Reactor for reactive ion etching and etching method

• Main Authors: KRAUS; GEORG, KEMPF; JURGEN, BRANDEIS; CHRISTINE, KUENZEL; ULRICH
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.01.1984
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; CHEMISTRY; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATIONOR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; METALLURGY; MULTI-STEP PROCESSES FOR SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLICMATERIAL INVOLVING AT LEAST ONE PROCESS PROVIDED FOR IN CLASSC23 AND AT LEAST ONEPROCESS COVERED BY SUBCLASS C21D OR C22F OR CLASS C25; NON-MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF METALLIC MATERIAL FROM SURFACE; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

A reactor comprising a plate-shaped cathode that is horizontally arranged and connected to an alternating voltage, in a ground connected casing, and gas inlet and gas outlet lines. The cathode is equipped with means for generating local magnetic fields restricted to the region of the individually supported substrates. The cathode can be furthermore have holes or openings in which are arranged substrate holders shiftable or movable vertically to relate to the substrate surface. The substrates are etched in the reactor by means of a plasma which is produced from at least one reactive gas. Each substrate is exposed to at least one local magnetic field. If a mostly chemically etchable material is to be etched in the presence of a mostly physically etchable material, to a much stronger extent than the latter, the advantageous etching speed ratio can be set in that the substrates are additionally raised over the cathode surface.