| US 7,467,598 B2 | ||
| System for, and method of, etching a surface on a wafer | ||
| Pavel N. Laptev, Santa Barbara, Calif. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Tegal Corporation, Petaluma, Calif. (US) | ||
| Filed on Apr. 09, 2001, as Appl. No. 9/829,587. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2003/0017709 A1, Jan. 23, 2003 | ||
| Int. Cl. C23C 16/503 (2006.01); C23C 16/505 (2006.01); C23C 16/509 (2006.01); C23F 1/00 (2006.01); H01L 21/306 (2006.01); C23C 16/06 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 118—723E [156/723 R; 156/345.43; 156/345.44; 156/345.46; 156/345.47] | 30 Claims |
| 1. In combination for etching an insulating layer in a wafer to present a clean and fresh surface on the insulating layer
for deposition,
a conduit for molecules of an inert gas,
a first electrode biased to a first voltage and spaced from the wafer,
a second electrode biased to a second voltage lower than the first voltage and spaced from the first electrode and the wafer
and spaced from the wafer less than the first electrode,
magnetic members providing a magnetic field,
the first electrode and the magnetic members being disposed relative to each other and to the molecules of the inert gas for
ionizing the molecules of the inert gas, and
the second electrode and the wafer being disposed relative to each other and to the ions of the inert gas, and the second
electrode being constructed, to obtain a movement of the ions to the wafer at a low and controlled speed for an etching of
the surface of the insulating layer by the ions at the low and controlled speed.
|