Patent ID: 8334083

Claim:
A method of patterning a multi-layer mask, comprising: preparing a multi-layer mask on a substrate, said multi-layer mask including a lithographic layer and an intermediate mask layer underlying said lithographic layer, said intermediate mask layer comprising a carbon-containing compound; forming a pattern in said lithographic layer, wherein said pattern is characterized by an initial pattern critical dimension (CD); establishing an etch process recipe for transferring said pattern to said intermediate mask layer, said etch process recipe including one or more process conditions defined by one or more process parameters; establishing at least one parametric relationship between an intermediate pattern CD to be formed in said intermediate mask layer using said etch process recipe and at least one of said one or more process parameters, wherein said at least one parametric relationship provides a first process condition for increasing said initial pattern CD to said intermediate pattern CD and a second process condition for decreasing said initial pattern CD to said intermediate pattern CD; selecting a target process condition from said one or more process conditions using said at least one parametric relationship to achieve a target CD adjustment between said initial pattern CD and said intermediate pattern CD; and transferring said pattern from said lithographic layer to said intermediate mask layer using said target process condition with said etch process recipe, wherein said etch process recipe includes plasma formation using a process composition containing a bromine-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas, and an optional noble gas.