Use of amorphous carbon film as a hardmask in the fabrication of optical waveguides
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsLaurent Vandroux, Herve Monchoix
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods are provided for forming optical devices, such as waveguides, with minimal defect formation. In one aspect, the invention provides a method for forming a waveguide structure on a substrate surface including forming a cladding layer on the substrate surface, forming a core layer on the cladding layer, depositing an amorphous carbon hardmask on the core layer, forming a patterned photoresist layer on the amorphous carbon hardmask, etching the amorphous carbon hardmask, and etching the core material.
Claims22
A method for forming a waveguide structure on a substrate surface, comprising:
- forming a cladding layer on the substrate surface;
- forming a core layer on the cladding layer;
- depositing an amorphous carbon hardmask on the core layer, wherein depositing the amorphous carbon hardmask comprises introducing into a processing chamber one or more hydrocarbon compounds having the general formula CxHy, wherein x has a range of 2 to 4 and y has a range of 2 to 10, and generating a plasma of the one or more hydrocarbon compounds;
- forming a patterned photoresist layer on the amorphous carbon hardmask;
- etching exposed amorphous carbon hardmask;
- and
- etching the exposed core layer.
A method for forming a waveguide structure on a substrate surface, comprising:
- forming a first cladding layer on the substrate surface;
- forming a core layer on the first cladding layer;
- depositing an amorphous carbon hardmask on the core layer, wherein depositing the amorphous carbon hardmask comprises introducing into a processing chamber one or more hydrocarbon compounds having the general formula CxHy, wherein x has a range of 2 to 4 and y has a range of 2 to 10, and generating a plasma of the one or more hydrocarbon compounds;
- forming a patterned photoresist layer on the amorphous carbon hardmask;
- etching the amorphous carbon hardmask;
- etching the core layer;
- removing the amorphous carbon hardmask;
- and
- forming a second cladding layer over the core layer.
A method for forming a waveguide structure on a substrate surface, comprising:
- forming a cladding layer on the substrate surface;
- forming a core layer on the cladding layer;
- depositing an amorphous carbon hardmask on the core layer;
- forming a patterned photoresist layer on the amorphous carbon hardmask;
- etching exposed amorphous carbon hardmask:
- and
- etching exposed core layer, wherein the etch selectivity of amorphous carbon to the core layer is between about 1:8 and about 1:15.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.