Etching reactants and plasma-free etching processes using the same

Abstract

Disclosed are processes of removing layers from substrates using fluorinated reactants having the formula MF.sub.x(adduct).sub.n, wherein x ranges from 2 to 6 inclusive; n ranges from 0 to 5 inclusive; M is selected from the group consisting of P, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Mo, and W; and the adduct is a neutral organic molecule selected from THF, dimethylether, diethylether, glyme, diglyme, triglyme, polyglyme, dimethylsulphide, diethylsulphide, or methylcyanide. The fluorinated reactants dry etch the nitride layers without utilizing any plasma.

Claims

1. A method of removing layers from a substrate using a fluorinated reactant comprising the steps of: (a) introducing a vapor of the fluorinated reactant into a reactor having a substrate disposed therein, the substrate having a layer thereon, and (b) etching at least part of the layer from the substrate, the fluorinated reactant selected from the group consisting of VF.sub.5, NbF.sub.5, MoF.sub.6, NbF.sub.5(SEt), and NbF.sub.4(SEt).sub.2.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a silicon wafer, silicon oxide, stainless steel, aluminum nitride, or aluminum oxide.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer is a metal layer, further comprising (c) oxidizing or nitridizing the metal layer prior to step (a) introducing the vapor of the fluorinated reactant.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the metal layer is selected from the group consisting of a tungsten layer, a molybdenum layer, a tantalum layer, a niobium layer, a vanadium layer, a hafnium layer, a zirconium layer, a titanium layer, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising repeating steps (c), (a), and (b).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, or a silicon wafer and the layer is selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, vanadium oxide, niobium oxide, tantalum oxide, molybdenum oxide, tungsten oxide, and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluorinated reactant is NbF.sub.5.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluorinated reactant is VF.sub.5.

9. A dry etching method for selectively etching a layer from a substrate by reacting a vapor of a fluorinated reactant with the layer to form volatile fluorinated species, the fluorinated reactant selected from the group consisting of VF.sub.5, NbF.sub.5, MoF.sub.6, NbF.sub.5(SEt), and NbF.sub.4(SEt).sub.2.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the substrate is stainless steel, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, a silicon wafer, or aluminum nitride.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the layer is a metal layer, further comprising oxidizing or nitridizing the metal layer prior to reacting the vapor of the fluorinated reactant with the layer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the metal layer is selected from the group consisting of a tungsten layer, a molybdenum layer, a tantalum layer, a niobium layer, a vanadium layer, a hafnium layer, a zirconium layer, a titanium layer, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising repeating the oxidizing or nitridizing and reacting steps.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the substrate is silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, or a silicon wafer and the layer is selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, vanadium oxide, niobium oxide, tantalum oxide, molybdenum oxide, tungsten oxide, and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the fluorinated reactant is NbF.sub.5.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the fluorinated reactant is VF.sub.5.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are given the same or analogous reference numbers and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the fluorinated reactant delivery device disclosed herein;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of a second embodiment of the fluorinated reactant delivery device disclosed herein;

(4) FIG. 3 is an exemplary embodiment of a solid precursor sublimator for subliming solid fluorinated reactants;

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the apparatus used in Examples 1-6;

(6) FIG. 5 is a graph displaying the thickness of different oxide layers as a function of NbF.sub.5 introduction time in a thermal reactor at 5-7 Torr;

(7) FIG. 6 is a graph displaying the thickness of different oxide and nitride layers as a function of VF.sub.5 introduction time in a thermal reactor at 5-7 Torr;

(8) FIG. 7 is a graph displaying the thickness of different oxide and nitride layers as a function of MoF.sub.6 introduction time in a thermal reactor at 5-7 Torr;

(9) FIG. 8 is a flow chart providing the sequence for the sequential etching of a metal film by sequential oxidation of the metal film and selective removal of the oxidized portion of the film;

(10) FIG. 9a is a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) image of an approximately 120 nm thick layer of tungsten oxide formed from a tungsten layer on a Ti/TiN layer;

(11) FIG. 9b is an Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) map of the same approximately 120 nm thick layer of tungsten oxide formed from a tungsten layer on a Ti/TiN layer;

(12) FIG. 9c is the EDX map of FIG. 9b showing the intensity of tungsten;

(13) FIG. 9d is the EDX map of FIG. 9b showing the intensity of oxygen.

(14) FIG. 10 is a SEM image of the approximately 100 nm thick tungsten oxide layer of FIG. 9a remaining after 200 seconds of etching by NbF.sub.5 at 300 C.;

(15) FIG. 11a is a SEM image of the approximately 52 nm thick tungsten oxide layer of FIG. 9a remaining after 5 seconds of etching by NbF.sub.5 at 350 C.;

(16) FIG. 11b is a SEM image of the approximately 45 nm thick tungsten oxide layer of FIG. 9a remaining after 10 seconds of etching by NbF.sub.5 at 350 C.;

(17) FIG. 11c is a SEM image of the approximately 25 nm thick tungsten oxide layer of FIG. 9a remaining after 15 seconds of etching by NbF.sub.5 at 350 C.;

(18) FIG. 12a is a SEM image of the tungsten oxide layer of FIG. 9a remaining after 1 second of etching by NbF.sub.5 at 400 C.;

(19) FIG. 12b is a SEM image of the tungsten oxide layer of FIG. 9a remaining after 2 seconds of etching by NbF.sub.5 at 400 C.; and

(20) FIG. 12c is a SEM image of the tungsten layer remaining after 3 seconds of etching the tungsten oxide layer by NbF.sub.5 at 400 C. resulted in complete removal of the tungsten oxide layer.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(21) Disclosed are processes of removing layers using fluorinated reactants without the use of plasma. Vapors of the fluorinated reactant are introduced into a reactor containing the layer disposed on a substrate. The vapor of the fluorinated reactant reacts with the layer and forms volatile fluorinated species. As a result, at least part of the layer is removed from the substrate.

(22) The disclosed processes allow removal of layers without utilizing any plasma. For example, the disclosed processes may selectively etch one layer from a different layer. More particularly, the disclosed process may be useful to dry etch a ZrO.sub.2 layer from an Al.sub.2O.sub.3 layer in a DRAM trench having an aspect ratio ranging from approximately 1:1 to 60:1. Alternatively, the disclosed processes may be used as cleaning processes to remove residues from deposition reactor surfaces, such as Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, or stainless steel. In another alternative, the disclosed processes may selectively etch a SiO.sub.2 hard mask cap layer from underlying doped polysilicon layer from the gate stack of a transistor device.

(23) Plasma may cause damage to the substrate from which the layer is removed, particularly any sidewalls during removal of any layers in structures having a high aspect ratio. This damage may also lead to contamination of the substrate. Plasma may also suffer from non-uniformity, resulting in dead spaces where the plasma does not reach, particularly for chamber cleaning applications and etching of high aspect ratio structures. As a result, the plasma etch process may not successfully remove the entire layer from the structure being cleaned or etched. The ability to remove the layers without using a plasma process therefore provides a significant advantage over processes that use plasma.

(24) The fluorinated reactant has the formula MF.sub.x(adduct).sub.n, wherein M is an element from the periodic table, x ranges from 2 to 6 inclusive, and n ranges from 0 to 5 inclusive. Exemplary fluorinated reactants in which n=0 include PF.sub.3, PF.sub.5, TiF.sub.4, ZrF.sub.4, HfF.sub.4, VF.sub.5, NbF.sub.5, TaF.sub.5, MoF.sub.6, WF.sub.6, or combinations thereof. When M is a Group IV element (i.e., Ti, Zr, or Hf), the resulting fluorinated reactant (i.e., TiF.sub.4, ZrF.sub.4, or HfF.sub.4) is a solid at standard temperature and pressure. When M is a Group V element (i.e., V, Nb, or Ta), the resulting fluorinated reactant is VF.sub.5, NbF.sub.5, or TaF.sub.5. VF.sub.5 is a liquid at standard temperature and pressure, while NbF.sub.5 and TaF.sub.5 are solids. M may also be Mo or W from is a Group VI of the Periodic Table. The resulting fluorinated reactant (i.e., MoF.sub.6 and WF.sub.6) is a liquid at standard temperature and pressure. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that vapor delivery of liquid reactants is easier than that of solid reactants, making processes using VF.sub.5, MoF.sub.6, and WF.sub.6 interesting for the present application.

