Simulation of the etching and sealing of porous dielectrics

We perform simulations of plasma etching of vias and trenches into porous dielectric substrates using a combination of three different process simulation codes in concert to solve different aspects of the problem for this 3D problem. We show results from both physical etches and reactive ion etches. We observe that re-entrant sub-structures with etched features are common as pores are opened up (the partially etched pores). We also simulate deposition of barrier films into the etched features, discussing some problems associated with sealing the exposed pores. We conclude with a discussion of the roles of 2D and 3D simulation for such 3D systems.