Brian P Felker

US Patent:

6508948, Jan 21, 2003

Filed:

Jun 13, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/880157

Inventors:

Brian Scott Felker - Orefield PA
Ronald Martin Pearlstein - Macungie PA

Assignee:

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. - Allentown PA

International Classification:

H01L 21302

US Classification:

216 63, 216 67, 216 71, 438710, 438714

Abstract:

A method for etching features into a substrate by removing substrate material from selected areas while leaving the substrate substantially unaffected in other areas is provided including the steps of providing the substrate to be etched into a process chamber, providing a patterned mask on the substrate as a guide for selective removal of the substrate, the substrate having a mask area and mask-free area, introducing a chemical species of halogenated heterocylic hydrocarbons into the process chamber, applying excitation energy to the process chamber to cause the chemical species to dissociate and form reactive ions and neutral species, and maintaining an electric potential gradient in an area adjacent the substrate to impose directionality and anisotropy to the etch.

US Patent:

54136709, May 9, 1995

Filed:

Jul 8, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/089210

Inventors:

John G. Langan - Wescosville PA
Scott E. Beck - Kutztown PA
Brian S. Felker - Allentown PA

Assignee:

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. - Allentown PA

International Classification:

B44C 122

US Classification:

134 12

Abstract:

A method has been developed for the removal of silicon nitride and silicon dioxide, or other semiconductor materials from a surface of a wafer or CVD reactor. The method uses NF. sub. 3, mixed with an electropositive diluent, preferably argon, at a given range of concentration, pressure, flowrate, and power to obtain the fastest possible etch rates. The etch rates of the film being processed can be caused to increase even as the concentration of NF. sub. 3 in the diluent is decreased by choosing the proper diluent and operating conditions. Not only does this method increase the etch rate, thereby increasing the throughput of the reactor using this process, it also accomplishes this task at low concentrations of NF3 resulting in a lower cost.