Development of Localized Plasma Etching System for Failure Analyses in Semiconductor Devices

Abstract

  We have successufully developed a localized plasma etching system for failure analyses in semiconductor devices. The plasma was excited by a capacitively coupled plasma technique using a quartz capillary tube and the system can be operated by both methods of drawing etching gases into the glass tube (inward plasma method) and blowing etching gases out of the tube (outward plasma method). By the former method, we can reduce unfavorable materials leaving behind on the processed surface after processing. This successuful operation is comfirmed by the exposure of wires in 45 nm pattern rule device semiconductor.