Etching of chromium layers on photomasks utilizing high density plasma and low frequency RF bias

A method for etching a photolithographic quartz substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic quartz substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying an RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber;
• and
• etching the photolithographic quartz substrate.

A method for etching a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber, the photolithographic substrate comprises an optically transparent material;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying an RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber;
• and
• etching the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying a modulated RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber;
• and
• etching the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying a pulsing RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber;
• and
• etching the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying a pulsing RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber, the duty cycle of the pulsed waveform is less than about 50%;
• and
• etching the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying a modulated RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber, the modulated RF bias waveform has a modulation period of less than about 10 ms;
• and
• etching the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying a modulated RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber, the RF bias waveform is amplitude modulated;
• and
• etching the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying a modulated RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber, the RF bias waveform is frequency modulated;
• and
• etching the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching chromium containing material on a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying an RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber;
• and
• etching the chromium containing material from the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching a material containing a refractory metal on a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying an RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber;
• and
• etching the refractory metal from the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching silicon containing material on a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying an RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber;
• and
• etching the silicon containing material from the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching at least one material on a photolithographic substrate having a patterned masking layer comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying an RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber;
• and
• etching at least one material from the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching at least one material on a photolithographic substrate having a patterned photoresist masking layer comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying an RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber;
• and
• etching at least one material from the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching at least one material on a photolithographic substrate having a masking layer containing a metal comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying an RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber;
• and
• etching at least one material from the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching at least one material on a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying a modulated RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber;
• and
• etching at least one material from the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching at least one material on a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying a pulsing RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber;
• and
• etching at least one material from the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching at least one material on a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying a pulsing RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber, the duty cycle of the pulsed waveform is less than about 50%;
• and
• etching at least one material from the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching at least one material on a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying a modulated RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber, the modulated RF bias waveform has a modulation period of less than about 10 ms;
• and
• etching at least one material from the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching at least one material on a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying a modulated RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber, the RF bias waveform is amplitude modulated;
• and
• etching at least one material from the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching at least one material on a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying a modulated RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber, the RF bias waveform is frequency modulated;
• and
• etching at least one material from the photolithographic substrate.

An apparatus for processing a photolithographic substrate comprising:

• a vacuum chamber;
• at least one gas supply communicating with said vacuum chamber for providing at least one process gas to said vacuum chamber;
• a plasma generating source for generating a plasma in said vacuum chamber;
• an RF bias power source operating at an RF frequency at or below the ion transit a frequency of less than about 1 MHz, said RF bias power source coupled to the photolithographic substrate support;
• and
• an RF modulator for modulating the RF bias waveform.

A method for etching a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying a pulsed RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz the support member in the vacuum chamber;
• controlling the level of the RF bias;
• and etching the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying a modulated RF bias at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz to the support member in the vacuum chamber;
• controlling the level of the RF bias;
• and etching the photolithographic substrate.

A method for etching a photolithographic substrate comprising the steps of:

• placing the photolithographic substrate on a support member in a vacuum chamber;
• introducing at least one process gas into the vacuum chamber;
• generating a plasma;
• supplying an RF bias to the support member in the vacuum chamber, the applied RF bias is at a frequency of less than about 1 MHz;
• controlling the level of the RF bias;
• and
• etching the photolithographic substrate.