Patent ID: 7112533

Claim:
A method of plasma etching a semiconductor device, the method comprising: positioning a semiconductor device in a chamber; plasma etching the semiconductor device so as to form an opening in an exposed region of the semiconductor device, wherein the plasma etching includes providing a voltage waveform having a peak to peak amplitude at a first level to the chamber so as to generate a plasma into a selected state; and dissipating both positive and negative charge accumulated on the semiconductor device while plasma etching the semiconductor device by periodically applying an increased positive and negative amplitude voltage waveform having a selected increased peak to peak amplitude that is greater than the peak to peak amplitude of the voltage waveform to the chamber during the plasma etching process, wherein the peak to peak amplitude of the voltage waveform is maintained substantially at the first level when the increased positive and negative amplitude voltage waveform is not being applied, and wherein the first level and increased values of the peak to peak amplitude are selected so as to substantially maintain generation of the plasma into the selected state.