International Business Machines Corporation

Micron Technology Incorporated

Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

John W Coburn

Kevin G Donohoe

Eric Kay

Mehran Nasser-Ghodsi

Gabor D Toth

David Aitan Soltz

Alexander Jozef Gubbens

Tung J Chuang

Harold F Winters

Harold Winters

Methods and systems for preparing a substrate for analysis are provided. One method includes removing a portion of a copper structure on the substrate using an etch chemistry in combination with an electron beam. The etch chemistry is substantially inert with respect to the copper structure except in the presence of the electron beam. Other methods involve forming masking layers on a substrate that will protect the substrate during etching. For example, one method includes exposing a first portion of the substrate to an electron beam. A second portion of the substrate not exposed to the electron beam includes a copper structure. The method also includes exposing the substrate to a fluorine containing chemical. The fluorine containing chemical bonds to the first portion but not the second portion to form a fluorine containing layer on the first portion.

Methods and systems for preparing a copper containing substrate for analysis

An etching method for forming an opening includes providing a substrate assembly having a surface and an oxide layer thereon. A patterned mask layer is provided over the oxide layer exposing a portion of the oxide layer. A plasma including one or more of C H F ions and C F ions and further including xenon or krypton ions is used to etch the oxide layer at the exposed portion to define the opening in the oxide layer while simultaneously depositing a polymeric residue on a surface defining the opening. The etching is continued until the opening in the oxide layer is selectively etched to the surface of the substrate assembly.

Plasma etching method using low ionization potential gas

An etching method for forming an opening includes providing a substrate assembly having a surface and an oxide layer thereon. A patterned mask layer is provided over the oxide layer exposing a portion of the oxide layer. A plasma including one or more of C,H,F,ions and C,F,ions and further including xenon or krypton ions is used to etch the oxide layer at the exposed portion to define the opening in the oxide layer while simultaneously depositing a polymeric residue on a surface defining the opening. The etching is continued until the opening in the oxide layer is selectively etched to the surface of the substrate assembly.

A substrate which forms a volatile fluoride is etched and directionality is achieved using vibrationally excited SF.sub.6 which has been exposed to laser irradiation. The substrate is etched through a mask having openings smaller than the diffraction limit of the laser light.

Etching process with vibrationally excited SF.sub.6

A plasma process for forming a polymer film containing metal therein includes the steps of providing an electrode of a metal that can be etched by a halogen, providing a substrate for the polymer film to be deposited thereon, and passing a halocarbon monomer through a plasma system so that the metal etched from the electrode forms a volatile halide and is incorporated in the polymer film that is deposited on the substrate.

Plasma method for forming a metal containing polymer

A method of plasma etching silica at a faster rate than silicon involves using a gaseous mixture containing an unsaturated halocarbon and a saturated halocarbon. The preferred halocarbon contains fluorine. A preferred embodiment is a gaseous mixture containing C.sub.3 F.sub.6 and C.sub.2 F.sub.6.

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John W Coburn