Patent · US Expired

Making coplanar layers of thin films

US4035276A · kind A · utility

11Cited by
4References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 29, 1976
Grant dateJul 12, 1977
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 29, 1996

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T428/24777
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for forming coplanar thin films, particularly conductor-insulator patterns, on a substrate. A pattern which includes a first thin film and an expendable material deposited thereon is formed on the substrate. The expendable material is selected so that it can be selectively removed by an etchant which does not attack the first thin film or an insulator which is to be deposited. The second thin film is deposited by RF sputtering at a bias which is sufficiently high to cause substantial reemission of the second film. This results in the covering of the exposed substrate surfaces and the upper surface of the material with the second film but leaving the side surfaces of the material exposed. The expendable material is then chemically etched so as to lift-off both the material and the second film deposited thereon, thereby leaving a coplanar pattern of first and second thin films. In the preferred embodiment, the first thin film is a conductor and the RF sputtered second thin film is an insulator such as glass. Alternatively, the first thin film could be the insulator with the RF sputtered second film being the conductor, or both thin films could be dissimilar metals or insulat…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.