Time-dependent Si etch behavior and its effect on oxide/Si selectivity in CF₄+D₂ electron cyclotron resonance plasma etching

Transient poly-Si etching behavior in CF₄+D₂ electron cyclotron resonance plasmas containing different D₂ proportions was investigated. Higher D₂ proportions resulted in lower atomic F and higher CF₂ concentration in the plasma, as evidenced by optical emission spectroscopy (OES), and in greater oxide-to-Si etch selectivity. A high initial poly-Si etch rate that declined very rapidly to a finite-steady-state value was observed for plasma etching under conditions giving low (3:1) oxide-to-Si etch selectivity. In contrast, a lower initial etch rate that declined to approximately zero over a longer (∼45 s) period was observed for poly-Si etching under plasma conditions giving (∼15:1) selectivity. In the latter case, Si consumption during overetching would be significantly underestimated if calculated on the basis of the conventional 60 s selectivity ration. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicated that a thick, more F-deficient fluorocarbon film was deposited on Si under the high-selectivity etching conditions. Real-time SiF₄ and atomic F signals, which were measured during SiO₂ etching using OES and mass spectroscopy, respectively, evidenced significantly different end-point trends for the high- and low-selectivity etching conditions. These trends are interpreted in light of the transient etching behavior observed for poly-Si under equivalent plasma conditions. © 2001 American Vacuum Society.