Role of Oxygen in Amorphous Carbon Hard Mask Plasma Etching.

ABSTRACT: In the current and next-generation Si-based semiconductor manufacturing processes, amorphous carbon layer (ACL) hard masks are garnering considerable attention for high-aspect-ratio (HAR) etching due to their outstanding physical properties. However, a current limitation is the lack of research on the etching characteristics of ACL hard masks under plasma etching conditions. Given the significant impact of hard mask etching on device quality and performance, a deeper understanding of the etching characteristics of ACL is necessary. This study aims to investigate the role of oxygen in the etching characteristics of an ACL hard mask in a complex gas mixture plasma etching process. Our results show that a small change of oxygen concentration (3.5-6.5%) can significantly alter the etch rate an

SUBMITTER: Yeom HJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10500572 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature