Method for etching organic hardmasks
AssigneeNovellus Systems, Inc.
InventorWesley P. Graff
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of etching or removing an amorphous carbon organic hardmask overlying a low dielectric constant film in a lithographic process. The method includes providing a dielectric film having thereover an amorphous carbon organic hardmask to be removed, the dielectric film having a dielectric constant no greater than about 4.0, introducing over the amorphous carbon organic hardmask an ionizable gas comprising a mixture of hydrogen and an oxidizing gas, and applying energy to the mixture to create a plasma of the mixture. The method further includes contacting the amorphous carbon organic hardmask with the plasma, with the amorphous carbon organic hardmask being at a temperature in excess of 200° C., to remove the amorphous carbon organic hardmask without substantially harming the underlying substrate.
Claims8
A method of etching or removing an amorphous carbon organic hardmask comprising:
- providing a semiconductor wafer substrate comprising an exposed low-k dielectric and having thereover an amorphous carbon organic hardmask to be removed;
- introducing over the substrate and amorphous carbon organic hardmask an ionizable gas comprising a mixture of hydrogen and an oxidizing gas;
- applying energy to the mixture to create a plasma of the mixture;
- and
- contacting the amorphous carbon organic hardmask with the plasma, wherein the substrate and amorphous carbon organic hardmask are at a temperature in excess of 200° C., to remove at least a portion of the amorphous carbon organic hardmask and exposing the substrate without substantially harming the underlying substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.