(25) Alternatively, the fluorinated reactant has the formula MF.sub.x(adduct).sub.n wherein M is an element from the periodic table, x ranges from 2 to 6 inclusive, n ranges from 1 to 5 inclusive, and the adduct is a neutral organic molecule selected from THF, dimethylether, diethylether, glyme, diglyme, triglyme, polyglyme, dimethylsulphide, diethylsulphide, or methylcyanide. Exemplary fluorinated reactants include TiF.sub.4(adduct).sub.n, ZrF.sub.4(adduct).sub.n, NbF.sub.5-n(adduct).sub.n, or TaF.sub.5-n(adduct).sub.n, such as NbF.sub.5(SEt.sub.2), NbF.sub.4(SEt.sub.2).sub.2, TaF.sub.5(SEt.sub.2), and TaF.sub.4(SEt.sub.2).sub.2. For solid fluorinated reactants, addition of the adduct may help alter the reactant's phase from solid to liquid at standard temperature and pressure which, as discussed above, is beneficial for vapor delivery, making the adducted fluorinated reactants well suited for chamber cleaning applications. However, use of the adducted reactants may prove contamination issues for etching of high aspect ratio structures.

(26) The disclosed fluorinated reactants having the formula MF.sub.x, where M is an element from the periodic table and x ranges from 2 to 6 inclusive, are commercially available. For example, Sigma-Aldrich currently sells TiF.sub.4, ZrF.sub.4, HfF.sub.4, NbF.sub.5, TaF.sub.5, and WF.sub.6 and Advance Research Chemicals, Inc. currently sells VF.sub.5 and MoF.sub.6. The disclosed fluorinated reactant MF.sub.x(adduct).sub.n may be prepared according to the procedure described in Journal of the Less-Common Metals, 61 (1978) 1-30, by mixing the corresponding fluorinated reactant MF.sub.x in the appropriate adduct solvent. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that mixing the fluorinated reactant MF.sub.x in a solvent may produce an adduct or a solution, depending on the reactant and the solvent.

(27) Preferred fluorinated reactants enjoy a weak M-F bond, which makes dissociation of free F radicals easier, and readily react with the substrate to produce volatile fluorinated species that may be removed from the reactor. The solid NbF.sub.5, TaF.sub.5, TiF.sub.4, ZrF.sub.4, or HfF.sub.4 reactants may be used in the disclosed processes at elevated temperatures (ranging from approximately 30 C. to approximately 150 C. inclusive) in order to deliver the vapor. The liquid VF.sub.5, MoF.sub.6, and WF.sub.6 may be used at lower temperatures (ranging from the freezing point of the reactant to approximately 150 C. inclusive). Preferably, the fluorinated reactant is VF.sub.5, NbF.sub.5, TaF.sub.5, MoF.sub.6, WF.sub.6, NbF.sub.5(SEt.sub.2), or TaF.sub.5(SEt.sub.2), and more preferably NbF.sub.5 or TaF.sub.5.

(28) The purity of the disclosed fluorinated reactants is preferably higher than 90% w/w. For etching applications, particularly high aspect ratio etching applications, the purity of the disclosed fluorinated reactants may be higher than 99.9% w/w to prevent contamination issues, and preferably higher than 99.99% w/w. The disclosed etching fluorinated reactants may contain any of the following impurities: chlorine, bromide, iodine, moisture (H.sub.2O), hydrogen fluoride (HF), hydrogen chloride (HF), hydrogen bromide (HF), hydrogen iodide (HF) or other organic and inorganic impurities. Preferably, the total quantity of each of these impurities is below 0.1% w/w. Such impurities might be removed by sublimation, distillation, or recrystallization in a suitable solvent or any other suitable purification method. Suitable solvents for recrystallization may be selected from THF, benzene, toluene, xylene, dimethylether, diethylether, dichloromethane, trichloromethane, tetrachloromethane, glyme, diglyme, triglyme, polyglyme, dimethylsulphide, diethylsulphide, or methylcyanide.

(29) The disclosed fluorinated reactants may also include metal or metalloid impurities at the ppbw (part per billion weight) level. These metal or metalloid impurities include but are not limited to Lithium (Li), Beryllium (Be), Sodium (Na), Magnesium (Mg), Aluminum (Al), Silicon (Si), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca), Scandium (Sc), Titanium (Ti), Vanadium (V), Chromium (Cr), Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Cobalt (Co), Nickel (Ni), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Gallium (Ga), Germanium (Ge), Arsenic (As), Strontium (Sr), Yttrium (Y), Zirconium (Zr), Niobium (Nb), Molybdenum (Mo), Ruthenium (Ru), Rhodium (Rh), Palladium (Pd), Silver (Ag), Cadmium (Cd), Indium (In), Tin (Sn), Antimony (Sb), Tellurium (Te), Cesium (Cs), Barium (Ba), Lutetium (Lu), Hafnium (Hf), Tantalum (Ta), Tungsten (W), Rhenium (Re), Osmium (Os), Iridium (Ir), Platinum (Pt), Gold (Au), Mercury (Hg), Thallium (TI), Lead (Pb), Bismuth (Bi), Lanthanum (La), Cerium (Ce), Praseodymium (Pr), Neodymium (Nd), Samarium (Sm), Europium (Eu), Gadolimium (Gd), Dysprosium (Dy), Erbium (er), and/or Ytterbium (Yb).

(30) Vapors of the disclosed fluorinated reactant are used to remove layers from substrates without utilizing any plasma process. These processes may be useful in the manufacture of semiconductor, photovoltaic, LCD-TFT, or flat panel devices. The disclosed fluorinated reactants may be used to remove the layers using any dry etching methods known to those of skill in the art. For instance, the etching methods may occur in a low pressure thermal reactor having a substrate disposed therein. Alternatively, the disclosed fluorinated reactants may be used in an atomic layer etching process which controls the etch rate at the atomic scale (unlike atomic layer deposition, atomic layer etching is not a self limiting reaction). In either alternative, the underlying substrate may be the reactor materials, such as the reactor walls, or a wafer having one or more layers thereon.

(31) A substrate is generally defined as the material on which a process is conducted. The substrate may be the internal parts of the reactor, such as the reactor walls. Alternatively, the substrate may be a wafer, such as a silicon, silicon carbide, silica, glass, GaAs, or GaN wafer. The reactor may contain from 1 to 200 silicon wafers having from 25.4 mm to 450 mm diameters. The wafer may have one or more layers of differing materials deposited on it from a previous manufacturing step, including the layer to be removed. For example, the wafers may include silicon layers (crystalline, amorphous, porous, etc.), silicon carbide layers, silicon oxide layers, silicon nitride layers, silicon oxy nitride layers, carbon doped silicon oxide (SiCOH) layers, or combination thereof. Additionally, the wafers may include GaN layers, aluminum layers, copper layers, tungsten layers, or noble metal layers (e.g., platinum, palladium rhodium, or gold). Plastic layers, such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)poly (styrenesulfonate) [PEDOT:PSS], may also be used. The layers may be planar or patterned. The disclosed processes may etch the single layer directly or etch more than one (when patterned layers from the substrate) of the layers on top of the wafer. Furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the terms film or layer used herein refer to a thickness of some material laid on or spread over a surface and that the surface may be a trench or a line that does not cover the entire wafer or reactor surface. Throughout the specification and claims, the reactor or wafer and any associated layers thereon are referred to as substrates. For example, a SiO.sub.2 layer on top of a silicon wafer.

(32) The layer may be a metal layer, a nitride layer, an oxide layer, or combinations thereof.

(33) Exemplary metal layers include Scandium (Sc), Titanium (Ti), Vanadium (V), Chromium (Cr), Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Cobalt (Co), Nickel (Ni), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Gallium (Ga), Germanium (Ge), Arsenic (As), Selenium (Se), Strontium (Sr), Yttrium (Y), Zirconium (Zr), Niobium (Nb), Molybdenum (Mo), Ruthenium (Ru), Rhodium (Rh), Palladium (Pd), Silver (Ag), Cadmium (Cd), Indium (In), Tin (Sn), Antimony (Sb), Tellurium (Te), Cesium (Cs), Barium (Ba), Hafnium (Hf), Tantalum (Ta), Tungsten (W), Rhenium (Re), Osmium (Os), Iridium (Ir), Platinum (Pt), Gold (Au), Mercury (Hg), Thallium (TI), Lead (Pb), Bismuth (Bi), Lanthanum (La), Cerium (Ce), Praseodymium (Pr), Neodymium (Nd), Samarium (Sm), Europium (Eu), Gadolimium (Gd), Dysprosium (Dy), Erbium (Er), Ytterbium (Yb), and/or Lutetium (Lu).

(34) Exemplary oxide layers include Scandium oxide (Sc.sub.2O.sub.3), Titanium oxide (TiO.sub.2), Vanadium oxide (VO.sub.2, V.sub.2O.sub.3, V.sub.2O.sub.5), Chromium oxide (CrO, CrO.sub.2, CrO.sub.3, CrO.sub.5, Cr.sub.8O.sub.21), Manganese oxide (MnO, Mn.sub.3O.sub.4, Mn.sub.2O.sub.3, MnO.sub.2, Mn.sub.2O.sub.7), Iron oxide (FeO.sub.2, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, Fe.sub.3O.sub.4, Fe.sub.4O.sub.5), Cobalt oxide (CoO, Co.sub.2O.sub.3, Co.sub.3O.sub.4), Nickel oxide (NiO, Ni.sub.2O.sub.3), Copper oxide (CuO, Cu.sub.2O), Zinc oxide (ZnO), Gallium oxide (Ga.sub.2O.sub.3, GaO, GaO.sub.2), Germanium oxide (GeO.sub.2), Strontium oxide (SrO), Yttrium oxide (Y.sub.2O.sub.3), Zirconium oxide (ZrO.sub.2), Niobium oxide (Nb.sub.2O.sub.5), Molybdenum oxide (MoO.sub.2, MoO.sub.3), Ruthenium oxide (RuO.sub.2), Rhodium oxide (Rh.sub.2O.sub.3), Palladium oxide (PdO), Silver oxide (Ag.sub.2O), Cadmium oxide (CdO), Indium oxide (In.sub.2O.sub.3), Tin oxide (SnO, SnO.sub.2), Antimony oxide (SbsO.sub.3), Tellurium oxide (TeO.sub.2), Cesium oxide (Cs.sub.11O.sub.3, Cs.sub.4O, Cs.sub.7O, Cs.sub.2O), Barium oxide (BaO), Lutetium oxide (Lu.sub.2O.sub.3), Hafnium oxide (HfO.sub.2), Tantalum oxide (Ta.sub.2O.sub.5), Tungsten oxide (W.sub.2O.sub.3, WO.sub.2, WO.sub.3, W.sub.2O.sub.5), Rhenium oxide (Rh.sub.2O.sub.7, RhO.sub.2, RhO.sub.3), Osmium oxide (OsO.sub.2, OsO.sub.4), Iridium oxide (IrO.sub.2), Platinum oxide (PtO.sub.2), Gold oxide (Au.sub.2O.sub.3), Bismuth oxide (Bi.sub.2O.sub.3), Lanthanum oxide (La.sub.2O.sub.3), Cerium oxide (Ce.sub.2O.sub.3), Praseodymium oxide (Pr.sub.2O.sub.3), Neodymium oxide (Nd.sub.2O.sub.3), Gadolimium oxide (Gd.sub.2O.sub.3), Dysprosium oxide (Dy.sub.2O.sub.3), Erbium oxide (Er.sub.2O.sub.3), or Ytterbium oxide (Yb.sub.2O.sub.3).

(35) Exemplary nitride layers include Titanium nitride (TiN.sub.x), Tantalum nitride (TaN.sub.x), Silicon nitride (SiN.sub.x), Vanadium nitride (VN.sub.x), Tungsten nitride (WN.sub.x), Molybdenum nitride (MoN.sub.x), Chromium nitride (CrN.sub.x), Hafnium nitride (HfN.sub.x), Zirconium nitride (ZrN.sub.x), Germanium nitride (GeN.sub.x), Manganese nitride (MnN.sub.x), Nickel nitride (NiN.sub.x). One skilled in the art will recognize that nitride encompasses carbonitrides, of formula MC.sub.xN.sub.y, wherein M is a Si, Ge, or a transition metal element and x and y are comprised between 0 and 12 and silicocarbonitrides, of formula MSi.sub.xC.sub.yN.sub.z, wherein M is a Ge or a transition metal and x, y and z are comprised between 0 and 12 inclusive.

(36) The oxide layer may also be a binary or ternary oxide layer. For example, the oxide layer can be strontium titanate (SrTiO.sub.x), barium titanate (BaTiO.sub.x), hafnium zirconium oxide (HfZrO.sub.x), hafnium titanate (HfTiO.sub.x), hafnium yttrium oxide (HfYO.sub.x), zirconium yttrium oxide (ZrYO.sub.x), titanium aluminate (TiAlO.sub.x), zirconium erbium oxide (ZrErO.sub.x), zirconium lanthanum oxide (ZrLaO.sub.x), zirconium dysprosium oxide (ZrDyO.sub.x), hafnium dysprosium oxide (HfDyO.sub.x), hafnium lanthanum oxide (HfLaO.sub.x), titanium erbium oxide (TiErO.sub.x), or titanium yttrium oxide (TiYO.sub.x), wherein x is as defined above.

(37) The layer may also be a stack of different layers, such as for example HfO.sub.2/Al.sub.2O.sub.3 nanolaminates. More preferably the oxide layer is selected from the group consisting of Titanium oxide (TiO.sub.2), Zirconium oxide (ZrO.sub.2), Hafnium oxide (HfO.sub.2), Niobium oxide (Nb.sub.2O.sub.5), Molybdenum oxide (MoO.sub.2, MoO.sub.3), and Tantalum oxide (Ta.sub.2O.sub.5).

(38) The vapors of the fluorinated reactants are introduced into the reactor containing a substrate having the layer thereon. The vapors of the fluorinated reactants may be introduced to the reactor at a flow rate ranging from approximately 0.1 sccm to approximately 1 slm to produce a total pressure in the reactor ranging from approximately 0 Torr to approximately 500 Torr. The vapors may be diluted by a carrier gas, such as N.sub.2, Ar or Kr. For example, for a 200 mm wafer size, the fluorinated reactant's vapors may be introduced to the chamber at a flow rate ranging from approximately 0.1 sccm to approximately 200 sccm inclusive. Alternatively, for a 450 mm wafer size, the fluorinated reactant's vapors may be introduced to the chamber at a flow rate ranging from approximately 100 sccm to approximately 600 sccm inclusive. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the flow rate will vary from tool to tool. In one alternative, the fluorinated reactant's vapors may be continuously introduced into chamber. In another alternative, the fluorinated reactant's vapors are sequentially introduced into chamber i.e., introduced by pulses alternated by purge sequences (which is sometimes referred to as Atomic Layer Etching).

(39) The fluorinated reactants are introduced into a reactor in vapor form by conventional means, such as tubing and/or flow meters. The vapor form of the reactant may be produced by vaporizing the reactant through a conventional vaporization step such as direct vaporization, distillation, direct liquid injection, by bubbling, or by using a sublimator such as the one disclosed in PCT Publication WO2009/087609 to Xu et al. The reactants may be fed in liquid state to a vaporizer where it is vaporized before it is introduced into the reactor. Alternatively, the reactants may be vaporized by passing a carrier gas into a container containing the reactant or by bubbling the carrier gas into the reactant. The carrier gas may include, but is not limited to, Ar, He, N.sub.2, and mixtures thereof. Bubbling with a carrier gas may also remove any dissolved oxygen present in the reactant. The carrier gas and reactant are then introduced into the reactor as a vapor.

(40) If necessary, the container of the disclosed fluorinated reactants may be heated to a temperature that permits the reactant to be in its liquid phase and/or to have a sufficient vapor pressure. The container may be maintained at temperatures in the range of, for example, approximately 0 C. to approximately 150 C. inclusive. Those skilled in the art recognize that the temperature of the container may be adjusted in a known manner to control the amount of reactant vaporized.

(41) The fluorinated reactants may be delivered to the reactor by the fluorinated reactant delivery devices of FIGS. 1-3, which show three exemplary embodiments of fluorinated reactant delivery devices.

(42) FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the fluorinated reactant delivery device 1. In FIG. 1, the disclosed fluorinated reactants 11 are contained within a container 2 having two conduits, an inlet conduit 3 and an outlet conduit 4. One of ordinary skill in the reactant art will recognize that the container 2, inlet conduit 3, and outlet conduit 4 are manufactured to prevent the escape of the gaseous form of the fluorinated reactant 11, even at elevated temperature and pressure.

(43) The delivery device 1 fluidly connects to the reactor (not shown) or other components between the delivery device and the reactor, such as a gas cabinet, via valves 6 and 7. Preferably, the container 2, inlet conduit 3, valve 6, outlet conduit 4, and valve 7 are made of 316 L EP or 304 stainless steel. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other non-reactive materials may also be used in the teachings herein and that any corrosive fluorinated reactant 11 may require the use of more corrosion-resistant materials, such as a nickel-based alloy sold for example under the trademark Hastelloy by Haynes International, Inc. or under the trademark Inconel by Huntington Alloys Corporation. Alternatively, the parts exposed to the fluorinating reactant 11, and especially to storage vessels containing the fluorinating reactant 11, may be coated with fluoride resistant coatings, such as but not limited to nickel, diamond like carbon, perfluorinated carbon, alumina, silicon carbide and carbonitride, metal carbide, etc. and multilayers thereof.

(44) In FIG. 1, the end 8 of inlet conduit 3 is located above the surface of the fluorinated reactant 11, whereas the end 9 of the outlet conduit 4 is located below the surface of the fluorinated reactant 11. In this embodiment, the fluorinated reactant 11 is preferably in liquid form. An inert gas, including but not limited to nitrogen, argon, helium, and mixtures thereof, may be introduced into the inlet conduit 3. The inert gas pressurizes the delivery device 2 so that the liquid fluorinated reactant 11 is forced through the outlet conduit 4 and to the reactor (not shown). The reactor may include a vaporizer which transforms the liquid fluorinated reactant 11 into a vapor, with or without the use of a carrier gas such as helium, argon, nitrogen or mixtures thereof, in order to deliver the vapor to the substrate on which the oxide film is located.

(45) FIG. 2 is a side view of a second embodiment of the fluorinated reactant delivery device 1. In FIG. 2, the end 8 of inlet conduit 3 is located below the surface of the fluorinated reactant 11, whereas the end 9 of the outlet conduit 4 is located above the surface of the fluorinated reactant 11. FIG. 2 also includes an optional heating element 14, which may increase the temperature of the fluorinated reactant 11. In this embodiment, the fluorinated reactant 11 may be in solid or liquid form. An inert gas, including but not limited to nitrogen, argon, helium, and mixtures thereof, is introduced into the inlet conduit 3. The inert gas bubbles through the fluorinated reactant 11 and carries a mixture of the inert gas and vaporized fluorinated reactant 11 to the outlet conduit 4 and on to the reactor.

(46) FIGS. 1 and 2 include valves 6 and 7. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that valves 6 and 7 may be placed in an open or closed position to allow flow through conduits 3 and 4, respectively. Either delivery device 1 in FIGS. 1 and 2, or a simpler delivery device having a single conduit terminating above the surface of any solid or liquid present, may be used if the fluorinated reactant 11 is in vapor form or if sufficient vapor pressure is present above the solid/liquid phase. In this case, the fluorinated reactant 11 is delivered in vapor form through the conduit 3 or 4 simply by opening the valve 6 in FIG. 1 or 7 in FIG. 2. The delivery device 1 may be maintained at a suitable temperature to provide sufficient vapor pressure for the fluorinated reactant 11 to be delivered in vapor form, for example by the use of an optional heating element 14.

(47) While FIGS. 1 and 2 disclose two embodiments of the fluorinated reactant delivery device 1, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the inlet conduit 3 and outlet conduit 4 may also both be located above or below the surface of the fluorinated reactant 11 without departing from the disclosure herein. Furthermore, inlet conduit 3 may be a filling port. For example, for the solid NbF.sub.5 R&D examples that follow, the delivery device 1 included both an inlet conduit 3 and outlet conduit 4 located above the surface of the fluorinated reactant 11. The carrier gas flows through the inlet conduit 3, above the surface of the solid fluorinated reactant 11, and the mixture of the vapor of the fluorinated reactant 11 and carrier gas exit the delivery device 1 via the outlet conduit 4. In contrast, the vapor of the liquid VF.sub.5 and MoF.sub.6 was produced using a vacuum and single outlet conduit 4 located above the surface of the liquid fluorinated reactant 11.

(48) Solid forms of the fluorinated reactant may also be delivered to the reactor using a sublimator. FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of an exemplary sublimator 100. The sublimator 100 comprises a container 33. Container 33 may be a cylindrical container, or alternatively, may be any shape, without limitation. The container 33 is constructed of materials such as stainless steel, nickel and its alloys, quartz, glass, and other chemically compatible materials, without limitation. In certain instances, the container 33 is constructed of another metal or metal alloy, without limitation. In certain instances, the container 33 has an internal diameter from about 8 centimeters to about 55 centimeters and, alternatively, an internal diameter from about 8 centimeters to about 30 centimeters. As understood by one skilled in the art, alternate configurations may have different dimensions.

(49) Container 33 comprises a sealable top 15, sealing member 18, and gasket 20. Sealable top 15 is configured to seal container 33 from the outer environment. Sealable top 15 is configured to allow access to the container 33. Additionally, sealable top 15 is configured for passage of conduits into container 33. Alternatively, sealable top 15 is configured to permit fluid flow into container 33. Sealable top 15 is configured to receive and pass through a conduit comprising a dip tube 92 to remain in fluid contact with container 33. Dip tube 92 having a control valve 90 and a fitting 95 is configured for flowing carrier gas into container 33. In certain instances, dip tube 92 extends down the center axis of container 33. Further, sealable top 15 is configured to receive and pass through a conduit comprising outlet tube 12. The carrier gas and vapor of the fluorinated reactant is removed from container 33 through the outlet tube 12. Outlet tube 12 comprises a control valve 10 and fitting 5. In certain instances, outlet tube 12 is fluidly coupled to a gas delivery manifold, for conducting carrier gas from the sublimator 100 to the reactor.

(50) Container 33 and sealable top 15 are sealed by at least two sealing members 18; alternatively, by at least about four sealing members. In certain instance, sealable top 15 is sealed to container 33 by at least about eight sealing members 18. As understood by one skilled in the art, sealing member 18 releasably couples sealable top 15 to container 33, and forms a gas resistant seal with gasket 20. Sealing member 18 may comprise any suitable means known to one skilled in the art for sealing container 33. In certain instances, sealing member 18 comprises a thumbscrew.

