U.S. patent application number 10/979508 was filed with the patent office on 2005-10-20 for apparatus for etching semiconductor samples and a source for providing a gas by sublimation thereto.
Invention is credited to Lebouitz, Kyle S., Migliuolo, Michele.
Application Number | 20050230046 10/979508 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26926978 |
Filed Date | 2005-10-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050230046 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lebouitz, Kyle S. ; et
al. |
October 20, 2005 |
Apparatus for etching semiconductor samples and a source for
providing a gas by sublimation thereto
Abstract
An etching apparatus for etching semi combustion samples may
include one or more variable volume expansion chambers, two or more
fixed volume expansion chambers, or combinations thereof in fluid
communication with an etching chamber and a source of etching gas,
such as xenon difluoride. The apparatus may further include a
source of a mixing gas. An etching apparatus may also include a
source of etching gas, an etching chamber in fluid communication
with the source of etching gas, a flow controller connected between
the source of etching gas and the etching chamber, and a vacuum
pump in fluid communication with the etching chamber. A source for
providing a gas by sublimation from a solid material is also
provided, including a vacuum tight container and a mesh mounted in
the interior of the vacuum tight container, wherein the mesh is
adapted to receive and restrain the solid material.
Inventors: |
Lebouitz, Kyle S.;
(Pittsburgh, PA) ; Migliuolo, Michele; (McMurray,
PA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
METZ LEWIS, LLC
11 STANWIX STREET
18TH FLOOR
PITTSBURGH
PA
15222
US
|
Family ID: |
26926978 |
Appl. No.: |
10/979508 |
Filed: |
November 2, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10979508 |
Nov 2, 2004 |
|
|
|
09839763 |
Apr 20, 2001 |
|
|
|
6887337 |
|
|
|
|
60233512 |
Sep 19, 2000 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
156/345.33 ;
216/58; 216/59 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01J 37/32458 20130101;
H01J 37/3244 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
156/345.33 ;
216/058; 216/059 |
International
Class: |
C23F 001/00 |
Claims
1-13. (canceled)
14. A method of etching a sample held in an etching chamber at a
desired etch pressure, comprising the steps of: setting a volume of
a collapsible, variable volume expansion chamber to an initial
volume and feeding an etching gas into said expansion chamber from
a source having a source pressure; placing said expansion chamber
in fluid communication with said etching chamber; collapsing said
expansion chamber; and maintaining said expansion chamber and said
etching chamber at temperatures at which said etching gas will not
solidify at said etch pressure.
15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said initial volume is
determined by multiplying a volume of said etching chamber by said
etch pressure and dividing a result of said multiplication by said
source pressure
16. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps
of: removing said expansion chamber from fluid communication with
said etching chamber after said collapsing step; repeating said
setting and feeding steps; determining that an etch process taking
place in said etching chamber is complete; evacuating said etching
chamber after said determining step; and repeating said placing and
collapsing steps after said evacuating step.
17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said determining step
comprises determining that an etch time has elapsed.
18. A method according to claim 16, wherein said determining step
comprises analyzing gasses drawn from said said etching chamber and
determining that said etch process is complete when the
concentrations of one or more elements or compounds reaches a
preset value.
19. A method according to claim 14, wherein said etching gas
comprises xenon difluoride.
20. A method according to claim 14, wherein said feeding step
further comprises feeding a mixing gas into said expansion chamber
from a source of mixing gas, said source of mixing gas being at
said source pressure.
21. A method according to claim 20, wherein said mixing gas
comprises nitrogen.
22. A method according to claim 20, wherein said feeding step
continues until a pressure inside said expansion chamber equals a
predetermined set point pressure.
23. A method according to claim 14, wherein said feeding step
continues until a pressure inside said expansion chamber equals a
predetermined set point pressure.
24. A method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of
evacuating said expansion chamber before said feeding step.
25-47. (canceled)
48. An etching apparatus, comprising: a source of etching gas; an
etching chamber in selective fluid communication with said source
of etching gas; a flow controller connected between said source of
etching gas and said etching chamber; and a vacuum pump in
selective fluid communication with said etching chamber.
49. An etching apparatus according to claim 48, wherein said
etching gas comprises xenon difluoride.
50. An etching apparatus according to claim 48, further comprising
a source of mixing gas in selective fluid communication with said
etching chamber and a second flow controller connected between said
source of mixing gas and said etching chamber.
51. An etching apparatus according to claim 50, wherein said mixing
gas comprises nitrogen.
52. An etching apparatus according to claim 48, wherein said source
of etching gas comprises a vacuum tight container having a mesh
mounted in the interior thereof, said mesh being adapted to hold a
solid material used to generate said etching gas.
53. An etching apparatus according to claim 52, where said etching
gas comprises xenon difluoride, said solid material comprises xenon
difluoride crystals, and said etching gas is generated through
sublimation.
54. An etching apparatus according to claim 52, wherein said mesh
has a W-shaped cross section.
55. An etching apparatus according to claim 54, wherein said vacuum
tight container has a cylindrical shape.
56. An etching apparatus according to claim 55, wherein said vacuum
tight container comprises a standard gas cylinder.
57. An etching apparatus according to claim 52, wherein said mesh
comprises a material chosen from the group of consisting of
aluminum, stainless steel and Teflon.
58. An etching apparatus according to claim 53, said mesh having a
plurality of openings, each of said openings being sized to be
smaller than an average size of said xenon difluoride crystals.
59. A source for providing a gas by sublimation from a solid
material, comprising: a vacuum tight container; and a mesh mounted
in the interior of said vacuum tight container, said mesh being
adapted to receive and restrain said solid material.
60. A source according to claim 59, wherein said mesh has a
W-shaped cross section.
61. A source according to claim 59, wherein said mesh has a
WW-shaped cross section.
62. A source according to claim 59, wherein said vacuum tight
container has a cylindrical shape.
63. A source according to claim 62, wherein said vacuum tight
container comprises a standard gas cylinder.
64. A source according to claim 59, wherein said mesh comprises a
material chosen from the group consisting of aluminum, stainless
steel and Teflon.
65. A source for providing an etching gas to an etching apparatus
by sublimation from a solid material, comprising: a vacuum tight
container; and a mesh mounted in the interior of said vacuum tight
container, said mesh being adapted to receive and restrain said
solid material.
