Abstract: Apparatus and method for forming a microfabricated cantilever with a single crystal, integral silicon tip on a nitride cantilever. A nitride-silicon-nitride sandwich structure is patterned and etched to form a cantilever structure, exposing sidewall portions of the silicon layer. The exposed sidewall portions of the silicon layer are oxidized to form oxide sidewalls. The top nitride layer is removed and the silicon layer is anisotropically etched and removed except fo a tetrahedral silicon tip formed on the rear nitride layer. The tetrahedral silicon tip has one exterior surface bounded by a (111) plane with two additional exterior surfaces bounded by the oxide sidewall. The oxide sidewall is removed to provide a tetrahedral silicon tip at the free end of the nitride cantilever. Alternative cantilever materials such as polysilicon and deposited oxide can be substituted for nitride.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises the steps of preparing a body having an insulating layer formed on a silicon substrate, an Al-Si-Cu alloy film formed on the insulating layer and an organic layer mask pattern formed on the alloy film, selectively etching a portion of the alloy film by a reactive ion etching with the mask pattern as a mask, and foreign film being left as a foreign material on a side wall of the alloy film at the step of the selective etching, the foreign material containing constituents of the treating layer and/or the underlying layer, heat-treating the body in an atmosphere containing at least oxygen and ashing the mask pattern while making the foreign film porous, the exposing, subsequent to the heat-treating step, the body to an etching step by an etching solution containing phosphoric acid and hydrofluoric acid.

Abstract: A process for creating a metal etch mask from either cobalt, nickel, palladium, iron or copper which may be utilized for halogen-plasma excavation of deep trenches. The process begins by creating a thin isolation layer of either silicon nitride or silicon dioxide on top of the layer to be trenched. A thin layer of one of the metals selected from the aforementioned list of five is then created on top of the isolation layer. A layer of polysilicon is then blanket deposited on top of the refractory metal layer. Photoresist masking is then performed as though the photoresist were the actual pattern for the trench etch. Exposed portions of the polysilicon layer are then etched away with an anisotropic etch. Following a photoresist strip, the substrate and overlying layers are subjected to an elevated temperature step, which causes the polysilicon to react with the underlying metal layer to form metal silicide. In substrate regions where no polysilicon overlies the metal layer, no silicide is formed.