Methods for etching an organic anti-reflective coating

A process for etching an organic anti-reflective coating on a base of a substrate, the process comprising steps of:

• placing the substrate on a pedestal in a processing chamber;
• introducing into the processing chamber an oxygen gas-free processing gas comprising one or more of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and sulfur oxide;
• and
• forming an oxygen gas-free plasma from the processing gas to etch the organic anti-reflective coating layer;
• wherein the processing gas further comprises a chlorine-based gas.

A process for etching an organic anti-reflective coating on a base of a substrate, the process comprising steps of:

• placing the substrate on a pedestal in a processing chamber;
• introducing into the processing chamber an oxygen gas-free processing gas comprising one or more of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and sulfur oxide;
• and
• forming an oxygen gas-free plasma from the processing gas to etch the organic anti-reflective coating layer;
• wherein the processing gas further comprises BCl3.

A process for etching an organic anti-reflective coating on a base of a substrate, the process comprising steps of:

• placing the substrate on a pedestal in a processing chamber;
• introducing into the processing chamber an oxygen gas-free processing gas comprising carbon monoxide one or more of and carbon dioxide, and sulfur oxide;
• and
• forming an oxygen gas-free plasma from the processing gas to etch the organic anti-reflective coating layer;
• wherein the step of forming a plasma comprises forming an inductively coupled plasma;
• wherein the step of forming an inductively coupled plasma includes applying an RF current to an inductive coil at a power level in a range from about 400 W to about 1000 W;
• which further comprises applying an RF bias current to the pedestal at a power level in a range from about 30 W to about 100 W;
• and
• which further comprises heating the pedestal to a temperature in a range from about 30° C. to about 50° C.;
• and
• wherein a flow rate of carbon monoxide for a chamber volume of around 19 to 20 liters is in a range from about 5 sccm to about 30 sccm.

A process for etching an organic anti-reflective coating that is deposited on a TiN antireflective coating, which, in turn, is deposited on an aluminum or aluminum alloy layer on a base of a substrate, the process comprising steps of:

• placing the substrate on a pedestal in a processing chamber;
• introducing into the processing chamber a processing gas which includes an etchant precursor consisting of one of:
• (a) carbon monoxide, (b) carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, (c) carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and sulfur oxide, (d) carbon monoxide and sulfur oxide, (e) carbon dioxide, and (f) carbon dioxide and sulfur oxide;
• and
• forming an oxygen gas-free plasma from the processing gas to etch the organic anti-reflective coating layer.