Abstract: A dry etching method for a conductive material layer is disclosed. The dry etching method has the steps of: forming an oxygen-containing antireflection film on a surface of a conductive material layer; forming a patterned mask layer on the antireflection film; forming a sidewall protection film on a sidewall of the mask layer; and etching the conductive material layer using the mask layer having the sidewall protection film formed thereon. The sidewall protection film is formed after the antireflection film is patterned using the mask layer. The antireflection film is patterned after the sidewall protection film is formed, with the sidewall protection film left on the sidewall of the antireflection film. The sidewall protection film is formed by using at least one of sulfur based compound and sulfur nitride based compound. The antireflection film is composed of an SiON based material.

Abstract: There are provided a static electricity chuck which can vary the temperature of a wafer in a short time without adversely effecting throughput, and a wafer stage having the static electricity chuck. The static electricity chuck includes a dielectric member 4 formed of insulating material, an electrode 5 of conductor which is disposed at the lower side of the dielectric member 4, and a heater 6 which is disposed at the lower side of the electrode 5 and heats the dielectric member 4. The wafer stage 1 includes the static electricity chuck which is provided on a metal jacket having cooling apparatus.

Abstract: Disclosed is a wafer stage allowing a plasma process under a heating condition at a high temperature, particularly, 400.degree. C. or more using the improved electrostatically chucking technology with the increased temperature-controllability. The wafer stage includes an electrostatic chuck and a temperature adjusting jacket disposed under said electrostatic chuck. The electrostatic chuck includes: a dielectric member made from an insulating material; an electrode formed of a brazing layer, which is disposed on the underside of said dielectric member for fixing said dielectric member; an aluminum nitride plate disposed on the underside of said electrode, to which said dielectric member is fixed through said electrode; a heater, disposed on the underside of said aluminum nitride plate, for heating said dielectric member; and a metal plate disposed on the underside of said aluminum nitride plate and also at least on a top or bottom side of said heater.

Abstract: A plasma CVD process of forming a metal film containing a residual halogen element in a small amount and a high reliability semiconductor device fabricated by the process. The plasma CVD process includes the step of forming a metal film on a substrate to be processed, using a mixed gas containing a metal halide and hydrogen, wherein the plasma CVD process adopts a plasma CVD condition which is determined in such a manner that emission spectrum intensities of a plasma of the mixed gas are measured; and a mixing ratio of the metal halide in the mixed gas is set to be not more than a value at which a decreasing rate, depending on mixing of the metal halide, of an emission spectrum intensity of a hydrogen spectral line is rapidly changed and also at which an increasing ratio, depending on mixing of the metal halide, of an emission spectrum intensity of a halogen element is rapidly changed.

Abstract: A plasma etching system capable of preventing ion incident image and satisfying a high anisotropy and a high etching rate and a method using the same. A stage contains a high permeability material layer and it has a potential directly dropped to ground level, and magnetic lines of a magnetic field diffused from a plasma generation source are rendered incident on the stage in the direction substantially perpendicular thereto. This allows negative ions as well as positive ions in plasma to be incident on a substrate to be etched in the direction perpendicular thereto along the magnetic lines. As a result, since acceleration of ions by a sheath is not used it is possible to effectively prevent damage of the substrate.

Abstract: Controlling ion/radical ratio and monoatomic/polyatomic radical ratio in a process plasma provides improved processing performance during inductively-coupled plasma and/or helicon wave plasma processing of substrate materials. In a plasma processing method employing inductively coupled plasma, high frequency current to a high frequency antenna is intermittently supplied in a controlled manner to control the state of gas dissociation to promote formation of polyatomic radicals. In a plasma processing method employing helicon wave plasma, current supplied to a magnetic field generator is intermittently supplied in a controlled manner to promote formation of ions. In a preferred method both the high frequency current and magnetic field generating current are varied in a controlled manner to provide a variable plasma composition, i.e., radical rich plasma or ion-rich plasma, as desired, for improved plasma processing especially improved selective anisotropic dry etching at high etch rate.

Abstract: A method of forming interconnectors involves the passivation (surface protective) of aluminum interconnector patterns and connection hole surfaces without objectionable particle level problems. Under electrical discharge disassociation conditions, sulphur (S) is liberated and permits the formation of an anti-corrosive polythiazyl in a plasma generated by using gaseous sulphur and nitrogen containing compounds. For example, in order to prevent the exposure of an aluminum interconnector material layer to atmospheric air after it has been resist masked and etched, plasma CVD is used with a gas containing a mixture of S.sub.2 F.sub.2 /H.sub.2 /N.sub.2, to form a protective film on the surfaces of the pattern. In this coated condition, after corrosion is prevented until such time as the next fabrication step which forms an interlayer insulation membrane is carried out. The protective film can be removed by heating the wafer to about 150.degree. C. at which time the protective film readily sublimes or decomposes.