66. A source according to claim 65, wherein said etching gas
comprises xenon difluoride and said solid material comprises xenon
difluoride crystals.
67. A source according to claim 65, wherein said mesh has a
W-shaped cross section.
68. A source according to claim 65, wherein said mesh has a
WW-shaped cross section.
69. A source according to claim 65, wherein said vacuum tight
container has a cylindrical shape.
70. A source according to claim 69, wherein said vacuum tight
container comprises a standard gas cylinder.
71. A source according to claim 65, wherein said mesh comprises a
material chosen from the group consisting of aluminum, stainless
steel and Teflon.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 60/233,512 filed on Sep. 19, 2000.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to an apparatus for etching
semiconductor samples. More particularly, the present invention
relates to an apparatus for etching semiconductor samples having a
variable volume expansion chamber and to an apparatus having two or
more fixed volume expansion chambers, wherein either apparatus may
include an apparatus for detecting the end point of the etching
process. The present invention also relates to an improved source
for providing a gas by sublimination, in particular a source for
providing a gas by sublimination to an apparatus described
herein.
BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0003] The etching of silicon by xenon difluoride is well known.
Xenon difluoride requires no external energy sources or ion
bombardment to etch silicon, and it exhibits high selectivity to
many metals, dielectrics, and polymers used in traditional
integrated circuit processing, making it easy to integrate with
other processes such as CMOS. One of the first references to the
use of xenon difluoride in silicon etching is in H. F. Winters and
J. W. Coburn, "The Etching of Silicon with XeF.sub.2 Vapor," Appl.
Phys. Lett., vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 70-73, January 1979, where they
demonstrate the high selectivity of xenon difluoride to silicon
versus silicon dioxide, silicon carbide, and silicon nitride.
[0004] The high selectivity of xenon difluoride to silicon is very
useful, particularly in the emerging field known as
micro-electro-mechanical systems or MEMS. In MEMS, semiconductor
based manufacturing technology and processes are used to produce
miniature mechanical devices. One example of a miniature mechanical
device produced using MEMS technology is the integrated
accelerometer described in S. J. Sherman, W. K. Tsang, T. A. Core,
D. E. Quinn, "A Low Cost Monolithic Accelerometer," 1992 Symposium
on VLSI Circuits, Digest of Technical Papers, Seattle, Wash., USA,
4-6 Jun. 1992, p. 34-5, which has both a movable mechanical
structure and accompanying circuitry to detect the motion of the
mechanical structure. The most popular application of this
accelerometer is for automotive airbag applications whereby during
a crash, the movable mechanical structure moves, and depending on
the extent of the motion, the electrical signal produced by the
circuitry will determine if the airbag should be deployed. The use
of xenon difluoride as an etchant in the production of MEMS devices
is well known and is described in, for example, Pister, U.S. Pat.
No. 5,726,480.
[0005] A number of prior art xenon difluoride etching systems have
been described. One example, described in Japanese Patent No.
02187025A, comprises a heated vacuum vessel holding a work piece
into which xenon difluoride gas is introduced as the etchant.
Another example, shown schematically in FIG. 1, is described in P.
B. Chu, J. T. Chen, R. Yeh, G. Lin, J. C. P Huang, B. A. Warneke,
and K. S. J. Pister, "Controlled Pulse-Etching with Xenon
Difluoride", Transducers 1997, Chicago Ill., 16-19 Jun. 1997. This
system uses a pulsed etching technique, whereby an intermediate
chamber, referred to as an expansion chamber, is used to
pre-measure a quantity of xenon difluoride gas and to mix the xenon
difluoride with other gases, such as nitrogen, to enhance the
etching process. The contents in the expansion chamber are then
discharged into a main chamber containing the silicon wafer to
perform the etching of the silicon. After the xenon difluoride has
been sufficiently reacted, the main chamber, and typically the
expansion chamber as well, are evacuated through the use of a
roughing or vacuum pump. This process is repeated until the desired
degree of etching of the silicon has occurred.
[0006] The largest drawback of the pulsed etch system described by
Chu et al. relates to the cycling nature of the system.
Specifically, since the expansion chamber requires time to fill
before the etch begins, is open to the main chamber during the
etch, and is typically evacuated during the evacuation step of the
cycle, it forms a rate-limiting step in the etching process. This
limitation, or bottleneck arises primarily from the time it takes
to refill the expansion chamber with xenon difluoride gas after the
evacuation step of the previous cycle. The waiting time can often
be as long as the time of all of the other steps combined and
therefore requires the total process time, or the time the wafer
spends in the main chamber, to be approximately double the actual
etching time. The term overhead is commonly used to refer to the
difference between the total process time and the actual etch
time.
[0007] Yet another example of a xenon difluoride etching system is
described in European Patent No. EP 0 878824 A2. This etching
system uses a continuous flow of xenon difluoride gas, which is
controlled by means of a flow controller in combination with an
expansion chamber, also referred to as a reservoir. Although this
process does not require the cycling as in the pulsed etching
system of Chu, et al., it does tend to waste xenon difluoride since
the xenon difluoride gas is constantly flowing and resides in the
main chamber only briefly. The relatively expensive nature of xenon
difluoride crystals makes this a major concern. Furthermore, these
continuous flow systems are much more sensitive to the geometry of
the main chamber and to the placement of the xenon difluoride gas
inlet hole(s) in the main chamber which may result in eddies in the
flow of xenon difluoride gas.
[0008] In the MEMS and semiconductor industries, as in most
manufacturing industries, throughput in a manufacturing tool is a
major concern. Thus, the system described in Chu, et al. may not be
attractive to these industries because it has an inherently high
overhead. As described in H. F. Winters and J. W. Coburn, "The
etching of silicon with XeF.sub.2 vapor," Appl. Phys. Lett., vol.
34, no. 1, pp. 70-73, January 1979, higher etching pressure, that
is the pressure of the xenon difluoride gas during the etching
process, leads to increased etch rate. Thus, processing time can be
decreased and manufacturing throughout can be increased by raising
the etching pressure. However, raising the etching pressure in a
system such as that described in Chu et al. may not be feasible.
