Method for dry etching of a semiconductor substrate

In a method for dry etching of a semiconductor substrate, which includes producing a convex structure on a surface of a semiconductor wafer by using a suitable mask and a suitable etchant, the improvement which comprises:

• applying a thick photoresist layer to a semiconductor wafer;
• structuring the photoresist layer;
• liquefying the structured photoresist layer by the influence of temperature to produce a spherical structure and then hardening the spherical structure as an etchable masking;
• etching the semiconductor wafer structured with the photoresist layer in plasma at etching speeds being similar for the semiconductor material and the photoresist, for transferring a convex structure of the photoresist layer to the semiconductor wafer, during etching down of the photoresist layer;
• and
• applying a dielectric antireflective layer to the semiconductor wafer having the convex structure, whereby the antireflective layer covers the convex structure of the semiconductor wafer.