1
|
Ma HJ, Kim S, Kim HN, Kim MJ, Ko JW, Lee JW, Kim JH, Lee HC, Park YJ. Microstructural characterization and inductively coupled plasma-reactive ion etching resistance of Y 2O 3-Y 4Al 2O 9 composite under CF 4/Ar/O 2 mixed gas conditions. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7008. [PMID: 38523148 PMCID: PMC10961325 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57697-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
In the semiconductor manufacturing process, when conducting inductively coupled plasma-reactive ion etching in challenging environments, both wafers and the ceramic components comprising the chamber's interior can be influenced by plasma attack. When ceramic components are exposed to long-term plasma environments, the eroded components must be replaced. Furthermore, non-volatile reactants can form and settle on semiconductor chips, acting as contaminants and reducing semiconductor production yield. Therefore, for semiconductor processing equipment parts to be utilized, it is necessary that they exhibit minimized generation of contaminant particles and not deviate significantly from the composition of conventionally used Al2O3 and Y2O3; part must also last long in various physicochemical etching environment. Herein, we investigate the plasma etching behavior of Y2O3-Y4Al2O9 (YAM) composites with a variety of mixing ratios under different gas fraction conditions. The investigation revealed that the etching rates and changes in surface roughness for these materials were significantly less than those of Y2O3 materials subjected to both chemical and physical etching. Microstructure analysis was conducted to demonstrate the minimization of crater formation. Mechanical properties of the composite were also analyzed. The results show that the composite can be commercialized as next-generation ceramic component in semiconductor processing equipment applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ho Jin Ma
- Department of Engineering Ceramics, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, 51508, Republic of Korea.
| | - Seonghyeon Kim
- Semiconductor Integrated Metrology Team, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Ha-Neul Kim
- Department of Engineering Ceramics, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, 51508, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Ju Kim
- Department of Engineering Ceramics, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, 51508, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Woong Ko
- Department of Engineering Ceramics, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, 51508, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Wook Lee
- Department of Engineering Ceramics, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, 51508, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Hyung Kim
- Semiconductor Integrated Metrology Team, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo-Chang Lee
- Department of Semiconductor Science, Engineering and Technology, Korea Aerospace University, Goyang, 10540, Republic of Korea
- School of Electronics and Information Engineering, Korea Aerospace University, Goyang, 10540, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Jo Park
- Department of Engineering Ceramics, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, 51508, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Dufour T. From Basics to Frontiers: A Comprehensive Review of Plasma-Modified and Plasma-Synthesized Polymer Films. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:3607. [PMID: 37688233 PMCID: PMC10490058 DOI: 10.3390/polym15173607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
This comprehensive review begins by tracing the historical development and progress of cold plasma technology as an innovative approach to polymer engineering. The study emphasizes the versatility of cold plasma derived from a variety of sources including low-pressure glow discharges (e.g., radiofrequency capacitively coupled plasmas) and atmospheric pressure plasmas (e.g., dielectric barrier devices, piezoelectric plasmas). It critically examines key operational parameters such as reduced electric field, pressure, discharge type, gas type and flow rate, substrate temperature, gap, and how these variables affect the properties of the synthesized or modified polymers. This review also discusses the application of cold plasma in polymer surface modification, underscoring how changes in surface properties (e.g., wettability, adhesion, biocompatibility) can be achieved by controlling various surface processes (etching, roughening, crosslinking, functionalization, crystallinity). A detailed examination of Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) reveals its efficacy in producing thin polymeric films from an array of precursors. Yasuda's models, Rapid Step-Growth Polymerization (RSGP) and Competitive Ablation Polymerization (CAP), are explained as fundamental mechanisms underpinning plasma-assisted deposition and polymerization processes. Then, the wide array of applications of cold plasma technology is explored, from the biomedical field, where it is used in creating smart drug delivery systems and biodegradable polymer implants, to its role in enhancing the performance of membrane-based filtration systems crucial for water purification, gas separation, and energy production. It investigates the potential for improving the properties of bioplastics and the exciting prospects for developing self-healing materials using this technology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thierry Dufour
- LPP (UMR 7648), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Polytech. X, 4 Place Jussieu, B. C. 90, 75005 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Choi M, Lee Y, You Y, Cho C, Jeong W, Seong I, Choi B, Kim S, Seol Y, You S, Yeom GY. Characterization of SiO 2 Plasma Etching with Perfluorocarbon (C 4F 8 and C 6F 6) and Hydrofluorocarbon (CHF 3 and C 4H 2F 6) Precursors for the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:5624. [PMID: 37629915 PMCID: PMC10456486 DOI: 10.3390/ma16165624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
This paper proposes the use of environmentally friendly alternatives, C6F6 and C4H2F6, as perfluorocarbon (PFC) and hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) precursors, respectively, for SiO2 plasma etching, instead of conventional precursors C4F8 and CHF3. The study employs scanning electron microscopy for etch profile analysis and quadrupole mass spectrometry for plasma diagnosis. Ion bombardment energy at the etching conditions is determined through self-bias voltage measurements, while densities of radical species are obtained using quadrupole mass spectroscopy. The obtained results compare the etch performance, including etch rate and selectivity, between C4F8 and C6F6, as well as between CHF3 and C4H2F6. Furthermore, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are evaluated using a million metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent, indicating significantly lower emissions when replacing conventional precursors with the proposed alternatives. The results suggest that a significant GHG emissions reduction can be achieved from the investigated alternatives without a deterioration in SiO2 etching characteristics. This research contributes to the development of alternative precursors for reducing global warming impacts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Minsu Choi
- Department of Physics, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (M.C.); (Y.Y.); (C.C.); (W.J.); (I.S.); (B.C.); (S.Y.)
