Over the past decade, as the rapid evolution of semiconductor technology has progressed towards submicron design rules, plasma (dry) etching has supplanted simple wet etching processes for the transfer of patterns. To understand the underlying need for development of plasma etching, a brief background of integrated semiconductor technology is presented. Along with a historical perspective of the evolution of plasma etching, the relationship of plasma etching to lithography needs, its basic characteristics and advantages over wet chemical processing are discussed. Following this, relevant concepts of plasma physics and chemistry, based on experience with plasma etching applications for silicon technology, which can be used as building blocks for technology development are described.
Device reliability challenges for modern semiconductor circuit design – a review
