Plasma etching with metal sputtering

Abstract

A method of etching a substrate that includes: loading the substrate into a plasma etch chamber, the substrate including a patterned hard mask layer and an underlying layer, the plasma etch chamber including a chamber part having a surface including a refractory metal, and a first electrode; flowing a process gas including fluorine and carbon into the plasma etch chamber; applying a source power to the first electrode of the plasma etch chamber to generate a plasma in the plasma etch chamber; and etching the underlying layer, the etching including exposing the surface of the chamber part to the plasma to sputter the refractory metal from the surface of the chamber part, and forming a recess in the underlying layer and a conductive polymer layer including the refractory metal over sidewalls of the patterned hard mask layer and the underlying layer, the forming including exposing the substrate to the plasma.