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:
Apr. 21, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 12, 1996
Yukihiro Kamide, Kanagawa, JP;
Sony Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A method of forming an aluminum-alloy pattern at room temperature, which is capable of eliminating the generation of after-corrosion and enhancing the anisotropic processing. In a first step, an etching mask made of a silicon nitride based film is formed on an aluminum-alloy film formed on a barrier metal layer which is formed on a substrate. In a second step, the aluminum-alloy film is dry-etched at room temperature, to form a pattern of the aluminum-alloy film. The etching selection ratio of the aluminum-alloy film to the etching mask is thus improved, and further a sidewall protective film made of aluminum nitride is formed on the etching sidewall, thereby sufficiently performing the anisotropic processing for the aluminum-alloy pattern. In subsequent steps, the barrier metal layer may also be etched and removed at room temperature, and a further sidewall protective film made of aluminum oxide is formed on the etching sidewall as a result of oxygen plasma processing. Any remaining barrier metal layer may be perfectly removed as a final step as a result of over-etching.