectivity, and steep profile angles. Selectivity is enhanced by operating at high flow rates. Silicon tetrafluoride may be added to enhance the oxide etching rate. The process may operate at temperatures of chamber parts below 180. degree. C. and even down to 120. degree. C. The process enables the fabrication of a bi-level contact structure with a wide process window.