18554225. ETCHING METHOD AND PROCESSING DEVICE simplified abstract (Tokyo Electron Limited)

ETCHING METHOD AND PROCESSING DEVICE

Organization Name

Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor(s)

Toshio Hasegawa of Nirasaki City, Yamanashi (JP)

ETCHING METHOD AND PROCESSING DEVICE - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18554225 titled 'ETCHING METHOD AND PROCESSING DEVICE

The patent application describes a method for etching a metal on a substrate using a two-step process involving halogen-containing gas and a gas containing carbon and oxygen.

• Expose the metal to a halogen-containing gas to create a halide-containing surface layer.
• Expose the halide-containing surface layer to a gas containing carbon and oxygen to remove the halide-containing layer.
• Repeat the above steps in the stated order.

Potential Applications: - Semiconductor manufacturing - Microelectronics industry - Metal etching processes

Problems Solved: - Efficient removal of metal layers - Precision etching of metals on substrates

Benefits: - Improved etching accuracy - Reduced process time - Cost-effective metal etching solution

Commercial Applications: - Metal etching equipment and services for semiconductor companies - Manufacturing tools for microelectronics industry

Questions about Metal Etching Method: 1. How does this method compare to traditional metal etching techniques? 2. What are the environmental implications of using halogen-containing gases in the process?

Frequently Updated Research: - Ongoing studies on optimizing the etching process for different types of metals and substrates.

Original Abstract Submitted

Provided is a method for etching a metal on a substrate, the etching method including (a) a step for exposing the metal to a halogen-containing gas and modifying a surface layer of the metal to be a halide-containing surface layer, (b) a step for exposing the halide-containing surface layer to a gas that contains carbon (C) and oxygen (O) and removing the halide-containing surface layer, and (c) a step for repeating the (a) step and the (b) step in the stated order.