Patent · US Expired

Method of wet etching aluminum oxide to minimize undercutting

US5876614A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
7References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 18, 1997
Grant dateMar 2, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 18, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/0276
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The method of wet etching an aluminum oxide substrate deposits a thin layer of titanium film or chromium film on the aluminum oxide surface prior to the application of the photo-resist coating to form a barrier between the aluminum oxide and the photo-resist. This barrier layer inhibits the reaction between the aluminum oxide and the photo-resist during the photolithographic process. The undercutting of the aluminum oxide in the wet etching process is therefore controlled by the deposition of the barrier layer comprising the thin layer of titanium film or chromium film. The titanium film used is nominally 30 .ANG. thick to obtain the beneficial effects noted above while the chromium film would be approximately 1000 .ANG. thick.

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