Semiconductor substrate process using a low temperature deposited carbon-containing hard mask
First Claim
1. A method of processing a thin film structure on a semiconductor substrate using an optically writable mask, said method comprising:
- placing the substrate in a reactor chamber, the substrate having on its surface a target layer to be etched in accordance with a predetermined pattern;
depositing a carbon-containing hard mask layer on said substrate by;
(a) introducing a carbon-containing process gas into the chamber and including a layer-enhancing additive gas that enhances thermal properties of the deposited carbon-containing layer,(b) generating a reentrant toroidal RF plasma current in a reentrant path that includes a process zone overlying the workpiece by coupling plasma RF source power to an external portion of said reentrant path,(c) coupling RF plasma bias power or bias voltage to the workpiece;
photolithographically defining said predetermined pattern in said carbon-containing hard mask layer;
etching the target layer in the presence of said hard mask layer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of processing a thin film structure on a semiconductor substrate using an optically writable mask includes placing the substrate in a reactor chamber, the substrate having on its surface a target layer to be etched in accordance with a predetermined pattern, and depositing a carbon-containing hard mask layer on the substrate by (a) introducing a carbon-containing process gas into the chamber, (b) generating a reentrant toroidal RF plasma current in a reentrant path that includes a process zone overlying the workpiece by coupling plasma RF source power to an external portion of the reentrant path, and (c) coupling RF plasma bias power or bias voltage to the workpiece. The method further includes photolithographically defining the predetermined pattern in the carbon-containing hard mask layer, and etching the target layer in the presence of the hard mask layer.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of processing a thin film structure on a semiconductor substrate using an optically writable mask, said method comprising:
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placing the substrate in a reactor chamber, the substrate having on its surface a target layer to be etched in accordance with a predetermined pattern; depositing a carbon-containing hard mask layer on said substrate by; (a) introducing a carbon-containing process gas into the chamber and including a layer-enhancing additive gas that enhances thermal properties of the deposited carbon-containing layer, (b) generating a reentrant toroidal RF plasma current in a reentrant path that includes a process zone overlying the workpiece by coupling plasma RF source power to an external portion of said reentrant path, (c) coupling RF plasma bias power or bias voltage to the workpiece; photolithographically defining said predetermined pattern in said carbon-containing hard mask layer; etching the target layer in the presence of said hard mask layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of processing a thin film structure on a semiconductor substrate using an optically writable mask, said method comprising:
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placing the substrate in a reactor chamber, the substrate having on its surface a target layer to be etched in accordance with a predetermined pattern; depositing a carbon-containing hard mask layer on said substrate by; (a) introducing a carbon-containing process gas into the chamber, (b) generating a reentrant toroidal RF plasma current in a reentrant path that includes a process zone overlying the workpiece by coupling plasma RF source power to an external portion of said reentrant path, (c) coupling RF plasma bias power or bias voltage to the workpiece; photolithographically defining said predetermined pattern in said carbon-containing hard mask layer; etching the target layer in the presence of said hard mask layer; setting the transparency or opacity of the carbon layer by at least one of; (1) adjusting the ion bombardment energy at the wafer surface, (2) adjusting the workpiece temperature, (3) selecting the hydrogen-carbon gas species of the process gas in accordance with a hydrogen-carbon ratio of the gas, (4) diluting the process gas with hydrogen, (5) diluting the process gas with an inert gas such as helium, neon, argon or xenon, (6) adjusting the flux of energetic ions at the wafer surface relative to the flux of carbon-containing radical species to the wafer surface, (7) adding to the process gas a precursor additive gas of one of;
(a) an absorption-enhancing species, (b) a transparency-enhancing species;(8) implanting in the deposited carbon layer one of;
(a) an absorption-enhancing species, (b) a transparency-enhancing species. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification