Patent ID: 8658050

Claim:
A method for pattern transfer into an inorganic substrate, comprising the steps of: providing the inorganic substrate; spin-coating an organic planarizing layer onto the inorganic substrate; baking the organic planarizing layer; depositing a hardmask onto the organic planarizing layer; spin-coating a photoresist layer onto the hardmask; patterning the photoresist layer to form a patterned photoresist layer; etching the hardmask through the patterned photoresist layer using reactive ion etching to form an etched hardmask; etching the organic planarizing layer through the etched hardmask using reactive ion etching to form an etched organic planarizing layer, wherein the patterned photoresist layer is removed during the etching of the organic planarizing layer; performing a high-temperature anneal in the absence of oxygen at a temperature of from about 350° C. to about 500° C.; and etching the inorganic substrate through the etched organic planarizing layer using reactive ion etching, wherein the etched hardmask is removed during the etching of the inorganic substrate, and wherein the high-temperature anneal is performed after the organic planarizing layer has been etched through the etched hardmask but prior to the inorganic substrate being etched through the etched organic planarizing layer.