Patent ID: 6177353
Filing Date: 2001-01-23
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
A photoresist-less method for reducing polymer deposition on vertical surfaces of metal lines etched from a metallization layer disposed above a substrate employing a hard mask, comprising:a) forming a hard mask layer above said metallization layer;b) providing a photoresist organic mask that contains patterns of metal lines transferable to a metal layer above said hard mask layer;c) employing said photoresist organic mask to to etch through said hard mask to transfer a pattern onto the hard mask layer, thereby forming a hard mask;d) removing said photoresist organic mask;e) and performing a plasma-enhanced metallization etch employing said hard mask and an etchant source gas that includes Cl.sub.2 and at least one passivation-forming chemical selected from the group consisting of HCl, CH.sub.4, N.sub.2 and mixtures thereof; said plasma-enhanced metallization etch being performed without employing photoresist to reduce said polymer deposition during said plasma-enhanced metallization etch.