Abstract: A plasma CVD reactor and associated process use magnetic field enhancement to provide high quality, very high deposition rate metal, dielectric and conformal semiconductor films. The reacter and process are designed for automated, high-throughout, in-line small dimension VLSI integrated circuit fabrication, and are applicable to multistep in-situ processing.

Abstract: A two-step photoresist capping process for enhancing the etch resistance of photoresist during chlorinated plasma etching of silicon-containing materials comprises exposing the photoresist to a chlorinated plasma to form a silicon-chlorine containing material on the photoresist, and then exposing the resulting layer to an oxidizing plasma containing a chlorine etching species to selectivity oxidize the capping layer.

Abstract: A method for etching a layer of aluminum or aluminum alloy on a semiconductor wafer using the steps:disposing the wafer on one of a pair of electrode structures in a closed chamber;communicating into the chamber a reactive gas mixture comprising a principal gas mixture of BCl.sub.3 and Cl.sub.2 and a dopant gas of oxygen and fluorocarbon gas; andsupplying radio frequency electrical energy to one of the electrode structures to create a plasma of the reactive gas mixture for etching the aluminum layer.

Abstract: In a chlorine plasma, reactive sputter etching of monocrystalline silicon, undoped polycrystalline silicon or doped polycrystalline silicon is achieved. The etching processes are substantially free of any loading effects and are characterized by high resolution, excellent uniformity and high selectivity with respect to, for example, silicon dioxide. For silicon and undoped polysilicon, the edge profile of the etched material is anisotropic. For doped polysilicon, the edge profile can be controlled to occur anywhere in the range from completely isotropic to completely anisotropic.

Abstract: A method for etching a layer of inorganic insulating material formed on a semiconductor wafer and containing silicon as the principal metallic element. The method involves disposing a wafer on one of a pair of electrode structures in a closed chamber. A reactive gas mixture comprising principally a fluorocarbon gas doped with a preselected quantity of carbon dioxide is supplied to the chamber.Radio frequency electrical energy is supplied to one of the electrode structures to create a plasma of the reactive gas mixture for chemically attacking the insulating material.

Abstract: In a VLSI device fabrication process, erosion of a patterned resist layer (16, 18) during dry etching of an underlying layer (14) can significantly limit the high-resolution patterning capabilities of the process. As described herein, a protective polymer layer (60, 62) is formed and maintained only on the resist material (16, 18) while the underlying layer (14) is being etched. High etch selectivities are thereby achieved. As a consequence, very thin resist layers can be utilized in the fabrication process and very-high-resolution patterning for VLSI devices is thereby made feasible.

Abstract: By utilizing a fluorine-containing gaseous compound in a plasma etching process, isotropic etching of monocrystalline silicon (48) and doped or undoped polycrystalline silicon (54) is achieved. The etching processes, which are applicable, for example, to pattern delineation in the processing of semiconductor wafers, are substantially free of any proximity effects and are characterized by a high etching rate at relatively low power levels, high selectivity (with respect to, for example, silicon dioxide) and excellent uniformity. By mixing other gases (for example, chlorine) with the fluorine-containing gas, the amount of undercutting achieved during the etching process can be selectively controlled.

Abstract: Integrated circuit fabrication, e.g., silicon LSI is expedited by plasma etching in any of a novel class of etchants. Appropriate plasma environments are produced by introduction of halide-halogen combinations as exemplified by BCl.sub.3 -Cl.sub.2.

Abstract: The discovery that boron nitride and boron carbide films can be made in tension allows nondistorting radiation windows or masks to be realized. Both low and high pressure techniques for making the tensile films lead to related mask structures utilizing such films. The resulting structures are sufficiently distortion free to be useful for x-ray lithography.