FIG. 2 is a graph of the xenon difluoride solid vapor pressure,
wherein pressures above the curve at a particular temperature cause
the vapor to solidify. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the sublimation
pressure of xenon difluoride is approximately 3.8 Torr at room
temperature or approximately 20.degree. C. Thus, the pressure in
the initial expansion chamber in a system such as that described in
Chu et al. is limited to approximately 3.8 Torr if the source of
xenon difluoride gas is to be kept at room temperature. Although it
is shown in FIG. 2 that heating of the xenon difluoride yields a
higher solid vapor equilibrium pressure, heating the xenon
difluoride source also accelerates the recrystalization of the
xenon difluoride. Ultimately, as the xenon difluoride
recrystallizes, its exposed surface area falls, and therefore the
sublimation rate of the xenon difluoride from solid to gas falls as
well. Since xenon difluoride etching system throughput is based
upon etching with xenon difluoride vapor, slower sublimation rates
of xenon difluoride vaporhamper the performance of the system.
[0009] The ability to accurately determine the etching process end
point so as to avoid excess etching is also important. In prior art
dry etching processes using xenon difluoride gas, end point
detection is typically performed visually. The device being
processed is inspected through an optical microscope and etching is
stopped when the material being removed is not visible to the eye.
Automated end point detection methods using non-optical techniques
have not been described for xenon difluoride etching of silicon and
related compounds. This is a critical limitation when the process
is under full computer control, as found in semiconductor-type
cluster tools, and visual inspection is not convenient or
possible.
[0010] End-point detection systems have been described in the
literature for a number of semiconductor manufacturing, etching,
and deposition processes, many of which include plasma processing.
These have included methods based on optical emission as described
in Guinn, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,877,032, zero order
interferometry as described in Coronel et al., U.S. Pat. No.
5,807,761, RF voltage probing as described in Turner et al., U.S.
Pat. No. 5,939,886, acoustic measurements as described in Cadet et
al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,877,407, infrared emission measurements as
described in Gifford et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,023, atomic
spectroscopy as described in Gelernt et al., U.S. Pat. No.
4,415,402, and residual gas analysis as described in Japanese
Patent Nos. 11265878, 11204509, and 11145067.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present invention relates to an etching apparatus
including an etching chamber for holding a sample to be etched, a
source of etching gas, and a collapsible, variable volume expansion
chamber in selective fluid communication with the source of etching
gas and the etching chamber. The etching gas may comprise xenon
difluoride with the source of the etching gas being a vacuum tight
container holding xenon difluoride crystals. The apparatus may
further include a source of mixing gas such as nitrogen in
selective fluid communication with the expansion chamber. The
apparatus may also further include a vacuum pump in selective fluid
communication with the expansion chamber and the etching chamber
and a heating and control apparatus for controlling the temperature
of the etching chamber and the temperature of the expansion
chamber. The variable volume expansion chamber may include a
bellows or may include a fixed volume chamber with a movable
interior piston. The apparatus may also have a residual gas
analysis apparatus coupled to the etching chamber.
[0012] In operation, a sample is loaded into the etching chamber
and the expansion chamber is set to an initial volume. The etching
gas and in some cases the mixing gas are fed into the expansion
chamber. The expansion chamber is then placed in fluid
communication with the etching chamber and the expansion chamber is
collapsed, thereby forcing the gas or gases into the etching
chamber. The expansion chamber and the etching chamber are
maintained at temperatures at which the etching gas will not
solidify at the etch pressure. After the etching is complete, the
etching chamber may be evacuated.
[0013] The present invention also relates to a method of etching a
sample held in an etching chamber at a desired etch pressure.
According to the method, a volume of a collapsible, variable volume
expansion chamber is set to an initial volume. An etching gas, such
as xenon difluoride, is fed into the expansion chamber from a
source. The initial volume of the variable volume expansion chamber
is determined based on the desired etch pressure, the volume of the
etching chamber, and the source pressure. The expansion chamber is
then placed in fluid communication with the etching chamber and the
expansion chamber is collapsed. During the method, the expansion
chamber and the etching chamber are maintained at temperatures at
which the etching gas will not solidify at the etch pressure. The
feeding step may include feeding a mixing gas, such as nitrogen,
into the expansion chamber. The method may further include the
steps of taking the expansion chamber out of fluid communication
with the etching chamber after the collapsing step, repeating the
setting and feeding steps, determining that an etch process taking
place in the etching chamber is complete, evacuating the etching
chamber after the determining step, and repeating the placing and
collapsing steps after the evacuating step. The determining step
may include determining that a predetermined etch time has elapsed
or analyzing gases drawn from the etching chamber and determining
that the etch process is complete when the concentrations of one or
more elements or compounds reaches a preset value.
[0014] The present invention also relates to an etching apparatus
having an etching chamber for holding a sample to be etched, a
source of etching gas, such as xenon difluoride, a first expansion
chamber in selective fluid communication with the source of etching
gas and the etching chamber, and a second expansion chamber in
selective fluid communication with the source of etching gas and
the etching chamber. The apparatus may further include a source of
mixing gas, such as nitrogen, in selective fluid communication with
the first and second expansion chambers and a second source of
etching gas in selective fluid communication with the expansion
chambers. The apparatus may also further include a vacuum pump in
selective fluid communication with the expansion chambers and the
etching chamber and a heating and control apparatus for controlling
the temperature of the etching chambers and the temperature of the
expansion chamber. A third expansion chamber in selective fluid
communication with the source of etching gas and the etching
chamber may also be provided. Each of the expansion chambers may
have a fixed volume or may be variable volume expansion chambers.
In one embodiment, the apparatus includes three fixed volume
expansion chambers of equal size. In another embodiment, the
apparatus includes three fixed volume expansion chambers having
volumes A, 2A and 4A.
[0015] In operation, a sample is loaded into the etching chamber
and one or more of the expansion chambers, which may be fixed
volume or variable volume, are filled with the etching gas and in
some cases the mixing gas. The expansion chamber is then placed in
fluid communication with the etching chamber and the variable
volume expansion chambers, if any, are collapsed. As a result, the
gases are transferred to the etching chamber. The expansion
chambers and the etching chamber are maintained at temperatures at
which the etching gas will not solidify at the etch pressure. After
the etching is complete, the etching chamber may be evacuated.
