Abstract: A method of forming an insulating layer having a planar surf on a lower wiring layer having given patterns steps at the shoulders of the patterns. On a lower wiring layer, a lower insulating layer is formed and a heat resistive material is coated over the lower insulative layer to form a substantially a planar top surface and to fill cavities appearing in the surface of the lower insulating layer with the material. Then, etching is carried out to preserve the profile of the surface of the coating layer and to remove the coating layer at portions where through-holes are to be formed. Any cavities in the surface of the lower insulating layer remain filled with the material after etching. An upper insulating layer is deposited on the exposed lower insulating layer and the remaining part of the coating layer.

Abstract: In the fabrication of an aluminum or aluminum alloy wiring layer on a semiconductor device by dry etching using a gas containing chlorine species, a plasma exposure step inserted into the dry etching process in order to avoid the problems due to using a chlorine radical etchant. One half thickness of the aluminum layer, which is selectively masked by a resist mask film, on a semiconductor substrate is etched by a reactive ion etching technique using an etchant gas composed of CCl.sub.4 +BCl.sub.3, and then exposed to a plasma of a gas composed of CF.sub.4 +O.sub.2 generated by RF power. After the plasma exposure, the remaining thickness of the aluminum film is etched off under the same conditions as in the preceeding reactive ion etching. As the result, the amount of side etching is reduced to one half that of the case without the plasma exposure step, and corrosion originating from aluminum chlorides, products of the reactive ion etching, is eliminated.

Abstract: An etching method for fabricating a contact hole in an insulating layer between multi-layered wiring layers of a semiconductor device. Etching is performed by chemical dry etching, in which the plasma of the etchant gas is formed in a separate chamber and fed to the etching chamber. The substrate is covered with a photo resist mask which includes a pattern hole and is heated, from the side opposite the mask, up to a softening temperature of the photo resist. The edge of the photo resist mask surrounding the pattern hole gradually rolls up as side etching proceeds under the edge of the photo resist mask with the result that the side walls of the contact hole are tapered. Consequently, the subsequently formed wiring layer formed thereon has good step coverage over the side walls of the contact hole, so that discontinuities and breakage of the wiring layer is prevented and the reliability and yield of the manufacturing process are improved.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a multi-layer structure comprises the steps of patterning in accordance with a predetermined pattern a thin film of photoresist formed on a film to be etched which has been formed on a semiconductor substrate, etching the film to be etched partly by an isotropic etching using said patterned film as a mask, completing the etching by an anisotropic etching in the direction of its depth, resulting in tapered or inclined sides on the etched film. The isotropic and anisotropic etchings may be carried out in the same apparatus by changing the reactive gases used in these etchings and/or the conditions of each etching, such as the amount of gas, the gas pressure and the applied radio frequency power.

Abstract: A process for dry etching an aluminum film or an aluminum based film in the production of a semiconductor device, wherein a mixed gas of carbon chloride and boron chloride is used as the etchant gas.