Silicon trench etching using inductively coupled Cl2/O2 and Cl2/N2 plasmas

Characteristics of inductively coupled Cl2/O2 and Cl2/N2 plasmas and their effects on the formation of submicron deep trench etching of single crystal silicon have been investigated using Langmuir probe, quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Also, when silicon is etched with oxygen added chlorine plasmas, etch products recombined with oxygen such as SiClxOy emerged and Si-O bondings were found on the etched silicon surface. However, when nitrogen is added to chlorine, no etch products recombined with nitrogen nor Si-N bondings were found on the etched silicon surface. When deep silicon trenches were teached, the characteristics of Cl2/O2 and Cl2/N2 plasmas changed the thickness of the sidewall residue (passivation layer) and the etch profile. Vertical deep submicron trench profiles having the aspect ratio higher than 5 could be obtained by controlling the thickness of the residue formed on the trench sidewall using Cl2(O2/N2) plasmas.