[0016] The present invention also relates to an etching apparatus
including a source of etching gas, such as xenon difluoride, an
etching chamber in selective fluid communication with the source of
etching gas, a flow controller connected between the source of
etching gas and the etching chamber and a vacuum pump in selective
fluid communication with the etching chamber. A source of mixing
gas in selective fluid communication with the etching chamber and a
second flow controller connected between the source of mixing gas
and the etching chamber may also be provided. The source of etching
gas may comprise a vacuum tight container having a mesh mounted in
the interior thereof, the mesh being adapted to hold a solid
material, such as xenon difluoride crystals, used to generate the
etching gas. In operation, this configuration provides for a
continuous flow of source and in some cases mixing gas and/or gases
to the etching chamber.
[0017] The present invention also relates to a source for providing
a gas, such as an etching gas for an etching apparatus, by
sublimation from a solid material. The source includes a vacuum
tight container and a mesh mounted in the interior of the vacuum
tight container, wherein the mesh is adapted to hold the solid
material. The vacuum tight container may have a cylindrical shape,
and the mesh may have a W-shaped or a WW-shaped cross section.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] Further features and advantages of the present invention
will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed
description of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the
following drawing, in which like reference characters refer to like
parts, and in which:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a prior art etching
apparatus;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a graph showing the solid vapor pressure of xenon
difluoride;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus
according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 4A through 4D illustrate various embodiments of a
variable volume expansion chamber according to an aspect of the
present invention;
[0023] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus
according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus
according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus
according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;
[0026] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus
according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;
[0027] FIGS. 9A and 9C are cross-sectional diagrams of prior art
vacuum tight containers for providing a source of gas through
sublimation;
[0028] FIG. 9B is a cross sectional diagram of a vacuum tight
container for providing a source of gas through sublimation
according to an aspect of the present invention;
[0029] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus
according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention;
[0030] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus
according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention;
[0031] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus
according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention; and
[0032] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an etching apparatus
according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0033] FIG. 3 shows an etching apparatus according to the present
invention. The apparatus includes etching chamber 27 into which the
sample to be etched is placed. Etching chamber 27 is preferably
made from a material that will not react with the etching gas such
as machined aluminum or stainless steel and preferably has a solid
transparent lid made from a non-reactive material such as
polycarbonate. An optional sample load lock 28 may be provided for
loading the sample into the etching chamber 27. Also included are
variable volume expansion chamber 26, xenon difluoride source 25,
which may comprise a vacuum tight container such as a lecture
bottle or micro cylinder such as those available from Whitey Co., a
Swagelok Company, of Highland Heights, Ohio, and dry nitrogen
source 24, which may comprise a standard gas cylinder of
semiconductor grade nitrogen. Numerous other gases could be used in
the place of nitrogen including argon and helium. Connected between
expansion chamber 26 and nitrogen source 24 and xenon difluoride
source 25 is a gas valving manifold comprising pneumatically
actuated diaphragm or bellows valves 1 through 9 and needle valves
14 and 15 that selectively adjust the flow of the gases. Pressure
measuring devices 20 and 21, preferably capacitance manometers,
such as the Type CT27 available from MKS Instruments of Andover,
Mass., are provided in the line between variable volume expansion
chamber 26 and etching chamber 27. Roughing pump 23, typically a
rotary vane pump, with associated valves 11, 12, 13, and 17 and
residual gas analysis apparatus 22 with associated vacuum valve 16
are connected as shown.
[0034] The components of the apparatus are interconnected with
standard stainless steel tubing or the like, and an automatic
heating and control apparatus 19 is provided to regulate the
temperature of the apparatus components. A suitable example of
automatic heating and control apparatus 19 is the QUAD-3JRG-11XX
controller and various thermocouples and heaters available from
Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company of St. Louis, Mo. Automatic
heating and control apparatus 19 maintains the gas valving
manifold, expansion chamber 26 and process chamber 27 at a constant
temperature between 21 and 100 degrees Celsius, and preferably at
42 degrees Celsius, a temperature at which, as shown in FIG. 2, the
solid vapor pressure of xenon difluoride is 15 Torr. Controlling
the temperature of the etchant gas and the surrounding vacuum
system prevents the condensation of the xenon difluoride gas onto
the walls of the vacuum system and assists in tuning the etching
process.
[0035] The variable volume expansion chamber 26 is a chamber for
holding vapor, the interior volume of which can be selectively
adjusted. Variable volume expansion chamber 26 may be made from
commercially available stainless steel edge welded bellows such as
those shown at reference numeral 60 in FIG. 4A in a compressed
state and FIG. 4B in an expanded state. Bellows 60 may be mounted
on rigid support mechanism 65 as shown in FIG. 4C to ensure that
the bellows 60 are compressed and expanded linearly, resulting in a
longer life. As used in the apparatus of the present invention,
bellows 60 may be compressed or expanded manually, or
alternatively, bellows 60 may be fitted to motor drive 70 as shown
in FIG. 4D for automatic compression and expansion. Suitable
bellows are available as a single stand-alone component from the
Kurt J. Lesker Company, of Clairton, Pa. Alternatively, variable
volume expansion chamber 26 may be manufactured using a fixed
volume vessel incorporating an interior sliding seal piston
arrangement. The piston in such an arrangement may be driven either
manually or automatically through use of a motor drive for
collapsing variable volume expansion chamber 26.
[0036] Xenon difluoride crystals are typically supplied in vacuum
tight bottles having an appropriate isolation valve. Such bottles
may be used as source 25 with the isolation valve being valve 2. In
operation, xenon difluoride source 25, which could comprise several
bottles or containers connected by a manifold (not shown), is
connected to the etching apparatus shown in FIG. 3 and a vacuum
system purge sequence is initiated. In particular, valves 6, 7, 8,
9, 10, 12 and 17 are opened and roughing pump 23 evacuates all of
the interconnected components. The apparatus is then flushed with
dry clean nitrogen or other gas from source 24 by opening valves 1
and 4 and subsequently re-evacuated. This procedure is preferably
repeated three times, after which, with the apparatus under vacuum,
valves 12 and 17 are closed and the user is prompted to open valve
2 connected to the xenon difluoride source 25.
[0037] A sample to be etched is loaded into the etching chamber
according to the following method. First, load lock chamber 28 is
vented and the sample is loaded onto the transfer arm of load lock
chamber 28. Load lock chamber 28 is closed and subsequently
evacuated by opening valve 13. Thereafter, gate valve 18 between
load lock chamber 28 and evacuated etching chamber 27 is opened.
The sample is transferred into etching chamber 27 and gate valve 18
to load lock chamber 28 is closed.
