Advanced Si Etch System for 14nm and Beyond

ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) etch system is widely used for Si and metal related etching. We review our recent progresses in the process/hardware of the system to provide the solution for challenges facing with the advanced technology node. As for the process development, the characteristics of micro-loading in STI etch were investigated and we found that the micro-loading could be optimized by the pulsed bias RF in wider process window with a specific gas chemistry. As for the hardware, we introduced advanced coating to inner surfaces of the chamber, which has showed the significant consistency for variety of process applications. For the future, we will discuss some recent progresses on the capability for ALE and Depo-Etch-Depo-Etch sequence operations with pulsed RF system to prepare for applications using EUV photoresist masks.