(51) As illustrated in FIG. 3, container 33 further comprises at least one disk disposed therein. The disk comprises a shelf, or horizontal support, for solid material. In certain embodiments, an interior disk 30 is disposed annularly within the container 33, such that the disk 30 includes an outer diameter or circumference that is less than the inner diameter or circumference of the container 33, forming an opening 31. An exterior disk 86 is disposed circumferentially within the container 33, such that the disk 86 comprises an outer diameter or circumference that is the same, about the same, or generally coincides with the inner diameter of the container 33. Exterior disk 86 forms an opening 87 disposed at the center of the disk. A plurality of disks is disposed within container 33. The disks are stacked in an alternating fashion, wherein interior disks 30, 34, 36, 44 are vertically stacked within the container with alternating exterior disks 62, 78, 82, 86. In embodiments, interior disks 30, 34, 36, 44 extend annularly outward, and exterior disks 62, 78, 82, 86 extend annularly toward the center of container 33. As illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 3, interior disks 30, 34, 36, 44 are not in physical contact with exterior disks 62, 78, 82, 86.

(52) The assembled sublimator 100 comprises interior disks 30, 34, 36, 44 comprising aligned and coupled support legs 50, interior passage 51, concentric walls 40, 41, 42, and concentric slots 47, 48, 49. The interior disks 30, 34, 36, 44 are vertically stacked, and annularly oriented about the dip tube 92. Additionally, the sublimator comprises exterior disks 62, 78, 82, 86. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the exterior disks 62, 78, 82, 86 should be tightly fit into the container 33 for a good contact for conducting heat from the container 33 to the disks 62, 78, 82, 86. Preferably, the exterior disks 62, 78, 82, 86 are coupled to, or in physical contact with, the inner wall of the container 33.

(53) As illustrated, exterior disks 62, 78, 82, 86 and interior disks 30, 34, 36, 44 are stacked inside the container 33. When assembled in container 33 to form sublimator 100, the interior disks 30, 34, 36, 44 form outer gas passages 31, 35, 37, 45 between the assembled exterior disks 62, 78, 82, 86. Further, exterior disks 62, 78, 82, 86 form inner gas passages 56, 79, 83, 87 with the support legs of the interior disks 30, 34, 36, 44. The walls 40, 41, 42 of interior disks 30, 34, 36, 44 form the grooved slots for holding solid precursors. Exterior disks 62, 78, 82, 86 comprise walls 68, 69, 70 for holding solid precursors. During assembly, the solid precursors are loaded into the annular slots 47, 48, 49 of interior disks 30, 34, 36, 44 and annular slots 64, 65, 66 of exterior disks 62, 78, 82, 86.

(54) While FIG. 3 discloses one embodiment of a sublimator capable of delivering the vapor of any solid fluorinated reactant to the reactor, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other sublimator designs may also be suitable, without departing from the teachings herein. Finally, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the disclosed fluorinated reactant may be delivered to semiconductor processing tools using other delivery devices, such as the ampoules disclosed in WO 2006/059187 to Jurcik et al., without departing from the teachings herein.

(55) The reactor may be any enclosure or chamber within a device in which deposition methods take place such as without limitation, a furnace, a parallel-plate type reactor, a cold-wall type reactor, a hot-wall type reactor, a single-wafer reactor, a multi-wafer reactor (i.e., a furnace), or other types of deposition systems under conditions suitable to cause the reactants to react with the oxide layers and form volatile fluorinated species.

(56) Material compatibility tests are important to determine if any of the fluorinated reactants will react with the chamber materials and degrade its performance with short term or long term use. Key materials involved in parts of chamber, valves, etc. include Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Nickel, PCTFE, PVDF, PTFE and other metals and polymers. At times these materials are exposed to higher temperatures and pressures which may enhance their degradation. The metrology methods may include visual inspection, weight measurement, measuring nanometer scale changes in SEM, tensile strength, hardness, etc. As shown in the Examples that follow, NbF.sub.5 did not etch typical chamber materials, such as Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2. This is surprising because, as discussed in the background, it is well known that NbCl.sub.5 reacts with the silica sidewalls of the reactor (Surface and Coatings Technology, 260, 2014, pp. 126-132).

(57) The temperature and the pressure within the reactor are held at conditions suitable for thermal etching. In other words, after introduction of the vapors of the fluorinated reactant into the chamber, conditions within the chamber are such that at least part of the layer is etched. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that at least part of the layer is etched means that some or all of the layer reacts with the fluorinated reactant to form a volatile fluorinated species. For instance, the pressure in the reactor may be held between about 1 Pa and about 10.sup.5 Pa, more preferably between about 25 Pa and about 10.sup.3 Pa, as required per the etching parameters. Likewise, the temperature in the reactor may be held between about 50 C. and about 500 C., preferably between about 100 C. and about 400 C. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that at least part of the layer is etched means that some or all of the layer is removed.

(58) The temperature of the reactor may be controlled by either controlling the temperature of the substrate holder or controlling the temperature of the reactor wall. Devices used to heat the substrate are known in the art. The reactor wall is heated to a sufficient temperature to etch at a sufficient etching rate and with desired selectivity. A non-limiting exemplary temperature range to which the reactor wall may be heated includes from approximately 100 C. to approximately 500 C. When a thermal process is performed, the etching temperature may range from approximately 100 C. to approximately 500 C.

(59) An inert gas may also be introduced into the reactor. The inert gas may be He, Ar, Xe, Kr, Ne, or combinations thereof. The vapor of the fluorinated reactant and the inert gas may be mixed prior to introduction to the reactor, with the inert gas comprising between approximately 50% v/v and approximately 95% v/v of the resulting mixture. Alternatively, the inert gas may be introduced to the reactor continuously while the vapor of the fluorinated reactant is introduced to the reactor in pulses.

(60) The etching conditions within the reactor allow the disclosed fluorinated reactant and the layer to react and form volatile fluorinated species. Applicants believe that fluorinated species are sufficiently volatile to be evacuated from the reactor. For instance Niobium fluoride (NbF.sub.5) may react with Niobium oxide (Nb.sub.2O.sub.5) to form the volatile Niobium oxy-fluoride (Nb(O)F.sub.3) according to the equation 3NbF.sub.5 (gas)+Nb.sub.2O.sub.5 (solid).fwdarw.Nb(O)F.sub.3 (gas). In another example Niobium fluoride (NbF.sub.5) may react with Zirconium oxide (ZrO.sub.2) to form the volatile Zirconium fluoride (ZrF.sub.4) according to the equation 2NbF.sub.5 (gas)+ZrO.sub.2 (solid).fwdarw.ZrF.sub.4 (gas)+2Nb(O)F.sub.3 (gas). Niobium fluoride may also react with Zirconium oxide (ZrO.sub.2) to form volatile Zirconium oxyfluorides (ZrO.sub.xF.sub.y, wherein x=0-2 inclusive and y=0-4 inclusive). Applicants believe that the other fluorinated precursors will react in the same or a similar manner.

(61) One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the end of the etch process disclosed herein occurs when the layer is completely etched. This may be determined by placing an etch stop layer under the layer to be etched or by timing the etch process. Alternatively or additionally, the exhaust may also be monitored for the quantity of volatile fluorinated species using quadrupole mass spectrometry (QMS). A decrease in the number of volatile fluorinated species in the QMS analysis indicates that reaction between the fluorinated reactant and layer is slowing and approaching the end of the process.

(62) Depending on the layer to be removed, the vapor of an additional fluorinated reactant may be introduced into the reactor. The additional reactant may be used to provide additional specific etching properties, such as selective etching. The additional fluorinated reactant may include a combination of the disclosed reactants or addition of other known fluorinated etch gases, such as XeF.sub.2.