[0038] The system parameters to be chosen by the user include one
or more of: xenon difluoride to nitrogen gas ratio, etch time, etch
pressure, and number of cycles. The xenon difluoride to nitrogen
gas ratio refers to the ratio of xenon difluoride to nitrogen gas
by partial pressure to be introduced into etching chamber 27 and is
controlled by selectively opening the valves of the gas valving
manifold. The etching gas is preferably fed into the expansion
chamber first, before any mixing gas. The etch time is the time the
etching gas mixture is allowed to remain in etching chamber 27
before etching chamber 27 is evacuated. The etch time may begin
when expansion chamber 26 is placed in fluid communication with
etching chamber 27 and may end when such fluid communication is
terminated or when etching chamber 27 is evacuated. The etch
pressure refers to the pressure inside etching chamber 27 while the
sample is being etched, i.e., the pressure when the gas mixture is
inside etching chamber 27. The number of cycles refers to the
number of times the etch procedure is repeated for the sample in
etching chamber 27. The precise values for each of these parameters
is dependent on and will thus vary with the nature of the sample to
be etched and may be chosen by one of skill in the art.
[0039] When the etch process is initiated, the expansion chamber 26
is evacuated using roughing pump 23 by opening valve 11. Valve 11
is then closed and the variable volume expansion chamber 26 is set
to the desired initial volume. Choosing the initial fill volume of
variable volume expansion chamber 26, for example, by compressing
or expanding the bellows or by moving the interior piston, sets the
etch pressure because when variable volume expansion chamber 26 is
collapsed, for example, manually or under motor control,
substantially all of the etching gas mixture will be transferred
from variable volume expansion chamber 26 to etching chamber 27. If
variable volume expansion chamber 26 is set to an initial volume
that is equal to the volume of etching chamber 27, then the etch
pressure after variable volume expansion chamber 26 is collapsed
will be substantially equal to the pressure in variable volume
expansion chamber 26. If the initial volume of expansion chamber 26
is set to some multiple X of the volume of etching chamber 27, then
the etch pressure after the expansion chamber is collapsed will be
approximately equal to the same multiple X of the pressure in the
variable volume expansion chamber 26.
[0040] After the initial volume of variable volume expansion
chamber 26 is set, valves 4, 5, 8, and 9 are opened in the
appropriate sequence and the desired ratio of etching and mixing
gasses is allowed to feed or flow into the expansion chamber 26
until an initial pressure set point chosen by the user as measured
by pressure measuring device 20 is obtained. Valves 14 and 15 are
needle valves preset to a pre-fixed open position. Alternatively,
variable volume expansion chamber 26 may be extended during the
fill period.
[0041] When the initial pressure set point in variable volume
expansion chamber 26 is reached, valves 4, 5, 8, and 9 are closed,
valve 10 is opened and the variable volume expansion chamber 26 is
collapsed by compressing bellows 60 or by driving a piston provided
as a part of variable volume expansion chamber 26. As a result,
substantially all of the gas contained in variable volume expansion
chamber 26 is transferred to etching chamber 27, which reaches its
final process pressure as measured by pressure measuring device 21.
Valve 10 is then closed and a system timer in automatic heating and
control apparatus 19 is started. If the number of cycles to be
performed is greater than one, variable volume expansion chamber 26
is extended to its initial position and refilled with process gas
from sources 24 and 25. The ability to refill variable volume
expansion chamber 26 while the etch process is taking place in
etching chamber 27 is advantageous because it increases throughput
by allowing a filled variable volume expansion chamber 26 to be
ready to go as soon as the etching cycle is complete. This can be
contrasted to prior art systems such as that described in Chu et
al. which requires the expansion chamber to be open to the etching
chamber during the entire etch process thereby preventing it from
being refilled until after the etch cycles is complete. Before
refilling begins, variable volume expansion chamber 26 may be
executed by roughing pump 23 by opening valve 11. Variable volume
expansion chamber 26 may optionally be cooled to room temperature
before refilling, thereby allowing more gas to enter.
[0042] The process of collapsing variable volume expansion chamber
26 that is set to a volume larger than the volume of etching
chamber 27 in the present apparatus thus enables xenon difluoride
gas to be supplied to etching chamber 27 at high pressure without
exposing the xenon difluoride vapor from source 25, which is
typically at room temperature, to pressures that would otherwise
force it to solidify. This is possible because the automatic
heating and control apparatus 19 maintains the vacuum system,
particularly the gas valving manifold; variable volume expansion
chamber 26; etching chamber 27; and the interconnecting tubing at a
high enough temperature according to the parameters of FIG. 2 such
that the xenon difluoride vapor does not solidify. According to an
aspect of the present invention that contemplates a computer
controlled system, when the user sets the desired etch pressure,
the control electronics set the etching temperature by setting
automatic heating and control apparatus 19 to the appropriate value
determined in accordance with the parameters in FIG. 2. It should
be noted that it is not necessary that each of the components of
the vacuum systems be kept at the same temperature. Rather, it is
necessary that each of the components be at a temperature that is
at least as high as the temperature at which the xenon difluoride
gas will not solidify.
[0043] In addition, when variable volume expansion chamber 26 is
collapsed, the xenon difluoride gas is forced out of the variable
volume expansion chamber 26 and into etching chamber 27. Because
the xenon difluoride and nitrogen gases are forced into etching
chamber 27, etching can begin sooner and process speed is increased
as compared to the prior art described in Chu et al., which
utilized a fixed expansion chamber wherein the process gas has to
naturally flow from the expansion chamber to the etching chamber.
Forcing the gas out of variable volume expansion chamber 26 also
allows more of the gas, and in particular the xenon difluoride gas,
to be utilized during the etch, which conserves the xenon
difluoride crystals.
[0044] When the etch time has elapsed, valves 12 and 17 are opened
and roughing pump 23 evacuates etching chamber 27. When a
sufficiently low pressure, preferably on the order of 50 milliTorr,
is achieved, valves 12 and 17 are closed and the process is
repeated until the total number of preset etch cycles is completed.
Valve 10 may optionally be opened so that variable volume expansion
chamber 26 may be evacuated simultaneously with etching chamber 27.
In this instance, however, variable volume expansion chamber 26
cannot be refilled until after this evacuation step.
[0045] When all of the etch cycles have been completed, variable
volume expansion chamber 26 is set to its maximum volume position.
