Abstract: A novel, in-situ plasma treatment method for eliminating or reducing striations caused by standing waves in a photoresist mask, is disclosed. The method includes providing a photoresist mask on a BARC (bottom anti-reflective coating) layer that is deposited on a feature layer to be etched, etching the BARC layer and the underlying feature layer according to the pattern defined by the photoresist mask, and subjecting the photoresist mask to a typically argon or hydrogen bromide plasma before, after, or both before and after etching of the BARC layer prior to etching of the feature layer. Preferably, the photoresist mask is subjected to the plasma both before and after etching of the BARC layer.

Abstract: A novel, in-situ plasma treatment method for eliminating or reducing striations caused by standing waves in a photoresist mask, is disclosed. The method includes providing a photoresist mask on a BARC (bottom anti-reflective coating) layer that is deposited on a feature layer to be etched, etching the BARC layer and the underlying feature layer according to the pattern defined by the photoresist mask, and subjecting the photoresist mask to a typically argon or hydrogen bromide plasma before, after, or both before and after etching of the BARC layer prior to etching of the feature layer. Preferably, the photoresist mask is subjected to the plasma both before and after etching of the BARC layer.

Abstract: A method for compensating for CD variations across a semiconductor process wafer surface in a plasma etching process including providing a semiconductor wafer having a process surface including photolithographically developed features imaged from a photomask; determining a first dimensional variation of the features with respect to corresponding photomask dimensions along at least one wafer surface direction to determine a first levelness of the process surface; determining gas flow parameters in a plasma reactor for a plasma etching process required to approach a level process surface by reference to an archive of previous plasma etching process parameters carried out in the plasma reactor; carrying out the plasma etching process in the plasma rector according to the determined gas flow parameters; and, determining a second dimensional variation of the features along the at least one wafer surface direction to determine a second levelness of the process surface.

Abstract: A method for compensating for CD variations across a semiconductor process wafer surface in a plasma etching process including providing a semiconductor wafer having a process surface including photolithographically developed features imaged from a photomask; determining a first dimensional variation of the features with respect to corresponding photomask dimensions along at least one wafer surface direction to determine a first levelness of the process surface; determining gas flow parameters in a plasma reactor for a plasma etching process required to approach a level process surface by reference to an archive of previous plasma etching process parameters carried out in the plasma reactor; carrying out the plasma etching process in the plasma rector according to the determined gas flow parameters; and, determining a second dimensional variation of the features along the at least one wafer surface direction to determine a second levelness of the process surface.