• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
• /
• v.18 no.5
• /
• pp.389-395
• /
• 2005

The etching technology of the high aspect ratio contact(HARC) is necessary at the critical contact processes of semiconductor devices. Etching the $SiO_{2}$ contact hole with the sub-micron design rule in manufacturing VLSI devices, the unexpected phenomenon of 'profile tilting' or 'bottom distortion' is often observed. This makes a short circuit between neighboring contact holes, which causes to drop seriously the device yield. As the aspect ratio of contact holes increases, the high C/F ratio gases, $C_{4}F_{6}$, $C_{4}F_{8}$ and $C_{5}F_{8}$, become widely used in order to minimize the mask layer loss during the etching process. These gases provide abundant fluorocarbon polymer as well as high selectivity to the mask layer, and the polymer with high sticking yield accumulates at the top-wall of the contact hole. During the etch process, many electrons are accumulated around the asymmetric hole mouth to distort the electric field, and this distorts the ion trajectory arriving at the hole bottom. These ions with the distorted trajectory induce the deformation of the hole bottom, which is called 'profile tilting' or 'bottom distortion'. To prevent this phenomenon, three methods are suggested here. 1) Using lower C/F ratio gases, $CF_{4}$ or $C_{3}F_{8}$, the amount of the Polymer at the hole mouth is reduced to minimize the asymmetry of the hole top. 2) The number of the neighboring holes with equal distance is maximized to get the more symmetry of the oxygen distribution around the hole. 3) The dual frequency plasma source is used to release the excessive charge build-up at the hole mouth. From the suggested methods, we have obtained the nearly circular hole bottom, which Implies that the ion trajectory Incident on the hole bottom is symmetry.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.22-27
• /
• 2010

To improve surface wettability, each sample was treated by atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) system. Argon and oxygen gases were used for treatment gas to modify the $TiO_2$ surface by APP with RF power range from 50 to 200 W. Water contact angle was decreased from $20^{\circ}$ to $10^{\circ}$ with argon only. However, water contact angle was decreased from $20^{\circ}$ to < $1^{\circ}$ with mixture of argon and oxygen. Water contact angle with $O_2$ plasma was lower than water contact angle with Ar plasma at the same RF power. It seems to be increasing the polar force of $TiO_2$ surface. Also, analysis result of X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) shows the increase of intensity of O1s shoulder peak, resulting in increasing of surface wettability by APP. Moreover, each water contact angle increased according to increase past time. However, contact angle increase with plasma treatment was lower than without plasma treatment. Additionally, the efficiency of $TiO_2$ photocatalyst was improved by plasma surface-treatment through the degradation experiment of phenol.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.277-284
• /
• 2013

Carbon coils could be synthesized using $C_2H_2/H_2$ as source gases and $SF_6$ as an incorporated additive gas under thermal chemical vapor deposition system. The Ni layer on the $SiO_2$ substrate was used as a catalyst for the formation of the carbon coils. The characteristics (formation densities, morphologies, and geometries) of the as-grown carbon coils on the substrate with or without the $H_2$ plasma pretreatment process were investigated. By the relatively short time (1 minute) $H_2$ plasma pretreatment on the Ni catalyst layered-substrate prior to the carbon coils synthesis reaction, the dominant formation of the carbon microcoils on the substrate could be achieved. After the relatively long time (30 minutes) $H_2$ plasma pretreatment process, on the other hand, we could obtain the noble-shaped geometrical nanostructures, namely the formation of the numerous carbon nanocoils along the growth of the carbon microcoils. This noble-shaped geometrical nanostructure seemed to play a promising role as the good catalyst support for holding the very tiny Ni catalyst grains.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.51-55
• /
• 2011

We investigated the etching characteristics of zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited by the atomic layer deposition method. The gases of the inductively coupled plasma chemistry consisted of $Cl_2$, Ar, and $O_2$. The maximum etch rate was 40.3 nm/min at a gas flow ratio of $Cl_2$/Ar=15:5 sccm, radio-frequency power of 600 W, bias power of 200 W, and process pressure of 2 Pa. We also investigated the plasma induced damage in the etched ZnO thin films using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy and photoluminescence (PL). A highly oriented (100) peak was present in the XRD spectroscopy of the ZnO samples. The full width at half maximum value of the ZnO sample etched using the $O_2/Cl_2$/Ar chemistry was higher than that of the as-deposited sample. The roughness of the ZnO thin films increased from 1.91 nm to 2.45 nm after etching in the $O_2/Cl_2$/Ar plasma chemistry. Also, we obtained a strong band edge emission at 380 nm. The intensities of the peaks in the PL spectra from the samples etched in all of the chemistries were increased. However, there was no deep level emission.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.46 no.4
• /
• pp.701-706
• /
• 2008

Nano-sized nickel powders were prepared by evaporating the bulk nickel metarial using transferred arc thermal plasma. Nitrogen gases are easily dissociated to atomic nitrogen in thermal plasma and they are quickly dissolved in molten nickel. Super-saturated atomic nitrogen in molten nickel is recombined to nitrogen gas because of the relatively low temperature of nickel surface. Generally, the recombine reaction of atomic nitrogen is exothermic, so bulk nickel is quickly evaporated to nickel vapor due to the thermal energy of recombine reaction. The particle size of nickel powder was controlled by $N_2$ used as the diluting gas. It was observed that as the diluting gas flow rate was increase, the particle size was decreased and the particle size distribution was narrowed. The average particle size at 250 l/min of the diluting gas was 202 nm analyzed by means of the particle size analyzer (PSA).

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.46 no.1
• /
• pp.50-55
• /
• 2008

Carbon Nanotube (CNT) films were deposited with varying deposition temperature by RF plasma CVD on Fe catalysts deposited onto $SiO_2$ films grown thermally on the silicon wafer using $C_2H_2$ and $H_2$ gases. The Fe catalysts on silicon oxide film were made by RF magnetron sputtering. The grounded grid mesh cover on the substrate holder was used for depositing CNT thin films with high purity. The surface morphologies and chemical structure of deposited CNT films were characterized using SEM, Raman, XPS and TEM. It was observed that deposited CNTs films were carbon fiber type having Bamboo-like multiwall structure and CNT film grown at $600^{\circ}C$ was more dense than that at $550^{\circ}C$, but become less dense at $650^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.345-349
• /
• 1996

The wetting property of polymer surfaces is very important for practical applications. Plasma source ion implantation technique was used to improve the wetting properties of polymer surfaces. Poly(ethylene terephtalate) and other polymer sheets were mounted on the target stage and an RF plasma was generated by means of an antenna located inside the vacuum chamber. High voltage pulses of up to -10kV, 10 $\mu$sec, and up to 1 kHz were applied to the stage. The samples were implanted for 5 minutes with using Ar, $N_2,O_2,CH_4,CF_4$ and their mixture as source gases. A contact angle meter was used to measure the water contact angles of the implanted samples and of the samples stored in ambient conditions after implantation. The modified surfaces were analysed with Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (TOF-SIMS) and Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES). The oxygen-implanted samples showed extremely low water contact angles of $3^{\circ}C$ compared to $79^{\circ}C$ of unimplanted ones. Furthermore, the modified surfaces were relatively stable with respect to aging in ambient conditions, which is one of the major concerns of the other surface treatment techniques. From TOF-SIMS analysis it was found that oxygen-containing functional groups had been formed on the implanted surfaces. On the other hand, the $CF_4$-implanted samples turned out to be more hydro-phobic than unimplanted ones, giving water contact angles exceeding $100^{\circ}C$ . The experiment showed that plasma source ion implantation is a very promising technique for polymer surface modification especially for large area treatment.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.108-113
• /
• 2019

In this study, the decomposition characteristics of perfluorinated compounds generated in semiconductor manufacturing process were investigated by using a high temperature plasma. The analysis results revealed that $CF_4$ and $SF_6$ showed the highest efficiency at 12.8 kW power, but no significant difference was observed at the power above. Experimental results showed that the maximum efficiency was obtained at the flow rate of about 14 mL/min and the treatment efficiency decreased as the flow rate increased or decreased with respect to the flow rate of 14 mL/min. As a result, the decomposition characteristics of perflurocompounds (PFCs) using a high temperature plasma could be grasped, and also the basis for the treatment of PFCs and greenhouse gases generated in the semiconductor manufacturing process could be obtained.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
• /
• 1999.10a
• /
• pp.59-59
• /
• 1999

In this study, planer inductively coupled $Cl_2$ based plasmas were used to etch InGaN and the effects of plasma conditions on the InGaN etch properties have been characterized using quadrupole mass spectrometry(QMS) and optical emission spectroscopy(OES). As process conditions used to study the effects of plasma characteristics on the InGaN etch properties, $Cl_2$ was used as the main etch gas and $CHF_3,{\;}CH_4$, and Ar were used as additive gases. Operational pressure was varied from SmTorr to 3OmTorr, inductive power and bias voltage were varied from 400W to 800W and -50V to -250V, respectively while the substrate temperature was fixed at 50 centigrade. For the $Cl_2$ plasmas, selective etching of GaN to InGaN was obtained regardless of plasma conditions. The small addition of $CHF_3$ or Ar to $Cl_2$ and the decrease of pressure generally increased InGaN etch rates. The selective etching of InGaN to GaN could be obtained by the reduction of pressure to l5mTorr in $CI_2/IO%CHF_3{\;}or{\;}CI_2/IO%Ar$ plasma. The enhancement of InGaN etch rates was related to the ion bombardment for $CI_2/Ar$ plasmas and the formation of $CH_x$ radicals for $CI_2/CHF_3(CH_4)$ plasmas.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.403-408
• /
• 2001

In this work, the cyclic perfluorinated ether (c-C$_4$F$_{8}$O) with very high destructive removal efficiency (DRE) than other alternative gases, such as $C_3$F$_{8}$, c-C$_4$F$_{8}$ and NF$_3$ was used as an alternative process chemical. The plasma cleaning of silicon nitride using gas mixtures of c-C$_4$F$_{8}$O/O$_2$ and c-C$_4$F$_{8}$O/O$_2$+ $N_2$ was investigated in order to evaluate the effects of adding $N_2$ to c-C$_4$F$_{8}$O/O$_2$ on the global warming effects. Under optimum condition, the emitted net perfluorocompounds (PFCs) during cleaning of silicon nitride were quantified and then the effects of additive $N_2$ by obtaining the destructive removal efficiency (DRE) and the million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MMT-CE) were calculated. DRE and MMTCE were obtained by evaluating the volumetric emission using. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). During the cleaning using c-C$_4$F$_{8}$O/O$_2$+$N_2$, DRE values as high as (equation omitted) 98% were obtained and MMTCE values were reduced by as high as 70% compared to the case of $C_2$F$_{6}$O$_2$. Recombination characteristics were indirectly investigated by combining the measurements of species in the chamber using optical emission spectroscopy (OES), before and after the cleaning, in order to understand any correlation between plasma and emission characteristics as well as cleaning rate of silicon nitride.silicon nitride.