The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 29, 1984
Filed:
Apr. 20, 1983
James T Yeh, Katonah, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
This patent specification describes a technique for protectively coating the electrodes in a plasma patterning device so as to minimize the effect of backscattering of electrode material. The potentials present in a patterning chamber are such that electrode sputtering material may occur. If the material of the electrode where the sample is mounted (RIE mode) or the material of the counterelectrode (plasma etch mode) of the reaction chamber is not etchable in the etchant present, electrode material can be sputtered off, backscattered on the polymer surface, and cause incomplete etching. Polymer films, patterned in fine dimensions by masking and etching, are widely used in microelectronics. If backscattered material present in the etch area cannot be etched as fast as the polymer film, the back-scattered material on the polymer film surface will cause partial masking and incomplete etching, leaving spikes of polymer. Coating the electrode with the same polymer, or with a photoresist or different polymer of corresponding etch rate, precludes such incomplete etching; the etched hole is very clean, without spikes. The coating on the electrodes may be very thick so as not to require frequent recoating.