Sputter deposition of hydrogenated amorphous carbon film and applications thereof
US5830332A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 9, 1997 |
| Grant date | Nov 3, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 9, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03F1/34
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method of reactive sputtering for depositing an amorphous hydrogenated carbon film (a-C:H) from an argon/hydrocarbon/hydrogen/oxygen plasma, preferably an Ar/acetylene-helium/hydrogen/oxygen plasma. Such films are optically transparent in the visible range and partially absorbing at ultraviolet (UV) and deep UV (DUV) wavelengths, in particular, 365, and 248, 193 nm. Moreover, the films produced by the present invention are amorphous, hard, scratch resistant, and etchable by excimer laser ablation or by oxygen reactive ion etch process. Because of these unique properties, these films can be used to form a patterned absorber for UV and DUV single layer attenuated phase shift masks. Film absorption can also be increased such that these films can be used to fabricate conventional photolithographic shadow masks.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.