Laser lithography for integrated circuit and integrated circuit interconnect manufacture

A method of forming a patterned layer of metal during the fabrication of a microelectronic circuit comprising the steps of:

• (a) depositing the layer of metal onto a partially completed microelectronic circuit;
• (b) vapor depositing a layer of polymer having a thickness of approximately 200 to 1000 Angstroms onto the layer of metal by vaporizing a corresponding monomer in a vacuum and allowing the same to deposit onto the layer of metal substantially as a polymer;
• (c) pattering the thin layer of polymer to expose corresponding areas of the metal layer therebeneath by removing the same in selected areas with a laser;
• and,
• (d) chemical etching the exposed areas of the metal layer to pattern the metal layer in accordance with a pattern defined by the thin layer of polymer.

A method of patterning a thick layer of polymer during the fabrication of a microelectronic circuit comprising the steps of:

• (a) depositing a layer of metal onto the thick layer of polymer;
• (b) vapor depositing a layer of polymer having a thickness of approximately 200 to 1000 Angstroms onto the layer of metal by vaporizing a corresponding monomer in a vacuum and allowing the same to deposit onto the layer of metal substantially as a polymer;
• (c) patterning the thin layer of polymer to expose corresponding areas of the metal layer therebeneath by removing the same in selected areas with a laser;
• (d) chemical etching the exposed areas of the metal layer to remove parts of the metal layer to expose areas of the thick polymer layer therebeneath in accordance with the pattern defined by the thin layer of polymer;
• and,
• (e) plasma etching the thick layer of polymer in the regions exposed by removal of the metal layer therefrom.

A method of forming a patterned thick layer of polymer during the fabrication of a microelectronic circuit comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming a thick layer of polymer on a partially completed microelectronic circuit;
• (b) depositing a layer of metal onto the thick layer of polymer;
• (c) vapor depositing a thin layer of polymer onto the layer of metal by vaporizing a corresponding monomer in a vacuum and allowing the same to deposit onto the layer of metal substantially as a polymer;
• (d) patterning the thin layer of polymer to expose corresponding areas of the metal layer therebeneath by removing the same in selected areas with a laser;
• (e) chemical etching the exposed areas of the metal layer to remove parts of the metal layer to expose areas of the thick polymer layer therebeneath in accordance with the pattern defined by the thin layer of polymer;
• and,
• (f) plasma etching the thick layer of polymer in the regions exposed by removal of the metal layer therefrom.

A method of patterning a layer during the fabrication of a microelectronic circuit comprising the steps of:

• (a) vapor depositing a thin layer of polymer onto the layer to be patterned by vaporizing a corresponding monomer in a vacuum and allowing the same to deposit onto the layer to be patterned substantially as a polymer;
• (b) patterning the thin layer of polymer to expose corresponding areas of the layer to be patterned therebeneath by removing the same in selected areas with a laser;
• and,
• (c) selectively etching the exposed areas of the layer to be patterned to pattern the layer in accordance with a pattern defined by the thin layer of polymer.