Abstract: A helicon wave plasma producing section is provided in the top area of process chamber, and ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) producing section is provided in the area on the downstream side thereof. Source power is supplied from a common plasma excitation RF power supply through control means to loop antenna in the former and multi-turn antenna in the latter. Thus, helicon wave plasma diffused from a bell-jar and inductively coupled plasma newly dissociated and produced by inductively coupled discharge are caused to coexist to carry out plasma processing, thereby making it possible to conduct control of ion/radical production ratio. Thus, higher accuracy plasma processing can be carried. Further, when applied to dry etching, ion assist mechanism is caused to effectively function to permit implementation of satisfactory high speed anisotropic processing as well.

Abstract: A dry etching method for etching an aluminum (Al) based layer for effectively combatting the after-corrosion in accordance with three aspects. In the first aspect, while a resist mask and chlorine based gas as known per se are used, S.sub.2 F.sub.2 is used during etching of the barrier metal layer. In this manner, residual chlorine in a carbonaceous polymer as a sidewall protection material or a resist mask is replaced by fluorine, whilst sulfur yielded from S.sub.2 F.sub.2 under conditions of discharge dissociation is deposited to provide for sidewall protection effects. In the second aspect, a SiO.sub.2 mask and an S.sub.2 Cl.sub.2 etching gas are used. Since the sidewall protection material is solely sulfur yielded from S.sub.2 Cl.sub.2, it becomes possible to avoid the effects of the residual chlorine. In the third aspect, an neutral Ar beam is irradiated at a suitable stage in the etching process for increasing the resistance of the SiO.sub.

Abstract: A dry etching method for forming a connection opening in a insulating film of a silicon compound formed on an Al-based interconnection layer. The dry etching method consists in etching an SiO.sub.2 interlayer insulating film on an Al-1% Si layer, in a magnetic micro-wave plasma etching device capable of generating a high-density plasma with an ion density of not less than 10.sup.11 ions/cm.sup.3, using a c-C.sub.4 F.sub.8 /CH.sub.2 F.sub.2 gas mixture. A layer of a reaction product having a low vapor pressure is generated on an exposed surface of the Al-1% Si layer at the time point when the connection opening is formed in the exposed surface of the Al-1% Si layer. For achieving high selectivity, the incident ion energy is adjusted so that the layer of the reaction product is not sputtered.

Abstract: Proposed is a method for achieving an improved etchrate and exceedingly low damage in a so-called digital etching technique consisting of etching a sample wafer on the level of a monatomic layer. The present invention covers the following three main aspects, namely (a) formation of dangling bonds on the surface of a sample wafer and adsorption of etchants to the sample wafer for formation of a surface reaction layer, followed by elimination of the surface reaction layer by irradiation of a charged beam, (b) adsorption of etchants followed by formation and elimination of a surface reaction layer by neutral beam irradiation, and (c) formation of dangling bonds and adsorption of etchants to the sample wafer for formation of a surface reaction layer, followed by elimination of the surface reaction layer by irradiation of a neutral beam. With (a), high etchrate may be achieved because the wafer surface may be activated by the dangling bonds and the formation of the surface reaction layer may be promoted.

Abstract: A method for anisotropic dry etching of a layer of a silicon oxide-based material with high etching base selectivity and low contamination without employing fluorocarbonaceous gases, is proposed. Sulfur fluorides with a low F/S ratio, such as S.sub.2 F.sub.2, are employed as an etching gas, and etching is performed by a mechanism in which ions such as SF.sub.x.sup.+ assist a radial reaction by F*. High selectivity with respect to silicon-based material is assured by S deposits thereon when silicon oxide-based material is etched off. Since S may be easily removed by sublimation by wafer heating after etching, contamination by particles is not produced. By previously implanting ions into an area to be etched, or by providing a sulfur-based material in the vicinity of the wafer, sulfur may be sputtered out into an etching system as etching proceeds to improve selectivity with respect to the base silicon.

Abstract: A dry etching method for etching an SiO.sub.2 interlayer insulation film 4 formed on an Si.sub.2 N.sub.4 underlying film 3 using an S.sub.2 F.sub.2 /N.sub.2 mixed gas. While the etching proceeds by way of F* and SF.sub.x.sup.+ yielded from S.sub.2 F.sub.2, atoms yielded similarly from S.sub.2 F.sub.2 and N atoms yielded from N.sub.2 are combined with each other, thus yielding sulfur nitride based compounds such as polythiazyl (SN).sub.x to be deposited on pattern sidewall surfaces. When the Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 underlying film 3 is exposed, N atoms in the film and S atoms in a plasma are combined to form (SN).sub.x. These (SN).sub.x in a gaseous phase and on solid surface protect wafer surfaces, improving selectivity. It is also possible to etch the SiO.sub.2 interlayer insulation film with an Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 mask, achieving high selectivity to the mask.

Abstract: A method of ashing comprises the steps of cooling the work to a temperature of 0.degree. C. or therebelow and causing ashing of a photo-resist on the work. An apparatus for ashing comprises a cooling ashing chamber, a heating ashing chamber, and a gate valve provided between the two chambers. The method and apparatus as noted solves prior art problems and permits photo-resist which has heretofore been difficult to remove to be removed as well and readily and with satisfactory productivity.

