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Effect of H2 Flow Rate on High-Rate Etching of Si by Narrow-Gap Microwave Hydrogen Plasma

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Abstract

For the purpose of realizing a low-cost production process of silane (SiH4) gas, we have proposed the high-rate etching of metallurgical-grade Si by narrow-gap microwave hydrogen plasma. In this paper, effect of hydrogen gas flow rate (0–10 L/min) on the etch rate has been investigated and correlated with the relative variation of hydrogen-atom density estimated by actinometry. By decreasing hydrogen gas flow rate, the etch rate gradually increases up to the maximum value of 11 μm/min at 2 L/min. This increase is well correlated with the increase of hydrogen-atom density due to the longer residence time of hydrogen molecules in the plasma. On the other hand, when the gas flow rate is lower than 2 L/min, the etch rate abruptly decreases with decreasing gas flow rate in spite of the increase of hydrogen-atom density. From the surface observations and Raman measurements, it is found that the decrease in etch rate in the lower flow rate range is attributed to the formation of microcrystalline Si particles due to the decomposition of generated-SiH4 molecules in the plasma.

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Acknowledgments

The author thanks Yasushi Oshikane for all his advices in plasma emission measurements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Precision Science and Technology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Takahiro Yamada, Hiromasa Ohmi, Hiroaki Kakiuchi & Kiyoshi Yasutake

  2. Research Center for Ultra-Precision Science and Technology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Hiromasa Ohmi & Kiyoshi Yasutake

  3. Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST, Chiyoda, Tokyo, 102-0075, Japan

    Takahiro Yamada, Hiromasa Ohmi, Hiroaki Kakiuchi & Kiyoshi Yasutake

Authors
  1. Takahiro Yamada
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  2. Hiromasa Ohmi
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  3. Hiroaki Kakiuchi
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  4. Kiyoshi Yasutake
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Takahiro Yamada.

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Yamada, T., Ohmi, H., Kakiuchi, H. et al. Effect of H2 Flow Rate on High-Rate Etching of Si by Narrow-Gap Microwave Hydrogen Plasma. Plasma Chem Plasma Process 33, 797–806 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11090-013-9461-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11090-013-9461-9

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