Donna Rizzone Cote

Plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition of dielectric thin films for ULSI semiconductor circuits

Plasma-assisted deposition of thin films is widely used in microelectronic circuit manufacturing. Materials deposited include conductors such as tungsten, copper, aluminum, transition-metal silicides, and refractory metals, semiconductors such as gallium arsenide, epitaxial and polycrystalline silicon, and dielectrics such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride. This paper reviews plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) applications and techniques for dielectric thin films. In particular, we focus on the integration, process, and reliability requirements for dielectric films used for isolation, passivation, barrier, and antireflectivecoating applications in ultralargescale integrated (ULSI) semiconductor circuits. In addition, manufacturing issues and considerations for further work are discussed.

Low-temperature chemical vapor deposition processes and dielectrics for microelectronic circuit manufacturing at IBM

Significant progress has been made over the past decade in low-temperature plasma-enhanced and thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The progress has occurred in response to the high demands placed on the insulators of multilevel microelectronic circuits because of the continuing reduction in circuit dimensions. High-aspect-ratio gap filling is foremost among these demands, which also include lower processing temperatures and improved dielectric planarization. This paper reviews the history of interlevel and intermetal dielectrics used in microelectronic circuit manufacturing at IBM and the current status of processes used in IBM manufacturing and development lines, and describes the challenges for future memory and logic chip applications.

High Selectivity Magnetically Enhanced Reactive Ion Etching of Boron Nitride Films

Oxygen and tetrafluorocarbon magnetically enhanced reactive ion etching (MERIE) of plasma chemical vapor deposited (CVD) boron nitride (BN) and silicon boron nitride (SiBN) was studied for both blanket and submicron patterned films. The relative etch selectivities of the BN and SiBN to oxide (SiO 2 ) and nitride (SiN) were determined. In general, oxygen-rich O 2 /CF 4 MERIE produce very high etch selectivity results while maintaining vertical etch profiles. This etch process expands the potential for use of BN/SiBN in fabrication of subhalf micron devices

High-selectivity magnetically enhanced reactive ion etching of boron nitride films

Oxygen and tetrafluorocarbon magnetically enhanced reactive ion etching (MERIE) of plasma chemical vapor deposited boron nitride (BN) and silicon boron nitride (SiBN) was studied for both blanket and submicron patterned films. The relative etch selectivities of the BN and SiBN to oxide and nitride were determined. In general, oxygen-rich O2/CF4 MERIE produce very high etch selectivity results while maintaining vertical etch profiles. This etch process expands the potential for use of BN/SiBN in fabrication of sub-half micron devices.