(63) The fluorinated reactant may be introduced cyclically into the reactor. More particularly, a pulse of the vapor of the fluorinated reactant may be delivered concurrently with or followed by introduction of an inert gas, resulting in a reactant-inert gas 2-step cycle. This type of introduction allows control of the per-cycle etching thickness of the etched layer, sometimes referred to as atomic layer etching.

(64) Alternatively, the vapors of different fluorinated reactants may be introduced sequentially. For instance, in a first step the vapor of NbF.sub.5 is introduced and reacted with the layer. In a second step, any excess NbF.sub.5 and reacted species are purged using an inert gas, such as N.sub.2 or Ar. In a third step, the pulse of another fluorinated reactant, such as ZrF.sub.4, is introduced. In a fourth step, any excess ZrF.sub.4 and reacted species are purged using a carrier gas such as N.sub.2 or Ar. Steps 1 to 4 are then repeated to allow precise control of the etched thickness.

(65) The disclosed processes may be used to remove sacrificial metal oxide hard masks in Logic, Flash, and DRAM devices; gate oxides in Logic devices; blocking oxides in Flash devices; lithography masks; MIM capacitor structures in Logic; and oxide deposits on chamber walls.

(66) For metal layers, such as tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, niobium, vanadium, hafnium, zirconium, titanium, or combinations thereof, the disclosed etching processes may be preceded by an oxidation step. FIG. 8 is a flow chart providing the sequence for the sequential etching of a metal film by sequential oxidation/nitridization of the metal film and selective removal of the oxidized/nitrized portion of the film. More particularly, as shown in FIG. 8, a metallic or metal layer on a substrate may be subject to oxidation or nitrization to form a metal oxide or metal nitride layer on top of the metallic layer. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize the oxygen- or nitrogen-containing reactant needed to perform the oxidation or nitridization process, respectively. For example, O.sub.2, CO, CO.sub.2, NO, N.sub.2O, NO.sub.2, radical species thereof, or mixtures thereof may be used to oxidize the metal layer. Alternatively, NH.sub.3, N.sub.2H.sub.4, N(SiH.sub.3).sub.3, N(CH.sub.3)H.sub.2, N(C.sub.2H.sub.5)H.sub.2, N(CH.sub.3).sub.2H, N(C.sub.2H.sub.5).sub.2H, N(CH.sub.3).sub.3, N(C.sub.2H.sub.5).sub.3, (SiMe.sub.3).sub.2NH, (CH.sub.3)HNNH.sub.2, (CH.sub.3).sub.2NNH.sub.2, nitrogen-containing radical species thereof, and mixtures thereof may be used to nitridize the metal layer. The oxidation or nitridization step may result in the entire metal layer being oxidized or nitridized, particularly when the metal layer has a thickness ranging from approximately 0.2 nm to approximately 200 nm inclusive. Alternatively, the oxidation or nitridization step may only oxidize or nitridize the top surface of the metal layer. The metal oxide or metal nitride layer may then be removed using the disclosed fluorinated reactants. The oxidation/nitrization step and etching process may be repeated until the entire metal layer is removed.

EXAMPLES

(67) The following non-limiting examples are provided to further illustrate embodiments of the invention. However, the examples are not intended to be all inclusive and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions described herein.

(68) FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the apparatus used for the testing of Examples 1-6. The apparatus includes a reactor 400 containing a wafer stage 101. The walls of the reactor 400 were heated to 120 C. The wafer stage 101 was heated to the temperatures specified in the examples that follow. The wafer is transferred to the wafer stage 101 by load lock chamber 102, which is connected to pump 108. A showerhead 103 is located in the top of the reactor 400, and plasma may be generated by the RF generator 106. However, no plasma was used in Examples 1-6. A dry pump 105 removes the contents of the reactor 400.

(69) The fluorinated reactant is introduced to the reactor 400 from delivery device 200 via line 201. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that delivery device 200 may be any of the devices of FIGS. 1-3 or variations thereof. If necessary, line 201 may be heated to maintain the fluorinated reactant in vapor form. An inert gas 300, such as Ar, may be delivered to the delivery device 200 via line 301. The inert gas 300 may also be delivered to the reactor 400 via line 302.

(70) One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that lines 201, 301, and 302 may include numerous pressure gauges, check valves, valves, and pressure regulators and that additional lines for pressure regulation or by-pass flow have not been included in order to simplify the drawing.

Example 1: Test for Oxide Layer Etching by NbF.SUB.5

(71) Nb.sub.2O.sub.5, Ta.sub.2O.sub.5, ZrO.sub.2, HfO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, and Al.sub.2O.sub.3 layer that were 336 , 288 , 364 , 344 , 337 , and 253 thick, respectively, were deposited on a silicon substrate by atomic layer deposition. The thickness of the layers was determined using ellipsometry. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), secondary ionization mass spectroscopy (SIMS), or Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) may also be used to measure the thickness of the layer before and after etching.

(72) The Nb.sub.2O.sub.5, Ta.sub.2O.sub.5, ZrO.sub.2, HfO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, and Al.sub.2O.sub.3 substrates and a and a 1974 thick SiO.sub.2 substrate were introduced into the thermal reactor 400 of FIG. 4 via load lock chamber 102 and placed on the wafer stage 101 heated to 200 C., 300 C., 350 C., or 400 C. The reactor 400 pressure was maintained at 5-6 Torr. The NbF.sub.5 was placed in a sublimator vessel 200 heated to 74 C. and its vapors introduced continuously into the reactor 400 with an Ar carrier gas 300 at 255 sccm. The thickness of the oxide layers were measured after 30 and 60 seconds (experiments at 200 C. and 300 C.); 5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 seconds (experiment at 350 C.); and 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 seconds (experiment at 400 C.). At 200 C., none of the oxide layers were reduced after 30 and 60 seconds.

(73) At 300 C., Nb.sub.2O.sub.5 was reduced to 123 after 30 seconds and 33 after 60 seconds, Ta.sub.2O.sub.5 was reduced to 106 after 30 seconds and 14 after 60 seconds, TiO.sub.2 was reduced to 261 after 30 seconds and 216 after 60 seconds.

(74) At 350 C., Nb.sub.2O.sub.5 was reduced to 218 after 5 seconds and 31 after 10 seconds; Ta.sub.2O.sub.5 was reduced to 174 after 5 seconds and 55 after 10 seconds; ZrO.sub.2 was reduced to 344 after 10 seconds, 337 after 20 seconds, 329 after 30 seconds, and 305 after 60 seconds; HfO.sub.2 was reduced to 340 after 10 seconds, 339 after 20 seconds, 337 after 30 seconds, and 334 after 60 seconds; and TiO.sub.2 was reduced to 276 after 5 seconds, 257 after 10 seconds, 96 after 20 seconds, and 57 after 30 seconds.

(75) Applicant observed fluorine containing layer deposition after the Nb.sub.2O.sub.5, Ta.sub.2O.sub.5, and TiO.sub.2 layer was fully etched at 350 C. and 400 C. and after the ZrO.sub.2 layer was fully etched at 400 C. When deposits were formed, the deposition rate decreased with time. In other words, the etching rate was quicker at the beginning of the etch process than it was towards the end of the etch process. This effect may be able to be controlled by controlling etchant introducing time.

(76) At 400 C., Nb.sub.2O.sub.5 was reduced to 254 after 1 second, 142 after 3 seconds, and 43 after 5 seconds; Ta.sub.2O.sub.5 was reduced to 217 after 1 second, 89 after 3 seconds, 73 after 5 seconds, and 53 after 10 seconds; ZrO.sub.2 was reduced to 217 after 5 seconds and 120 after 10 seconds; HfO.sub.2 was reduced to 336 after 10 seconds, 298 after 20 seconds, 292 after 30 seconds, and 291 after 60 seconds; and TiO.sub.2 was reduced to 270 after 5 seconds and 157 after 10 seconds.

