NEW PHOTODEFINABLE GLASS ETCH MASKS FOR ENTIRELY DRY PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY - PLASMA DEPOSITED ORGANOSILICON HYDRIDE POLYMERS

The low energy plasma induced dehydrogenative polymerization of various monosubstituted silanes (RSiH3) is shown to provide photosensitive films characterized as organosilicon hydride network materials with extensive Si-Si bonding. Plasma deposited films may be photo-oxidatively patterned with mid-deep ultraviolet light producing glasslike Si-O-Si crosslinked materials in exposed areas. Patterns can be developed by chlorine reactive ion etching with up to 5:1 selectivity, and transferred into underlying organic layers with > 50:1 selectivity and sub-half-micron resolution. This provides a versatile, completely dry photolithographic process useful with current exposure and etching tools and is well-suited for integration into cluster tool technologies.