Polarization-dependent laser-assisted plasma etching
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
InventorsJason A. Peck, David N. Ruzic
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Abstract
A method of laser-assisted plasma etching with polarized light comprises providing a surface of a substrate that includes at least one surface region having trenches arranged in a unidirectional pattern along an x-direction or a y-direction of the surface, where each trench has a depth along a z-direction. The trenches extend substantially in parallel with each other and have a half-pitch of about 100 nm or less. The surface is exposed to a plasma and simultaneously illuminated with a pulsed laser beam having a predetermined polarization along the x-direction or the y-direction, and the trenches are etched.
Claims20
A method of laser-assisted plasma etching with polarized light, the method comprising:
- providing a surface of a substrate including at least one surface region having trenches arranged in a unidirectional pattern along an x-direction or a y-direction of the surface, each trench having a depth along a z-direction, wherein the trenches extend substantially in parallel with each other and have a half-pitch of about 100 nm or less;
- exposing the surface to a plasma;
- illuminating the surface with a pulsed laser beam during the exposure to the plasma, the pulsed laser beam having a predetermined polarization along the x-direction or the y-direction;
- and
- etching the trenches.
A method of laser-assisted plasma etching with polarized light, the method comprising:
- providing a surface of a substrate including at least one surface region having trenches arranged in a bidirectional pattern along an x-direction and a y-direction of the surface, each trench having a depth along a z-direction, the trenches in the bidirectional pattern comprising (a) first trench portions extending substantially in parallel with each other along the x-direction with a half-pitch of about 100 nm or less, and (b) second trench portions extending substantially in parallel with each other along the y-direction with a half-pitch of about 100 nm or less;
- exposing the surface to a plasma;
- illuminating the surface with a pulsed laser beam during the exposure to the plasma, the pulsed laser beam having a predetermined polarization along the x-direction or the y-direction;
- and
- etching the trenches,
- wherein, due to the predetermined polarization of the pulsed laser beam, the first trench portions are etched differently than the second trench portions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.