A method of manufacturing a packaging substrate according to an embodiment includes a preparation step of preparing a base substrate comprising a core layer and an insulating layer formed on the core layer, a patterning step of selectively plasma etching the insulating layer with an etching mask to form a patterned insulating layer, and a manufacturing step of manufacturing a packaging substrate from the base substrate on which the patterned insulating layer is formed. The etching mask includes an organic compound. The atmosphere temperature of the patterning step is 120 C. or less. In this case, packaging substrates may be manufactured with an improved convenience of manufacturing process and improved electrical reliability.

A plasma processing method includes: (a) preparing a substrate having an etching film and a dielectric film; (b) etching the etching film by repeatedly executing, a plurality of times, a cycle including (b-a) supplying a processing gas containing at least a carbon-containing gas into the chamber and forming a protective film at least on the dielectric film, and (b-b) supplying a processing gas containing at least a noble gas into the chamber; and (c) etching the etching film by executing, one or more times, a cycle including (c-a) supplying a processing gas containing at least a carbon-containing gas into the chamber, and (c-b) supplying a processing gas containing at least a noble gas into the chamber and supplying a bias signal to the substrate support.

Embodiments of the disclosure include a method for forming a feature on a substrate includes exposing a portion of a silicon containing layer formed over the substrate through an opening formed though a masking layer to a carbon-free fluorine containing gas to convert the exposed portion of the silicon containing layer to a reactive portion, and etching the reactive portion by exposing the reactive portion of the silicon containing layer to a plasma formed from an inert gas.

A method for performing an etch process on a substrate includes applying a bias signal and a source signal to an electrode of a plasma processing system. The bias signal and the source signal are pulsed RF signals that together define a repeated pulsed RF cycle, wherein each pulsed RF cycle sequentially includes a first state, a second state, a third state, and a fourth state. The power level of the bias signal in the first state is greater than in the third state, which is greater than in the second state, which is greater than in the fourth state. The power level of the source signal in the first state is greater than in the third state, which is greater than in the second state, which is greater than in the fourth state.

A method for etching an etch layer is provided. The method comprises a plurality of cycles, wherein each cycle, comprises exposing the etch layer to neutral radicals for a time between 10 ms and 600 ms, wherein the neutral radicals are absorbed into the etch layer to form a modified part of the etch layer and exposing the etch layer to bombardment ions for a time between 10 ms and 600 ms, wherein the bombardment ions remove the modified part of the etch layer.

Provided herein are methods and apparatus for processing a substrate by exposing the substrate to plasma to simultaneously (i) etch features in an underlying material (e.g., which includes one or more dielectric materials), and (ii) deposit a upper mask protector layer on a mask positioned over the dielectric material, where the upper mask protector layer forms on top of the mask in a selective vertically-oriented directional deposition. Such methods and apparatus may be used to achieve infinite etch selectivity, even when etching high aspect ratio features.

A method includes providing a workpiece in an etching apparatus at ambient temperature, the workpiece comprising a dielectric layer adjacent a conductive layer over a semiconductor substrate. The method includes performing an etching process to selectively remove the dielectric layer relative to the conductive layer. The method further includes, while performing the etching process, cooling the workpiece to a processing temperature that is below the ambient temperature.

A plasma etching device includes: a dual radio frequency (RF) generator configured to generate a second power signal having a second frequency and a first power signal having a first frequency, which is at least 12 MHz higher than the second frequency, a match circuit configured to perform impedance matching based on an impedance of the dual RF generator, a chamber including a wafer support, and an antenna inductively couplable to an interior of the chamber by an inner coil configured to receive the first power signal, and an outer coil configured to receive the second power signal.

A plasma processing method executed by a plasma processing apparatus with a chamber is provided. The method includes (a) providing in the chamber a substrate that includes an etching film and a mask film, the substrate including a first region where the etching film is exposed and a second region where the mask film is exposed, (b) supplying into the chamber a processing gas including a carbon-containing gas to generate plasma from the processing gas to etch the etching film and to form a protective film on the mask film, and (c) supplying the processing gas into the chamber to generate plasma from the processing gas to further etch the etching film and to remove at least part of the protective film. (b) includes a first period and a second period, and a flow rate of the carbon-containing gas in the first period is greater than a flow rate of the carbon-containing gas in the second period, and (c) includes a third period and a fourth period, and a flow rate of the carbon-containing gas in the third period is less than the flow rate of the carbon-containing gas in the second period and a flow rate of the carbon-containing gas in the fourth period.

Exemplary semiconductor processing methods may include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be positioned within the processing region. The substrate may include alternating layers of silicon nitride and silicon oxide. The methods may include forming plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor. The methods may include contacting the substrate with the plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor. The contacting may selectively etch an exposed portion of silicon nitride. The methods may include introducing a phosphorous-and-fluorine-containing precursor into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber while maintaining a flow of the fluorine-containing precursor. The methods may include forming plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor and the phosphorous-and-fluorine-containing precursor. The methods may include contacting the substrate with the plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor and the phosphorous-and-fluorine-containing precursor. The contacting may selectively etch an exposed portion of silicon oxide.