Abstract: A dry etching method for performing one-stage anisotropic etching of a W-polycide film without using a CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) gas is disclosed. The W-polycide film on a substrate is etched by using sulfur halide such as S.sub.2 Cl.sub.2 and S.sub.2 Br.sub.2 for an etching gas while heating the substrate within a temperature range of up to 90.degree. C. Free S released from the sulfur halide is deposited on the substrate within the temperature range, thereby contributing to improvement of selectivity and anisotropy, and Cl.sup.* and Br.sup.* become etchants. Although WCl.sub.x and WBr.sub.x, which are etching reaction products, have low vapor pressure at a normal temperature and under normal pressure, WCl.sub.x and WBr.sub.x may be eliminated sufficiently under reduced pressure and heated conditions. Since F.sup.* is not formed in a plasma, no undercut is generated on an underlying polysilicon layer.

Abstract: A method of dry etching a GaAs/AlGaAs stacked system with high selectivity without employing a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gas. When selectively etching an n.sup.+ -GaAs layer stacked on an n.sup.+ -AlGaAs layer for forming e.g. a gate recess of a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT), a gas having a composition capable of yielding free sulfur (S) and fluorine radicals (F*) in a plasma under conditions of discharge dissociation is used as an etching gas. S is deposited on a pattern sidewall to form a sidewall protection film to contribute to anisotropic etching. On the other hand, F* plays the role of formation of AlF.sub.x with low vapor pressure on an exposed surface of the underlayer of n.sup.+ -AlGaAs to stop etching, to say nothing of a role of an etchant. Although a gas system which is by far the simplest is a mixed system of S.sub.2 F.sub.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of dry-etching SiO.sub.2 layers and Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 layers with high selectivity. The dry etching method employs a fluorocarbon (FC) gas represented by the formula C.sub.x F.sub.y (where y<x+2) in a dry-etching system capable of generating a high-density plasma having an ion density higher than 10.sup.11 /cm.sup.3. The high-density plasma (such as ECR plasma) promotes the dissociation of gas to a great extent and hence effectively forms CF.sup.+ ions even from C.sub.6 F.sub.6 gas. (In the prior-art technology that employs an RF plasma, C.sub.6 F.sub.6 gas merely deposits carbon polymers.) The CF.sup.+ ions permits the rapid etching of the SiO.sub.2 interlayer insulating film. The FC gas has such a high C/F ratio that it does not form excess F* radicals. Hence it provides high selectivity for the Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 underlying film. If it is used for the etching of the SiO.sub.2 layer using the Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 layer as a mask, it provides high selectivity for the mask.

Abstract: A dry etching method for etching an aluminum (Al) based layer for effectively combatting the after-corrosion in accordance with three aspects. In the first aspect, while a resist mask and chlorine based gas as known per se are used, S.sub.2 F.sub.2 is used during etching of the barrier metal layer. In this manner, residual chlorine in a carbonaceous polymer as a sidewall protection material or a resist mask is replaced by fluorine, while sulfur yielded from S.sub.2 F.sub.2 under conditions of discharge dissociation is deposited to provide for sidewall protection effects. In the second aspect, a SiO.sub.2 mask and an S.sub.2 Cl.sub.2 etching gas are used. Since the sidewall protection material is solely sulfur yielded from S.sub.2 Cl.sub.2, it becomes possible to avoid the effects of the residual chlorine. In the third aspect, an neutral Ar beam is irradiated at a suitable stage in the etching process for increasing the resistance of the SiO.sub.

Abstract: A dry etching method for performing anisotropic etching of a layer of a silicon based material without using a chlorofluorocarbon gas, is proposed. Sulfur halides yielding free sulfur (S) into a plasma under conditions of dissociation by electrical discharge, such as S.sub.2 F.sub.2 or S.sub.2 Cl.sub.2, are used as main components of the etching gas. This S is used for sidewall protection and for improving selectivity during etching, and is removed by sublimation by heating the wafer after etching. Although etching may be achieved by S.sub.2 F.sub.2 alone, suitable measures may preferably be used to increase the S/X ratio of an etching reaction system, which is a ratio of the number of atoms of S to that of X or a halogen, because the layer of the silicon based material is highly susceptible to halogen radicals. Specifically, optimum results may be obtained by (a) adding H.sub.2, H.sub.2 S or SiH.sub.

Abstract: A method for effecting anisotropic etching of a layer of a material without producing dimensional loss even if the photoresist is of a reverse tapered cross-sectional profile is proposed. A photoresist produced from a chemical amplification negative type photoresist tends to be of a reversely tapered cross-sectional profile after development due to its sensitization properties. According to the present invention, discharge reaction products yielded in a plasma are deposited on an inclined sidewall surface of a photoresist pattern for trimming or shaping the sidewall surface so that the sidewall surface will be substantially vertical. For example, Si.sub.x N.sub.y, Si.sub.x N.sub.y Cl.sub.z, etc. may be deposited from a SiCl.sub.4 /N.sub.2 mixed gas, sulfur may be deposited from a mixed gas of S.sub.2 F.sub.2 /H.sub.2 S and a carbonaceous polymer may be deposited from a C.sub.2 Cl.sub.3 F.sub.3 gas.