Chemical-mechanical etch (CME) method for patterned etching of a substrate surface
US6417109B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 26, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jul 9, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 31, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/30625
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Chemical-mechanical processing of a patterned substrate selectively etches patterned portions of the substrate surface, producing deep narrow features with a rapid etch rate. This chemical-mechanical processing is termed chemical-mechanical etching and produces a result that is substantially the opposite of the planarization that is achieved by conventional chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP). A chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) technique which is widely used for planarization of surfaces is converted for usage as an etching technique, a chemical-mechanical etching (CME) technique, by forming a patterned mask on the substrate surface prior to mechanical polishing. The usage of chemical-mechanical polishing techniques in this manner yields an etching method with properties including a rapid etch rate, a highly controllable etch rate, a highly controllable etch depth, and a greatly selective etch directionality. A coating that inhibits the removal of the substrate material protects selectively patterned areas of a substrate, thereby creating a recess in substrate areas that are not protected by the coating.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.