Abstract
In this study, we investigated the etching characteristics and mechanism of an amorphous carbon (a-C) layer for a multi-level resist (MLR) structure. Chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) a-C layers with a SiO2 hard-mask were etched in an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etcher by varying the process parameters such as top electrode power, bottom electrode power, and gas flow ratio in N2/O2/Ar plasmas. The etch rate and profile angle of the CVD a-C thin films were decreased with increasing N2 flow ratio in the N2/O2/Ar plasmas. As the N2 flow ratio increased, the etch rate and the profile angle were reduced due to the enhanced formation of CNx on the etched surface. The etch rate of the CVD a-C thin films was increased with increasing the top and bottom electrode powers.
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