Residue free vertical pattern transfer with top surface imaging resists

A method for transferring a pattern through a photoresist layer in the fabrication of submicron semiconductor device structures, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a photoresist on a substrate;
• b) imagewise exposing the photoresist with a desired pattern to form exposed and unexposed patterned areas in a top surface of the photoresist;
• c) baking the photoresist to form cross-linked regions in the exposed patterned areas of the photoresist, hereafter referred to as exposed patterned cross-linked areas;
• d) silylating the photoresist to incorporate silicon into the unexposed patterned area of the photoresist, wherein some incorporation of silicon occurs in the exposed patterned cross-linked areas of the photoresist;
• and
• e) etching the photoresist utilizing a high density, low pressure, anisotropic O.sub.2 plasma alone to produce residue-free images with vertical wall profiles in the photoresist, wherein the high density, low pressure anisotropic O.sub.2 plasma is generated by radio frequency induction (RFI) in a RFI reaction chamber having magnetic confinement of the plasma, the chamber operating with an inductive power in the range of 300-500 Watts applied to an RF coil;
• and RF bias in the range of 100-300 Watts applied to the substrate;
• a chamber pressure in the range of 0.5 to 10 mTorr;
• and a gas flow in the range of 10-50 sccm, etching the photoresist at a rate of 0.5-2.5 .mu.m per minute,
• whereby the exposed patterned cross-linked areas are completely etched, including any exposed cross-linked patterned areas incorporating some silicon, and the unexposed silylated patterned areas remain with no detectable damage occurring to the unexposed silylated patterned areas nor any image deformation occurring to the exposed and unexposed patterned areas.