Valves 12 and 17 are opened, and roughing pump 23 evacuates the
etching chamber 27. Valves 12 and 17 are then closed and etching
chamber 27 is filled with dry nitrogen gas from source 24 by
opening the appropriate valves in the gas valving manifold. This
procedure is preferably repeated three times, which flushes out
etching chamber 27, leaving it in a final evacuated state. Valve 10
may also be opened during the excavation steps so that variable
volume expansion chamber 26 may be evacuated and flushed along with
etching chamber 28.
[0046] Next, gate valve 18 between the load lock chamber 28 and
etching chamber 27 is opened. The sample is transferred into the
load lock chamber 28 and gate valve 18 to load lock chamber 28 is
closed. Load lock chamber 28 is vented and the sample is unloaded
from the transfer arm.
[0047] Additionally, if variable volume expansion chamber 26 is
large enough, for example ten times as large as etching chamber 27,
and a conductance limiting device, such as a butterfly valve, for
example, a Type 153 butterfly valve available from MKS Instruments
of Andover, Mass., is installed in the roughing pump line adjacent
valve 12, the etching apparatus can be operated in a
quasi-continuous mode with a set desired pressure in etching
chamber 27 by controlling the rate at which expansion chamber 26
collapses, and thus the rate that gas is transferred to etching
chamber 27, and the degree of operation of the roughing pump 23,
and thus the rate at which gas is removed from etching chamber
27.
[0048] Moreover, if a quick response valve is installed in the
roughing pump line, brief pulses from roughing pump 23 during the
etching process, i.e., when etching chamber 27 is full of gas, may
be used to flush some of the etching by-products from etching
chamber 27 and provide agitation to increase the etching
effectiveness. Fresh xenon difluoride gas might be also drawn into
etching chamber 27 during the brief pumping pulse by opening valves
2, 5, 9 and 10.
[0049] A second embodiment of an apparatus according to the present
invention is shown in FIG. 5. The apparatus shown in FIG. 5
includes second variable volume expansion chamber 30.
Alternatively, variable volume expansion chambers 26 and 30 may be
replaced by fixed volume expansion chambers having the same or
different fixed volumes. The configuration shown in FIG. 5, whether
using fixed or variable volume expansion chambers, allows for
increased and variable capacity in terms of the amount of gas that
can be transferred to etching chamber 27 during each cycle.
Furthermore, if the expansion chambers shown in FIG. 5, whether
fixed or variable volume, are each provided with separate fluid
connections to sources 24 and 25, and if a separate fluid
connection from expansion chambers to etching chamber 27 is
provided, as is the case with the embodiment shown in FIG. 10,
throughput may be increased by allowing one expansion chamber to
fill while the other is being used to etch. Furthermore, additional
expansion chambers of fixed and/or variable volume in any
combination can be added in a similar fashion. Valves 31 and 32 and
associated tubing connected to roughing pump 23 may be provided to
enable the expansion chambers to be evacuated without going through
etching chamber 27.
[0050] Referring to FIG. 6, a third embodiment of the present
invention is shown that utilizes multiple fixed volume expansion
chambers of different volumes. The embodiment shown in FIG. 6
includes three fixed volume expansion chambers 36A, 35B and 36C
connected to the gas valving manifold through valves 33, 34 and 37.
In addition, valves 31, 32 and 35 are provided to allow fixed
volume expansion chambers 36A, 36B and 36C to be evacuated using
roughing pump 23. Although three fixed volume expansion chambers
are shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to use two fixed volume
expansion chambers or four or more fixed volume expansion chambers.
One very flexible combination of fixed volume expansion chambers is
to have, for example, three fixed volume expansion chambers such as
36A, 36B and 36C, one of volume A, a second of volume 2 times A,
and a third of volume 4 times A. This arrangement allows, through
selecting different combinations of fixed volume expansion
chambers, a range of total volume from A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A,
8A, to 9A that can be supplied to the etching chamber 27 for
etching by opening the appropriate valves and allowing process gas
to flow into etching chamber 27. This flexibility is particularly
attractive for process development whereby users of the equipment
can quickly identify the best total sized expansion chamber for
their application.
[0051] A fourth embodiment of the apparatus configuration is shown
in FIG. 7. The apparatus shown in FIG. 7 is similar to that shown
in FIG. 3 except that load lock components 18, 28, and 13 have been
removed. In many research applications, the ability to place the
wafers directly into the etching chamber 27 is acceptable, and in
some cases, preferred over the automated handling which accompanies
a load lock system. Also, as shown in FIG. 7, an additional
nitrogen source 24 and associated valve 40 are provided and are
intended to be used for flushing the apparatus.
[0052] Referring to FIGS. 3, 5, 6 and 7, a residual gas analysis,
or RGA, apparatus 22 may be used to determine when the etch process
is complete. RGA apparatus 22 is connected to etching chamber 27
through variable inlet valve 16. RGA apparatuses are well known and
generally comprise a mass spectrometer or quadrupole analyzer,
vacuum valves, a real time calibration independent-type gas unit, a
control valve, and an RGA control unit. The RGA control unit is
equipped with a control processor and related software for
high-speed data acquisition and for generating data analysis and
process control commands. If the vacuum level in the etching
chamber is low enough, the mass spectrometer or quadrupole analyzer
can be installed in the etching chamber 27 itself. Gas by-products
from the etching process are pumped through the variable inlet
valve 16 and analyzed in the RGA apparatus 22. A computer
controller displays a plot of signal intensity versus time. A
suitable RGA apparatus is the OmniStar system with corrosive
preparation from Pfeiffer Vacuum of Asslar, Germany.
[0053] The chemical formula that represents the etch process is as
follows:
2XeF.sub.2+Si=>2 Xe+SiF.sub.4
[0054] When the xenon difluoride gas is brought into the etching
chamber 27 containing a silicon wafer, the etching process can be
monitored on the output screen of RGA apparatus 22 by monitoring
signals representing the concentrations of the elements and
compounds in this formula. RGA apparatus 22 can be set to monitor
any or all of the XeF.sub.2 signal, the Xe signal and the SiF.sub.4
signal. When the etching reaction is complete, these signals will
reach some near-constant value, assuming there is no pumping
occurring. The etching apparatus' control software can be set to
trigger a stop to the etch process when either the XeF.sub.2, the
Xe or the SiF.sub.4 signal, or any combination of two or more of
these signals, reaches a preset value. For example, in many cases
where there is a finite amount of exposed silicon to be etched, the
XeF.sub.2 signal should decrease with time as the etch process is
performed and then level out to a near constant value when no more
XeF.sub.2 is being used to etch the wafer and the remaining gas is
idle in the process chamber. This example assumes a hypothetical
"last pulse" where there is some silicon remaining at the beginning
of the etch pulse and none or very little at the end.