| | - Youngseok Lee
- Institute of Quantum Systems (IQS), Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (Y.S.)
| | - Yebin You
- Department of Physics, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (M.C.); (Y.Y.); (C.C.); (W.J.); (I.S.); (B.C.); (S.Y.)
| | - Chulhee Cho
- Department of Physics, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (M.C.); (Y.Y.); (C.C.); (W.J.); (I.S.); (B.C.); (S.Y.)
| | - Wonnyoung Jeong
- Department of Physics, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (M.C.); (Y.Y.); (C.C.); (W.J.); (I.S.); (B.C.); (S.Y.)
| | - Inho Seong
- Department of Physics, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (M.C.); (Y.Y.); (C.C.); (W.J.); (I.S.); (B.C.); (S.Y.)
| | - Byeongyeop Choi
- Department of Physics, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (M.C.); (Y.Y.); (C.C.); (W.J.); (I.S.); (B.C.); (S.Y.)
| | - Sijun Kim
- Institute of Quantum Systems (IQS), Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (Y.S.)
| | - Youbin Seol
- Institute of Quantum Systems (IQS), Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (Y.S.)
| | - Shinjae You
- Department of Physics, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (M.C.); (Y.Y.); (C.C.); (W.J.); (I.S.); (B.C.); (S.Y.)
- Institute of Quantum Systems (IQS), Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (Y.S.)
| | - Geun Young Yeom
- Department of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea;
- SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano Technology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Seong I, Lee J, Kim S, Lee Y, Cho C, Lee J, Jeong W, You Y, You S. Characterization of an Etch Profile at a Wafer Edge in Capacitively Coupled Plasma. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:3963. [PMID: 36432249 PMCID: PMC9699281 DOI: 10.3390/nano12223963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Recently, the uniformity in the wafer edge area that is normally abandoned in the fabrication process has become important for improving the process yield. The wafer edge structure normally has a difference of height between wafer and electrode, which can result in a sheath bend, distorting important parameters of the etch, such as ionic properties, resulting in nonuniform etching. This problem nowadays is resolved by introducing the supplemented structure called a focus ring on the periphery of the wafer. However, the focus ring is known to be easily eroded by the bombardment of high-energy ions, resulting in etch nonuniformity again, so that the focus ring is a consumable part and must be replaced periodically. Because of this issue, there are many simulation studies being conducted on the correlation between the sheath structural characteristics and materials of focus rings to find the replacement period, but the experimental data and an analysis based on this are not sufficient yet. In this study, in order to experimentally investigate the etching characteristics of the wafer edge area according to the sheath structure of the wafer edge, the etching was performed by increasing the wafer height (thickness) in the wafer edge area. The result shows that the degree of tilt in the etch profile at the wafer edge and the area where the tilt is observed severely are increased with the height difference between the wafer and electrode. This study is expected to provide a database for the characteristics of the etching at the wafer edge and useful information regarding the tolerance of the height difference for untilted etch profile and the replacement period of the etch ring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Inho Seong
- Applied Physics Lab for PLasma Engineering (APPLE), Department of Physics, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | | | - Sijun Kim
- Applied Physics Lab for PLasma Engineering (APPLE), Department of Physics, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Youngseok Lee
- Applied Physics Lab for PLasma Engineering (APPLE), Department of Physics, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Chulhee Cho
- Applied Physics Lab for PLasma Engineering (APPLE), Department of Physics, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Jangjae Lee
- Samsung Electronics, Hwaseong-si 18448, Korea
| | - Wonnyoung Jeong
- Applied Physics Lab for PLasma Engineering (APPLE), Department of Physics, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Yebin You
- Applied Physics Lab for PLasma Engineering (APPLE), Department of Physics, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Shinjae You
- Applied Physics Lab for PLasma Engineering (APPLE), Department of Physics, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea
- Institute of Quantum Systems (IQS), Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| |
Collapse
|