Patent ID: 6955992

Claim:
A method of dry etching a PCMO stack, comprising: preparing a substrate; depositing a barrier layer; depositing a bottom electrode; depositing a PCMO thin film; depositing a top electrode; depositing a hard mask layer; applying photoresist and patterning; etching the hard mask layer; dry etching the top electrode; dry etching the PCMO layer in a multi-step etching process; wherein said dry etching the PCMO layer includes a two-step etching process, wherein the first etching step includes etching the PCMQ layer using a gas mixture of Ar, O 2 , and a gas taken from the group of gases consisting of Cl 2 , BCl 3 , CCl 4 , SiCl 4 , and a combination thereof, wherein the percentage of the oxygen is in range of between about 1% to 50%, in a preferred range of between about 5% to 30% the percentage of Ar is in a range of between about 5% to 80%, and in preferred range of between about 40% to 80%; and wherein the remaining gas component consists of a Cl-containing gas, and which further includes providing a gas flow rate of between about 20 sccm to 100 sccm, and a preferred flow rate of between about 40 sccm to 70 sccm; at a pressure of between about 1 mTorr and 50 mTorr, and a preferred pressure of between about 3 mTorr to 10 mTorr at a microwave power of between about 400 W to 1000 W, and a substrate RF bias power is between about 10 W to 1000 W; and at a substrate temperature of between about −50° C. to 500° C.; and wherein the second PCMO etching step includes etching the PCMO layer using a gas mixture consisting Ar and O 2 , wherein the percentage of the oxygen is in a range of between about 1% to 50%, in a preferred range of between about 5% to 30%; and the percentage of Ar is in a range of between about 5% to 80%, and in a preferred range of between about 40% to 80%; and which further includes providing a gas flow rate of between about 20 sccm to 100 sccm, and a preferred flow rate of between about 40 sccm to 70 sccm; at a pressure of between about 1 mTorr and 50 mTorr, and a preferred pressure of between about 3 mTorr to 10 mTorr; at a microwave power of between about 400 W to 1000 W, and a substrate RF bias power is between about 10 W to 1000 W; and at a substrate temperature of between about −50° C. to 500°°C.; dry etching the bottom electrode; and completing the PCMO-based device.