[0055] A fifth embodiment of the apparatus configuration is shown
in FIG. 8. This configuration provides a continuous flow etch using
xenon difluoride. The apparatus shown in FIG. 8 is similar to that
shown in FIG. 3, except that variable volume expansion chamber 26
has been removed along with all of the supporting valves. In
addition, flow controllers 50 and 51 have been added. One suitable
flow controller is the Type 1179A mass flow controller available
from MKS Instruments of Andover, Mass., although other types of
well known flow controllers may also be used. Unlike the apparatus
described in European Patent Application No. EP 0 878 824 A2, the
apparatus shown in FIG. 8 does not employ a reservoir to provide a
continuous flow of xenon difluoride. With sufficient exposed
surface area of xenon difluoride crystals, the production of xenon
difluoride vapor by sublimation is sufficient to etch continuously.
Methods of increasing the exposed surface area of xenon difluoride
crystals include the use of wide diameter containers, containers
having internal trays, and the design shown in FIG. 9B.
[0056] FIG. 9A shows a cross-sectional drawing of a vertically
oriented standard gas cylinder 119 containing xenon difluoride
crystals 200. FIG. 9B shows the same cylinder 119 with a mesh 201
provided inside adapted to hold the xenon difluoride crystals 200
and to directly expose more of the surface area of xenon difluoride
crystals 200. According to one embodiment, the mesh 201 is
W-shaped, but more complex shapes can be made as well to further
increase the exposed surface area, such as a WW-shaped
cross-section. The mesh 201 is inserted into the cylinder before
filling it with the xenon difluoride crystals 200. The mesh should
be welded, epoxied, taped, or otherwise attached to the wall of
cylinder 119 at the edge 202 of the mesh 201. The insertion of the
mesh 201 into the cylinder 119 is best done before the neck of the
cylinder is created for ease of access into the cylinder. Insertion
is, however, still possible to accomplish after the neck has been
created due to the restorative nature of the mesh 201 which allows
the mesh 201 to naturally re-expand into its full size after being
squeezed into the neck of the cylinder 119. Furthermore, the use of
the mesh 201 is not limited to standard gas cylinders, but can be
used with any number of custom designed vacuum tight containers.
The mesh 201 may be made of a number of non-reactive materials
including aluminum, stainless steel, and Teflon. The size of the
openings in the mesh 201 is selected to be smaller than the
majority of the xenon difluoride crystals 200. A typical mesh
opening size would therefore be approximately 1 millimeter.
[0057] As an example of the increase in the directly exposed
surface area that can be obtained using the cylinder design in FIG.
9B is illustrated. A standard lecture bottle or cylinder has an
inside diameter of approximately 1.75 inches. When the cylinder is
oriented as in FIG. 9A, the directly exposed surface area of the
xenon difluoride crystals 200 is approximately 2.4 square inches. A
typical lecture bottle allows for a mesh 201 of at least 8 inches
tall. Approximating the directly exposed surface area to be
comprised of the lateral surface areas of a right circular cone and
a portion of a right circular cone, and assuming that the bottoms
of the W are at the middle of the radius of the inside of the
cylinder and that the xenon difluoride crystals 200 are filled to 7
inches, the exposed surface area in the configuration shown in FIG.
9B is approximately 40 square inches. As a final comparison, if the
bottle is tilted as indicated in FIG. 9C, the directly exposed
surface area can be increased relative to the configuration shown
in FIG. 9B, but to less than approximately 12 square inches, which
is still far less than that which can be attained using the mesh
201.
[0058] It should be pointed out that the use of attached mesh 201
allows for the use of narrow diameter cylinders or bottles to
produce high sublimation rates of xenon difluoride. The compact
nature of narrow cylinders or bottles is particularly attractive in
minimizing the overall dimensions of the equipment used to etch
silicon materials. Additionally, a large exposed surface area can
be maintained even when the cylinder or bottle is mounted
vertically which further adds to the convenience of mounting in
equipment. Also, since the mesh 201 is attached to the cylinder or
bottle, the possibility that xenon difluoride crystals might make
their way around the top edges of the mesh if the bottle is tipped
or jostled is avoided, which makes the cylinders or bottles easy to
transport.
[0059] A sixth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
10. The apparatus shown in FIG. 10 comprises etching chamber 126
and two expansion chambers 117 and 123. Etching chamber 126
preferably comprises a machined block of aluminum with a lid
preferably made of a solid transparent material such as
polycarbonate to allow the observation of the etch process.
Expansion chambers 117 and 123 are fixed volume chambers and may
comprise aluminum or stainless steel cylinders. The apparatus shown
in FIG. 10 preferably includes a heating and control apparatus such
as heating and control apparatus 19 shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8
to prevent the condensation of the xenon difluoride and nitrogen
gasses onto the walls of the tubing and the valve components. The
pressure in etching chamber 126 is monitored using pressure sensor
127, which preferably comprises a capacitance manometer, a suitable
example of which is the Type CT27 from MKS Instruments of Andover,
Mass. Vacuum pump 128, typically a rotary vane vacuum pump, is
provided to evacuate one or more of etching chamber 126 and
expansion chambers 117 and 123 by selectively opening valves 115,
104 and 112.
[0060] The apparatus shown in FIG. 10 includes two gas sources 119
and 121 that comprise gas cylinders such as lecture bottles. Xenon
difluoride gas is generated from xenon difluoride crystals through
sublimation in the sources 119 and 121. Two sources 119 and 121 of
xenon difluoride gas provides increased capacity and added
flexibility for the apparatus. For example, one source could be a
large bottle and the other source could be a smaller bottle. Also,
one of the sources could contain higher quality, higher purity
xenon difluoride crystals than the other so that one source could
be used for etching that requires greater precision, such as during
commercial production, whereas the other could be used for etching
that does not require the same level of precision, such as in
research and development applications. The components shown in FIG.
