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:
Jun. 29, 2004
Filed:
Aug. 25, 2003
Ulrich Baier, Dresden, DE;
Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, DE;
Abstract
An improved insitu hard mask open strategy is performed before carrying out a metal etching process. The method for opening the hard mask made of SiO , Si N or SiON includes providing a substrate having thereon at least one metal layer, the hard mask layer, and a patterned photoresist layer overlying the hard mask layer. The hard mask layer is etched in a plasma etching process using an etchant source gas which is formed of a fluorine containing gas and oxygen. The plasma processing chamber used for etching the hard mask layer is the same as the plasma processing chamber in which the at least one metal layer is etched in another plasma etching process after the hard mask layer has been etched.