(77) FIG. 5 displays these etching rates (/second) as a function of NbF.sub.5 introduction time and temperature.

(78) TABLE 1 displays the film etching rate (/second) as a function of temperature.

(79) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Summary of oxide etching rates by NbF.sub.5 NbF.sub.5 Layer 200 C. 300 C. 350 C. 400 C. Nb.sub.2O.sub.5 0 5 30.1/D 63.4/D Ta.sub.2O.sub.5 0 4.5 23.1/D 65.6/D ZrO.sub.2 0 0 0.9 24.2/D HfO.sub.2 0 0 0.12 2.4 TiO.sub.2 0 2 11.7/D 18.1/D Al.sub.2O.sub.3 0 0 0 0 SiO.sub.2 0 0 0 0 .sup.a The etching rate is provided as the average of the etch rate (ER) for each time period at each temperature (e.g., = [(ER at 30 sec + ER at 60 sec)/2] for 200 C. and 300 C.; = [(ER at 5 sec + ER at 10 sec + ER at 20 sec + ER at 30 sec + ER at 60 sec)/5] for 350 C.; etc.). D deposition of film was observed after original layer was fully etched

Example 2: Test for Nitride Layer Etching by NbF.SUB.5

(80) TiN (200 ), TaN (280 ) and SiN (500 ) layers were prepared. The substrates containing the nitride layers were introduced into the thermal reactor 400 of FIG. 4 via load lock chamber 102 and placed on the wafer stage 101 heated to 350 C., 400 C., or 425 C. The reactor 400 pressure was fixed at 5-6 Torr. NbF.sub.5 was placed in a vessel 200 heated to 74 C. and its vapors introduced into the reactor 400 with an Ar carrier gas 300 at 255 sccm. The thickness of the TiN and TaN layers were measured using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) after 5, 10, 15, 30 seconds. The thickness of SiN layer was measured using Ellipsometer after 30 seconds and 90 seconds. The film thickness was not changed for any of the nitride films and etching was not observed at any temperatures. TABLE 2 displays the summary of film etching rate (/second) as a function of NbF.sub.5 introduction time and temperature.

(81) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Summary of nitride etching rates by NbF.sub.5 NbF.sub.5 350 C. 400 C. 425 C. Layer Etching rate[/sec] .sup.a TiN 0 0 TaN 0 0 SiN 0 .sup.a The etching rate is provided as the average of the etch rate (ER) for each time period (i.e., = [(ER at 5 sec + ER at 10 sec + ER at 15 sec + ER at 30 sec)/4] for TiN and TaN or = [(ER at 30 sec + ER at 90 sec)/2] for SiN). Experiment was not performed

Example 3: Test for Oxide and Nitride Layer Etching by VF.SUB.5

(82) Nb.sub.2O.sub.5, Ta.sub.2O.sub.5, ZrO.sub.2, HfO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, TiN, and TaN substrates were introduced into the thermal reactor 400 of FIG. 4 via load lock chamber 102 and placed on the wafer stage 101 heated to 150 C., 200 C., 300 C., 350 C., or 400 C.

(83) The reactor 400 pressure was maintained at 5-6 Torr. The VF.sub.5 was placed in a vessel 200 at room temperature. The vapors were introduced continuously into the reactor 400 without any carrier gas.

(84) FIG. 6 displays the thickness of the different oxide layers as a function of VF.sub.5 introduction time and temperature. The thickness of the oxide layers were measured by Ellipsometer after 30 and 90 seconds total VF.sub.5 introduction at 150 C.; after 10 and 30 seconds at 200 C.; after 3, 5, 6, 8 and 30 seconds at 300 C.; after 2, 3, 5, 10 and 30 seconds at 350 C.; and after 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 and 30 seconds at 400 C.

(85) TABLE 3 displays summary of the film etching rate (/second) as a function of VF.sub.5 introduction time and temperature. Oxide layers and SiN were measured by Ellipsometer and TiN and TaN was observed by SEM.

(86) TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Summary of etchinq rates by VF.sub.5 VF.sub.5 150 C. 200 C. 300 C. 350 C. 400 C. Layer Etching rate [/sec] .sup.a Nb.sub.2O.sub.5 1.6 24.0 64.4/D 60.6/D 137.7/D Ta.sub.2O.sub.5 0.15 1.3 36.9/D 89.3/D 102.6/D ZrO.sub.2 0 0 0 0 6.6 HfO.sub.2 0 0 0 0 0 TiO.sub.2 0.13 2.7 50.7/D 90.7/D 137.5/D Al.sub.2O.sub.3 0 0 0 0 0 SiO.sub.2 0 0 0 0 0 TiN E E E E 14.4 TaN E E/D E/D E/D .sup.a The etching rate is provided as the average of the etch rate (ER) for each time period at each temperature (e.g., = [(ER at 30 sec + ER at 90 sec)/2] at 150 C.; = [(ER at 10 sec + ER at 30 sec)/2] at 200 C.; etc.). Experiment was not performed E Etched D deposition of film was observed after original layer was fully etched E/D Etching and deposition was observed

Example 4: Test for Oxide and Nitride Layer Etching by MoF.SUB.6

(87) Nb.sub.2O.sub.5, Ta.sub.2O.sub.5, ZrO.sub.2, HfO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, TiN, TaN, and SiN substrates were introduced into the thermal reactor 400 of FIG. 4 via load lock chamber 102 and placed on the wafer stage 101 heated to 150 C., 200 C., 300 C., 350 C., 400 C., or 425 C.

(88) The reactor 400 pressure was maintained at 5-6 Torr. The MoF.sub.6 was placed in a vessel 200 at room temperature. The MoF.sub.6 vapors were introduced continuously into the reactor 400 without any carrier gas.

(89) FIG. 7 displays the thickness of the different oxide layers as a function of MoF.sub.6 introduction time and temperature. Oxide layers and SiN were measured by Ellipsometer after 10, 20 and 30 seconds total MoF.sub.6 introduction at 150 C.; after 1, 3, 10 and 30 seconds at 200 C.; after 1, 3, 10, 20 and 30 seconds at 300 C.; after 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 30 seconds at 350 C.; and after 1, 2, 10 and 30 seconds at 400 C. TiN and TaN were measured by SEM. TABLE 4 displays summary of film etching rate (/second) as a function of MoF.sub.6 introduction time and temperature.

(90) TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Summary of etching rate by MoF.sub.6 MoF.sub.6 150 C. 200 C. 300 C. 350 C. 400 C. 425 C. Layer Etching rate[/sec] Nb.sub.2O.sub.5 13.5 90.0 185 >330 >330 >330 Ta.sub.2O.sub.5 0 67.7 247 >287 >287 >287 ZrO.sub.2 0 0 0.46 6.7 ~370 >370 HfO.sub.2 0 0 0 1.9 76.1 E/D TiO.sub.2 0 1.7 153 >315 >315 >315 Al.sub.2O.sub.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 SiO.sub.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 TiN 0 E E E E E TaN 0 0 E/D E/D E/D E/D SiN 0.46 3.8 5.1 12.8 .sup.a The etching rate is provided as the average of etch rate (ER) for each time period at each temperature (i.e., = [(ER at 10 sec + ER at 20 sec + ER at 30 sec)/3] for 150 C.; = [(ER at 1 sec + ER at 3 sec + ER at 10 sec + ER at 30 sec)/4] for 200 C.; etc.). Experiment was not performed E Etched E/D Etching and deposition was observed after original layer was fully etched

Example 5: Test for Oxide Layer Etching by VF.SUB.5 .by Pulsed Mode

(91) ZrO.sub.2, Nb.sub.2O.sub.5, Ta.sub.2O.sub.5, HfO.sub.2, and TiO.sub.2 substrates were introduced into the thermal reactor 100 of FIG. 4 via load lock chamber 102 and placed on the wafer stage 101 heated to 300 C., 350 C., or 400 C.

