Abstract: An oscillator circuit includes a capacitor device, a current source for supplying a current to the capacitor device, a reference voltage, and a control circuit. The reference voltage is a first input to a comparator. An output of the capacitor device and an output of the current source are a second input to the comparator. The control circuit resets the oscillator circuit when the first and second inputs to the comparator are equal.

Abstract: A damascene method of forming conductive lines in an integrated circuit chip. Trenches are etched by a plasma formed by capacitively coupling a gas mixture at 500 to 3000 watts under a pressure of 50-400 mTorr. The gas mixture includes 2-30 sccm of C4F8, 20-80 sccm of CO, 2-30 sccm of O2 and 50-400 sccm of Ar. Gas flow can be adjusted to an optimum level, thereby achieving a high degree of uniformity. Wafers falling below a selected uniformity may be reworked. A damascene wiring layer formed in the trenches with an acceptable flow exhibit a high degree of sheet resistance uniformity and improved line to line shorts yield.