The effects of electrode materials on These results show that the electrode material

etching mechanisms influences the physical and chemical characteristics

of RIE type plasmas considerably.
R. Ruas, P. Verdonck, R. D. Mansano,
and N. St. J. Braithwaite* Al 50mTorr
Mixed Electrode
rruas@lsi.usp.br 9,00E+010
Al 75mTorr
Al 100mTorr
Al 150mTorr

LSI-PSI-EPUSP, *Open University - ORU Oxford, 8,00E+010

Cu 50mTorr
Cu 75mTorr
Cu 100mTorr
UK. Cu 150mTorr

7,00E+010

This work concerns a study of the dependence 6,00E+010

Ni(cm )
-3
of etch rate and plasma characteristics on the 5,00E+010

materials of the powered electrode in an RIE 4,00E+010

reactor.
3,00E+010
The literature mentions that fluorine-containing
plasmas etch silicon as a function of mask material 2,00E+010

[1], electrode material [2] and trace elements [3]; 300 350 400 450 500 550 600

Vdc(V)
plasma parameters can also be affected by
secondary electron emission [4]. The secondary Figure 1 − Ar ion density as a function of DC bias
electron can be generated by incoming electrons voltage and pressure, as measured above the Cu and
and by incoming ions. It is very dependent on Al part of the mixed electrode.
particle type and energy, on surface material and
conditions. Al 50W
4000
Three different, 152 mm diameter electrodes Al 75W
Al 100w
Al 150W
were evaluated: a pure Cu, a pure Al and a mixed 3500 Cu 50W
Cu 75W

Cu-Al electrode which consisted of two half circles 3000

Cu 100W
Cu 150W

of each material. The enormous advantage of this

Ecth Rate (nm/min)

2500
mixed electrode is that the DC bias voltage on both
halves is always the same and that the only 2000

parameter that can differentiate the plasmas above 1500

each half is the electrode material. The emission
1000
spectra of Ar plasmas when using an Al electrode
showed a more intense plasma than when using a 500

Cu electrode. The ion densities of these plasmas 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

were measured with a double Langmuir probe Pressure(mTorr)

above the center of the two pure electrodes and
above the central part of both halves of the mixed
electrodes. Fig. 1 shows that the plasma density
above the Al electrode is much higher than above
the Cu electrode. It is our hypothesis that this is due
to the fact that the coefficient for secondary
electron emission by incoming ions is
approximately a factor two higher for Al than for
Cu [5]. For the pure Al electrode, the ion density is
higher than above the Al part of the mixed
electrode and for the pure Cu electrode, it is lower
than above the Cu part of the mixed electrode. This
indicates that the plasma for the mixed electrode
becomes somewhat mixed, but the trends are easy
to recognize.
Fig. 2 shows the etch rate of silicon samples,
using a SiO2 mask, placed on top of the Al and of
the Cu halves of the mixed electrode, for several
SF6 plasmas. The etch rates on top of the Al part are
always at least 20% higher than the etch rates on
top of the Cu half. Again, this trend was confirmed
for the pure electrodes. The higher etch rate for the
Al is caused by a combination of three mechanisms:
higher secondary electron emission, higher fluorine
dissociation because of catalysis on the Al electrode
and consumption of fluorine by the Cu electrode.
Figure 2 − Silicon etch rate as a function of
pressure and applied RF power, for the pure Al and
Cu electrodes.
References
[1] Fedynyshin et al.; J. Electroch. Soc.; 134; 206-
9; 1987.
[2] Fedynyshin et al.; J. Electroch. Soc.; 136; 1799-
1804; 1989.
[3] Sebel et al; J. Vac. Sci Technol. A. ;17; 755-
62;1999.
[4] Nöding et al.; Surf. Coating Technol.; 111; 51-
55; 1999.
[5] Cobine et al.; Dover Publications Inc. NY; 159;
1958.
Acknowledgements: The authors thank FAPESP
and CNPq for financial support.