US PATENT SUBCLASS 438 / 710
.~.~.~ By creating electric field (e.g., plasma, glow discharge, etc.)

Current as of: June, 1999
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438 /   HD   SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE MANUFACTURING: PROCESS

689  DF  CHEMICAL ETCHING {6}
706  DF  .~ Vapor phase etching (i.e., dry etching) {3}
707  DF  .~.~ Utilizing electromagnetic or wave energy {3}
710.~.~.~ By creating electric field (e.g., plasma, glow discharge, etc.) {17}
711  DF  .~.~.~.~> Utilizing multiple gas energizing means
712  DF  .~.~.~.~> Reactive ion beam etching (i.e., RIBE)
713  DF  .~.~.~.~> Forming tapered profile (e.g., tapered etching, etc.)
714  DF  .~.~.~.~> Including change in etch influencing parameter (e.g., energizing power, etchant composition, temperature, etc.)
715  DF  .~.~.~.~> With substrate heating or cooling
716  DF  .~.~.~.~> With substrate handling (e.g., conveying, etc.)
717  DF  .~.~.~.~> Utilizing multilayered mask
718  DF  .~.~.~.~> Compound semiconductor
719  DF  .~.~.~.~> Silicon
720  DF  .~.~.~.~> Electrically conductive material (e.g., metal, conductive oxide, etc.) {1}
722  DF  .~.~.~.~> Metal oxide
723  DF  .~.~.~.~> Silicon oxide or glass
724  DF  .~.~.~.~> Silicon nitride
725  DF  .~.~.~.~> Organic material (e.g., resist, etc.)
726  DF  .~.~.~.~> Having microwave gas energizing {1}
729  DF  .~.~.~.~> Using specified electrode/susceptor configuration (e.g., of multiple substrates using barrel-type susceptor, planar reactor configuration, etc.) to generate plasma {1}
732  DF  .~.~.~.~> Using magnet (e.g., electron cyclotron resonance, etc.)

DEFINITION

Classification: 438/710

By creating electric field (e.g., plasma, glow discharge, etc.):

(under subclass 707) Processes involving the application of an electric field to generate, modify, or control the vaporous reactant(s) used in the chemical etching process.

(1) Note. Chemical etching processes utilizing corona, glow discharge, and plasma are found here, when utilized to cause dissociation of the etching gas precedent to the chemical etching of the semiconductor substrate therewith.

(2) Note. A plasma is a gas that is sufficiently ionized for its properties to depend on the ionization. It contains approximately equal numbers of positive ions and electrons, so the mixture is electrically neutral, highly conductive, and affected by magnetic fields. A thermal plasma is produced by temperatures above 20,000 degrees centigrade. In a cold plasma, the temperature of the electrons is high whereas the temperature of the ions is relatively low.

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

216, Etching a Substrate: Processes, particularly

67+, for generic plasma etching methods. However, the use of a high temperature thermal plasma which removes of alters material solely by thermal means is proper for Class 219, Electric Heating.