Plasma etching using polycarbonate mask and low-pressure high density plasma
AssigneeCandescent Technologies Corporation
InventorChungdee Pong
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Abstract
Provided is a method of etching an etch layer using a polycarbonate layer as a mask. The method includes placing an etch structure in a reaction chamber, the etch structure including an etch layer underlying a polycarbonate layer, the polycarbonate layer having apertures. The etch layer is then etched using a low-pressure high density plasma generate at a pressure in the range of approximately 1 to 30 millitorr where the ionized particle concentration is at least 1011 ions/cm3 and where the ionized particle concentration is substantially equal throughout the volume of the reaction chamber. To increase the etch rate, the etch structure can be cooled or biased. To decrease the etch rate, an inert gas can be added to the process gas mixture used to form the plasma.
Claims18
An etching method for fabricating a field emission display comprising:
- placing an etch structure at a room temperature into a first chamber, said etch structure including an etch layer and a polycarbonate layer through which apertures extend, said etch layer underlying said polycarbonate layer;
- transferring said etch structure from said first chamber into a reaction chamber and cooling said etch structure to a temperature below said room temperature and wherein selective etching of said etch structure is promoted;
- and
- selectively etching said etch layer through said apertures using a low-pressure high density plasma.
A method of forming a field emission display from an etch structure that comprises a polycarbonate layer having a multiplicity of apertures, a first electrically non-insulating (ENI) layer underlying said polycarbonate layer, an electrically insulating layer underlying said first ENI layer, and a second ENI layer underlying said electrically insulating layer, said method comprising:
- placing said etch structure at approximately room temperature into a first chamber;
- transferring said etch structure from said first chamber to a second chamber and cooling said etch structure to a temperature below said room temperature, wherein said temperature is conducive for selectively etching said etch structure;
- selectively etching said first ENI layer through said apertures using a low-pressure high density plasma to create corresponding openings in said first ENI layer;
- selectively etching said electrically insulating layer using said first ENI layer as a mask to form corresponding dielectric open spaces;
- and
- forming electron-emissive elements in said dielectric open spaces, said electron-emissive elements coupled to said second ENI layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.