Functional Modeling of Dry Etch at Semiconductor Manufacturing

The dry etch process in semiconductor manufacturing, essential for creating intricate micro- and nanoscale structures, faces challenges due to the dual nature of its mechanisms. While chemical and mechanical etching are crucial for achieving precise feature dimensions, they can inadvertently lead to defects. Issues arise from plasma exposure, which can damage resist and sacrificial layers, producing unwanted by-products and leading to the formation of silicon-oxide or silicon-oxyfluoride particles. Additionally, excessive ion bombardment may cause material sputtering, resulting in redeposition, micromasking, residues, and underetching, all of which compromise the integrity of the etching process. The project aims to develop a functional model to better understand these interactions and optimize process parameters to mitigate defect formation.

The presence of defects in the dry etch process can lead to reduced yield and increased production costs, as defective wafers may need to be reworked or discarded.

Defects caused by plasma exposure and excessive ion bombardment can compromise the precision of micro- and nanoscale structures, negatively impacting the performance and reliability of semiconductor devices.

The formation of unwanted by-products and residues can complicate the cleaning and maintenance of equipment, leading to increased downtime and operational inefficiencies.

Achieve a defect-free dry etch process that maintains high yield and reduces production costs.

Insufficient understanding of the interactions between plasma exposure and material properties, leading to defects.

The lack of a comprehensive model to analyze the effects of process parameters on defect formation in dry etch is hindering efforts to achieve a defect-free process and maintain high yield in semiconductor manufacturing.