10 are interconnected by standard stainless steel tubing or the
like.
[0061] In operation, after etching chambers 126 and, optionally,
expansion chambers 117 and 123 have been evacuated, xenon
difluoride gas is allowed to enter the apparatus by opening
diaphragm or bellows pneumatically operated valves 101 and 102. The
xenon difluoride gas is allowed to enter expansion chambers 117 and
123 by selectively opening the pneumatically actuated valves 105
and 108. The pressure in expansion chambers 117 and 123 is measured
using pressure sensors 118 and 124, which are preferably
capacitance manometers. A mixing gas from source 120 may be added
to the expansion chambers 117 and 123. The mixing gas is typically
nitrogen, although other gases such as argon and helium may be
used. Also, an additional source 120 having an alternative mixing
gas could be provided such that the mixing gas entering expansion
chamber 117 is different than the mixing gas entering expansion
chamber 123. For expansion chamber 117, the mixing gas flows
through pneumatically operated valve 113, through needle valve 116
to provide precise flow control, and through another pneumatically
operated valve 103. A similar valve configuration is provided for
expansion chamber 123 through pneumatically operated valves 114 and
111 and needle valve 122. Once the pressure in expansion chambers
117 and 123 has reached the set point defined by the user, as
measured by pressure sensors 118 and 124, the gas contained in the
expansion chambers 117 and 123 is selectively allowed to flow into
and enter etching chamber 126 by selectively opening pneumatically
operated valves 106 and 109.
[0062] Thus, the apparatus shown in FIG. 10 overcomes the
rate-limiting or bottleneck problem of the system described in Chu
et al. and shown in FIG. 1 because one expansion chamber, for
example expansion chamber 117, can be used to etch a sample in
etching chamber 126 by opening valve 106, while another expansion
chamber, in this example expansion chamber 123, is being filled
with gas. After the etch cycle is completed using the expansion
chamber 117, etching chamber 126 can be evacuated and the next
etching cycle can begin by opening valve 109 and allowing the gas
in expansion chamber 123 to enter etching chamber 126. This process
can be repeated for as many etching cycles as desired. Down time
between etching cycles is therefore eliminated while the second
expansion chamber fills with gas. As a further alternative, the
apparatus shown in FIG. 10 may be provided with RGA apparatus 22
connected to etching chamber 126 in order to detect etch process
completion in the manner described above.
[0063] Alternatively, one or both of expansion chambers 117 and 123
may be a variable volume expansion chamber such as those described
in connection with FIG. 3, in which case the apparatus shown in
FIG. 10 would use heating and control apparatus 19 to maintain the
temperature of the apparatus component at a level above the level
at which the xenon difluoride gas would solidify.
[0064] Pneumatically operated valve 107 allows the xenon difluoride
gas to bypass expansion chambers 117 and 123 and diffuse directly
from sources 119 and 121 to etching chamber 126. Additionally,
etching chamber 126 may be vented/purged with the mixing gas from
source 120 between samples by opening pneumatically operated valve
110, in which case the flow of the venting/purging gas is
controlled through needle valve 125. Expansion chambers 117 and 123
may also be vented/purged with the mixing gas by additionally
opening valves 106 and 109.
[0065] FIG. 11 shows a seventh embodiment of the present invention
similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 but having three
expansion chambers 117, 123 and 134 rather than two. The addition
of expansion chamber 134 is accomplished by adding valve 131, which
is identical to valves 113 and 114, valve 132, which is identical
to valves 116 and 122, valve 133, which is identical to valves 103
and 111, valve 130, which is identical to valves 105 and 108, valve
129, which is identical to valves 106 and 109, valve 136, which is
identical to valves 104 and 112, and pressure sensor 135, which is
identical to pressure sensors 118 and 124. Expansion chambers 117,
123 and 134 may be of the same volume or of different volumes such
as those shown and described in connection with FIG. 6.
[0066] FIG. 12 shows a variation of the three expansion chamber
configuration of FIG. 8 wherein commonly available flow controllers
140, 141, 142, 143, and 144 have been added. An example of a
suitable flow controller would be the Type 1179A mass flow
controller available from MKS Instruments of Andover, Mass. Flow
controllers 140, 141, 142, 143 and 144 allow the flow rate of each
gas to be accurately monitored, which is particularly useful when
etching continuously rather than using etching cycles. For example,
a continuous, accurately controlled etching flow can be produced by
opening valve 101, controlling the flow of xenon difluoride gas
using flow controller 141, and opening valve 107. If desired, a
mixing gas may be added by opening valve 110 and controlling the
flow of the mixing gas using flow controller 145. Additional xenon
difluoride flow can be provided by opening valve 102 and
controlling the flow using flow controller 142. The gases are drawn
through the apparatus using the vacuum pump 128 by opening valve
115. Furthermore, at 115, to control the conductance of the vacuum
pump 128, and hence adjust the rate that the etching chamber 126 is
evacuated by the vacuum pump 128, a butterfly or throttle valve
could be added to valve 115 such as the Type 153 available from MKS
Instruments of Andover, Mass.
[0067] FIG. 13 shows a simplified controlled flow apparatus, in
which the expansion chambers shown in FIG. 12 have been removed
along with all of the supporting valves and pressure sensors. The
flow controllers 141 and 142 associated with sources 119 and 121
have been replaced with a single flow controller 150. Also shown is
an additional valve 151 which provides the ability to isolate the
flow controller 145 from source 120. This same valve could be added
before flow controller 145 in FIG. 12 as well. Unlike the apparatus
described in European Patent Application No. EP 0 878 824 A2, the
apparatus in FIG. 13 does not employ a reservoir to provide a
continuous flow of xenon difluoride gas. With sufficient exposed
surface area of xenon difluoride crystals, the production of xenon
difluoride vapor is sufficient to etch continuously. Methods of
increasing the exposed surface area of xenon difluoride crystals
have been described above in connection with FIGS. 9A, 9B and
9C.
[0068] The terms and expression which have been employed herein are
used as terms of description and not as limitation, and there is no
intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding
equivalents of the features shown and described or portions
thereof, it being recognized that various modifications are
possible within the scope of the invention claimed. Although
particular embodiments of the present invention have been
illustrated in the foregoing detailed description, it is to be
further understood that the present invention is not to be limited
to just the embodiments disclosed, but that they are capable of
numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions.
* * * * *