Etching system and etching method

Abstract

An etching method for subjecting a single film to be etched to etching comprised of a plurality of etching steps based on respectively different recipes, includes steps of generating and fixing a recipe which is a preset recipe to be applied to an etching step of the plurality of etching steps which affects an underlying film making contact with the single film to be etched, generating different recipes other than the preset recipe to be applied to other etching steps of the plurality of etching steps, wherein at least one of the different recipes for the other etching steps is generated on the basis of processed results, and conducting etching of the single film according to the recipes generated.

1 . An etching method for subjecting a single film to be etched to etching comprised of a plurality of etching steps based on respectively different recipes, comprising the steps of: 
 generating and fixing a recipe which is a preset recipe to be applied to an etching step of the plurality of etching steps which affects an underlying film making contact with the single film to be etched;    generating different recipes other than the preset recipe to be applied to other etching steps of the plurality of etching steps, wherein at least one of the different recipes for the other etching steps is generated on the basis of processed results; and    conducting etching of the single film according to the recipes generated.    
   
   
       2 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of updating at least one parameter during etching for at least one of the other etching steps.  
   
   
       3 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the step of generating different recipes for at least one of the other etching steps includes modifying at least one of oxygen gas flow rate, etching time, high-frequency electric power supplied to a process chamber, and chlorine gas ratio (Cl 2 /(HBr+Cl 2 )).  
   
   
       4 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the single film to be etched is one film of a laminate film which contacts the underlying film.  
   
   
       5 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of monitoring the residual film thickness of said film to be etched, wherein processing according to the recipes generated is finished on the basis of the monitored residual film thickness.  
   
   
       6 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the preset recipe which is generated to be applied to the etching step which affects the underlying film so as to enable conducting of etching with the preset recipe so as to expose the underlying film with substantially no damage thereto.  
   
   
       7 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the different recipes for the other etching steps is generated on the basis of a target value of processed results and a predicted value of processed results.  
   
   
       8 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 7 , further comprising the steps of estimating results of etching on the basis of an output signal from a monitor for detecting the conditions of the etching and an estimation model formed on the basis of the monitor output signal and results of etching.  
   
   
       9 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the estimation model is generated on the basis of the correlation between a spectrum signal obtained by a plasma emission spectroscopic monitor for spectroscopically analyzing plasma emission in an etching process chamber and the results of etching.  
   
   
       10 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 7 , further comprising the step of updating at least one parameter during etching for at least one of the other etching steps.  
   
   
       11 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the step of generating different recipes for at least one of the other etching steps includes modifying at least one of oxygen gas flow rate, etching time, high-frequency electric power supplied to a process chamber, and chlorine gas ratio (Cl 2 /(HBr+Cl 2 )).  
   
   
       12 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the single film to be etched is one film of a laminate film which contacts the underlying film.  
   
   
       13 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 7 , further comprising the step of monitoring the residual film thickness of said film to be etched, wherein processing according to the recipes generated is finished on the basis of the monitored residual film thickness.  
   
   
       14 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the preset recipe which is generated to be applied to the etching step which affects the underlying film so as to enable conducting of etching with the preset recipe so as to expose the underlying film with substantially no damage thereto.  
   
   
       15 . An etching method for subjecting a single film to be etched to etching comprised of a plurality of etching steps based on respectively different recipes, comprising the steps of: 
 generating a recipe to be applied to an etching step of the plurality of etching steps of the single film in reference to a target value of processed results and a predicted value of processed results for a previous etching step of the plurality of etching steps; and    conducting the etching of the single film in at least the etching step in accordance with the recipe generated.    
   
   
       16 . An etching method for subjecting a single film to be etched to etching comprised of a plurality of etching steps based on respectively different recipes, comprising the steps of: 
 generating a corrected recipe for an etching step of the plurality of etching steps of the single film on the basis of a target value of processed results and a predicted value of processed results for at least another etching step conducted immediately before the etching step for applying etching with the corrected recipe of the plurality of etching steps; and    conducting etching of the single film for the etching step of the plurality of etching steps in accordance with the corrected recipe generated.    
   
   
       17 . An etching method for subjecting a single film to be etched to an etching processing comprised of a plurality of etching steps applying respective different recipes, comprising the steps of: 
 etching an upper layer portion of the film to be etched on the basis of an upper layer portion etching recipe generated by modifying at least one parameter in a fixed recipe preset on the basis of the results of the preceding processing; and    etching a lower layer portion of the film to be etched making contact with an underlying film on the basis of the preset fixed recipe.    
   
   
       18 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the results of processing are estimated on the basis of an estimation model formed on the basis of an output signal from a monitor for detecting the conditions of the etching system and the results of etching.  
   
   
       19 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein a film thickness monitor for monitoring the residual film thickness of the film to be etched is provided, and the step of etching the upper layer portion of the film to be etched is finished on the basis of an output from the film thickness monitor.  
   
   
       20 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the etching of the upper layer portion of the film to be etched is conducted based on the upper layer portion etching recipe generated by modifying at least one parameter in a fixed recipe preset on the basis of the results of the preceding processing and a target value of processed results.  
   
   
       21 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 20 , wherein the results of processing are estimated on the basis of an estimation model formed on the basis of an output signal from a monitor for detecting the conditions of the etching system and the results of etching.  
   
   
       22 . An etching method as set forth in  claim 20 , wherein a film thickness monitor for monitoring the residual film thickness of the film to be etched is provided, and the step of etching the upper layer portion of said film to be etched is finished on the basis of an output from the film thickness monitor.