RIE Apparatus utilizing a shielded magnetron to enhance etching

摘要

A dry etching apparatus for semiconductor wafers has a decompression vessel, the inside of which is divided by a separating wall into a discharge room and a shield room. The discharge room has a pair of elecrodes between which RF electric power is applied. One of the electrodes is placed at the separating wall and supports the wafer which is to be etched. A magnet assembly in the shield room generates a magnetic flux in the discharge room which perpendicularly intersects the electric field between the electrodes. A reactive gas is introduced into the discharge room, however, no discharge occurs, because its pressure is maintained below that required for discharge. This results in a reduced consumption of electric power, less heating, and less damage to the resist mask on the wafer.