Method and apparatus of a substrate etching system and process

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to a substrate etching system and process. In one embodiment, a method may include depositing material on the substrate during a deposition process, etching a first layer of the substrate during a first etch process, and etching a second layer of the substrate during a second etch process, wherein a first bias power is applied to the substrate during the first process, and wherein a second bias power is applied to the substrate during the second etch process. In another embodiment, a system may include a gas delivery system containing a first gas panel for supplying a first gas to a chamber, a second gas panel for supplying a second gas to the chamber, and a plurality of flow controllers for directing the gases to the chamber to facilitate rapid gas transitioning between the gases to and from the chamber and the panels.

1 . A method of etching a substrate in a chamber comprising:
 (A) depositing a protective layer on a first layer disposed on a substrate in an etch reactor;   (B) etching the protective layer in the etch reactor, wherein a first bias power is applied during etching of the protective layer;   (C) etching the first layer in the etch reactor, wherein a second bias power is applied during etching of the first layer; and   repeating (A), (B), and (C) to form a profile in the substrate.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first bias power is greater than the second bias power. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first bias power includes a radio frequency range of about 2 MHz to about 13.56 MHz. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second bias power includes a radio frequency range of about 100 kHz to about 400 kHz. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first bias power and the second bias power include a power range of about 10 Watts to about 500 Watts. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising pulsing at least one of the first bias power and the second bias power within a duty cycle range of about 2% to about 40%. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the protective layer is a polymeric film. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first layer includes a metal. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first layer includes silicon. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , after (C), further comprising (D) depositing the protective layer on a second layer disposed between the first layer and the substrate, (E) etching the protective layer of material, and (F) etching the second layer to extend the profile. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising supplying a first gas into the etch reactor during (A) and supplying a second gas into the etch reactor during at least one of (B) and (C). 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein (A) is maintained for a time period of about 3 seconds, wherein (B) is maintained for a time period of about 3 seconds, and wherein (C) is maintained for a time period of about 5 seconds. 
   
   
       13 . A method of etching a substrate in a chamber comprising:
 depositing a polymeric film on the substrate during a deposition process;   etching the polymeric film deposited on the substrate during a first etch process; and   etching the substrate during a second etch process, thereby forming a profile in the substrate, wherein a first bias power is applied to the substrate during the first process, and wherein a second bias power is applied to the substrate during the second etch process.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising repeating the deposition process, the first etch process, and the second etch process to extend the profile in the substrate. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of layers including at least one of silicon, oxide, and metal. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first bias power is greater than the second bias power. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising pulsing at least one of the first bias power and the second bias power. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising supplying a first gas from a first gas panel into the chamber during the deposition process and supplying a second gas from a second gas panel into the chamber during the first and second etch processes. 
   
   
       19 . A gas delivery system comprising:
 a chamber for processing a substrate;   a first gas panel in communication with the chamber by a first gas delivery line, wherein the first gas delivery line includes a first plurality of flow controllers; and   a second gas panel in communication with the chamber by a second gas delivery line, wherein the second gas delivery line includes a second plurality of flow controllers, wherein the first and second plurality of flow controllers are selectively operable to direct gases from the first and second panels, respectively, to the chamber and to one or more exhausts that are in communication with the first and second gas delivery lines.   
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising a third gas panel in communication with the second gas delivery line, wherein the third gas panel is operable to delivery a gas to the chamber, the first gas delivery line, and the second gas delivery line to remove residual gases remaining in the system. 
   
   
       21 . A method of supplying gases to a chamber comprising:
 supplying a first gas to the chamber from a first gas panel through a first gas delivery line;   directing a second gas to an exhaust from a second gas panel through a second gas delivery line while the first gas is supplied to the chamber; and   directing the first gas to the exhaust and supplying the second gas to the chamber, wherein the first gas is removed from the chamber prior to introduction of the second gas into the chamber.   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising a first flow controller in communication with the first gas delivery line for directing the first gas from the first gas panel to the chamber. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising actuating the first flow controller to direct the first gas from the first gas panel to the exhaust. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising a second flow controller in communication with the second gas delivery line for directing the second gas from the second gas panel to the exhaust. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising actuating the second flow controller to direct the second gas from the second gas panel to the chamber.