(92) The reactor 100 pressure was maintained at 1 Torr. The VF.sub.5 was placed in a vessel 200 at 74 C. temperature. Its vapors were introduced into the reactor 100 by pulsed mode (1 sec introduction/5 sec purging as 1 cycle). Film thickness was measured after 5, 10, 20, 30 and 60 cycles by Ellipsometer and etching rate was estimated. Etching rates (A/cycle) per temperature ( C.) are summarized in TABLE 5:

(93) TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Summary of etching rate.sup.a by VF.sub.5 Temp. ( C.) Nb.sub.2O.sub.5 Ta.sub.2O.sub.5 ZrO.sub.2 HfO.sub.2 TiO.sub.2 300 7.73 2.86 0.2 0 1.15 350 20.1 9.5 3.6 0.67 400 69.1 20.9 12.2 2.6 .sup.aThe etching rate is provided as the average of etch rate (ER) for each cycle at each temperature (i.e., = [(ER after 5 cycles + ER after 10 cycles + ER after 20 cycles + ER after 30 cycles + ER after 60 cycles)/5] for 300 C.; etc.). No experiment was done.

Summary of Examples 1-5

(94) As can be seen, little to no etching of Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (o) and SiO.sub.2 (+) layers occurred from the NbF.sub.5, VF.sub.5 and MoF.sub.6 etchants at temperatures ranging from 150 C. to 425 C. As a result Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2 may be used as an etch stop or substrate when NbF.sub.5, VF.sub.5 and MoF.sub.6 is used as an etchant.

(95) In contrast, Nb.sub.2O.sub.5 (.diamond-solid.), Ta.sub.2O.sub.5 () and TiO.sub.2 () layers were etched by NbF.sub.5 at temperatures above 300 C. and the amount of etching increased with increasing temperature. As a result, the temperature of the NbF.sub.5 etching process may be adjusted depending on the control required. In other words, for processes requiring high precision, lower temperature processes (i.e., below 300 C.) having lower etching rates (approximately 5 /sec) may be performed. The temperature may be increased for process that do not require as much precision, such as removing oxide from chamber walls.

(96) Little to no etching of ZrO.sub.2 (.box-tangle-solidup.), HfO.sub.2 (x) and TiO.sub.2 () occurred at 300 C. At 350 C., ZrO.sub.2 was minimally etched and HfO.sub.2 was etched at below 5 /sec. In contrast, TiO.sub.2 was attached at almost 20 /sec at 350 C. Therefore, 350 C. provides a good temperature to selectively etch TiO.sub.2 from a HfO.sub.2 and/or ZrO.sub.2 substrate. Etching of HfO.sub.2 remained below 5 /sec at 400 C. However, both TiO.sub.2 and ZrO.sub.2 were both etched at approximately 20 /sec at 400 C. Therefore, 400 C. provides a good temperature to selectively etch TiO.sub.2 and/or ZrO.sub.2 from a HfO.sub.2 substrate.

(97) In contrast, by using VF.sub.5, TiN and TaN were etched at lower temperature (<200 C.). By using MoF.sub.6, SiN was etched from 300 C.

(98) One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that temperatures and etch rates may vary from reactor to reactor. Similarly, the reactivity of alternative fluorinated reactants may vary from those of the NbF.sub.5, VF.sub.5 and MoF.sub.6 etchants. Nonetheless, the results above demonstrate that the disclosed reactants may be used to selectively etch oxide and nitride layers from varying substrates and at varying etch rates, making them excellent candidates for future oxide and nitride removal processes, such as CMOS gate stacks.

Example 6: Metal Layer Etching Via Oxidation Followed by Etching

(99) (Metal oxide formation) W metal substrate was introduced into the thermal reactor 400 of FIG. 4 via load lock chamber 102 and placed on the wafer stage 101 heated at 350 C. 300 sccm of ozone gas was introduced to the reactor for 10 minutes and the surface of W wafer was oxidized to form a tungsten oxide (WO.sub.x, x=1-4) layer approximately 120 nm thick. Tungsten oxide formation was confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy, as shown in FIG. 9a, and Energy Dispersive Xray (EDX) mapping, as shown in FIG. 9b, FIG. 9c, and FIG. 9d. FIG. 9b is the EDX base image used for the elemental mapping of FIGS. 9c and 9d. FIG. 9c shows the intensity of W: with no W evident in the underlying TiN/SiO.sub.2 layers and a lower concentration of W in the upper WO.sub.x layer. Distinction between the TiN/Ti and SiO.sub.2 layers is not possible in FIG. 9c based on the W signal. FIG. 9d shows the intensity of O: with O showing in the WO.sub.x layer and the SiO.sub.2 layer and no oxygen in the W and TiN/Ti layers. Distinction between the W and TiN/Ti layers is not possible in FIG. 9d based on the O signal.

(100) (Metal Oxide Etching)

(101) After measuring the tungsten oxide thickness, the WO.sub.x substrates were re-introduced into the thermal reactor 400 of FIG. 4 via load lock chamber 102 and placed on the wafer stage 101 heated to 300 C., 350 C., or 400 C. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the substrate was removed for measurement purposes and that the substrate would not need to be removed from the thermal reactor 400 during normal processing. In other words, the oxide layer could be formed from a metal substrate and etched without being removed from the chamber.

(102) The reactor 400 pressure was maintained at 5-7 Torr. The solid form of NbF.sub.5 was placed in a sublimator vessel 200 at 74 C. temperature. Its vapors were introduced into the reactor 400. SEM measurement was conducted after 200 seconds at 300 C.; 5, 10 and 15 seconds at 350 C.; and 1, 2 and 3 seconds at 400 C.

(103) FIGS. 10-12 display the thickness evolution of a metal film subject to the oxide removal process at different temperatures. More particularly, FIG. 10 is a SEM image of the approximately 100 nm thick tungsten oxide layer remaining after 200 seconds of etching by NbF.sub.5 at 300 C. FIG. 11a is a SEM image of the approximately 52 nm thick tungsten oxide layer remaining after 5 seconds of etching by NbF.sub.5 at 350 C. FIG. 11b is a SEM image of the approximately 45 nm thick tungsten oxide layer remaining after 10 seconds of etching by NbF.sub.5 at 350 C. FIG. 11c is a SEM image of the approximately 25 nm thick tungsten oxide layer remaining after 15 seconds of etching by NbF.sub.5 at 350 C. FIG. 12a is a SEM image of the tungsten oxide layer remaining after 1 second of etching by NbF.sub.5 at 400 C. FIG. 12b is a SEM image of the tungsten oxide layer remaining after 2 seconds of etching by NbF.sub.5 at 400 C. FIG. 12c is a SEM image of the tungsten layer remaining after 3 seconds of etching the tungsten oxide layer by NbF.sub.5 at 400 C. resulted in complete removal of the tungsten oxide layer. Once again, the etching rate increased with increasing temperature. As a result, the temperature of the NbF.sub.5 etching process may be adjusted depending on the control required. In other words, for processes requiring high precision, lower temperature processes (i.e., below 300 C.) having lower etching rates may be performed. The temperature may be increased for process that do not require as much precision, such as removing oxide from chamber walls.

(104) While performed in the R&D facility as a two-step process, the above test results demonstrate that a cyclic metal oxidation and metal oxide etch process may be performed to remove thicker metal layers (e.g., metal layers having a thickness greater than 200 nm). Applicants believe that a metal oxide layer having a thickens ranging from approximately 0.2 nm to approximately 200 nm inclusive may be oxidized or nitridized in one step, depending of course upon the metal and oxidation/nitridization conditions.

(105) While embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or teaching of this invention. The embodiments described herein are exemplary only and not limiting. Many variations and modifications of the composition and method are possible and within the scope of the invention. Accordingly the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but is only limited by the claims which follow, the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims.