Method for etch fabrication of iridium-based electrode structures

A method of fabricating an iridium-based material structure from iridium-based material on a substrate, comprising:

• contacting the iridium-based material with an etching reagent selected from the group consisting of:
• (i) halogen etch species formed by exposing a halogen to an energizingly effective agent selected from the group consisting of light, laser radiation, plasma, and ion beam, to yield energized halogen etch species which are effective in etching upon contact with the iridium-based material;
• and
• (ii) XeF.sub.2,
• for sufficient time and under sufficient conditions to etch the deposited iridium-based material and form an etched iridium-based material structure, further comprising enhancing the rate of of etching by conducting such etching in the presence of an etch-enhancing agent selected from the group consisting of Lewis-based adducts and electron back-bonding species.

A method of fabricating an iridium-based material structure from iridium-based material on a substrate comprising:

• contacting the iridium-based material with an etching reagent selected from the group consisting of:
• (i) halogen etch species formed by exposing a halogen to an energizingly effective agent selected from the group consisting of light, laser radiation, plasma, and ion beam, to yield energized halogen etch species which are effective in etching upon contact with the iridium-based material:
• and
• (ii) XeF.sub.2,
• for sufficient time and under sufficient conditions to etch the deposited iridium-based material and form an etched iridium-based material structure, further comprising enhancing the rate of of etching by conducting such etching in the presence of an etch-enhancing agent selected from the group consisting of carbon monoxide, trifluorophosphine, and trialkylphosphines whose alkyl moiety is selected from C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl, alkenes and perfluoroalkenes.

A method of fabricating an iridium-based electrode structure on a substrate, comprising:

• forming an iridium-based material on the substrate at an elevated substrate temperature;
• lithographically patterning the deposited iridium-based material on the substrate to a desired electrode pattern using a resist applied to the substrate and lithographically developed thereon;
• contacting the deposited iridium-based material with an etching reagent comprising XeF.sub.2,
• for sufficient time and under sufficient conditions to etch the deposited iridium-based material and form the etched iridium-based electrode structure.