Patent ID: 7053003

Claim:
A method for etching a feature in an etch layer through a photoresist mask over a substrate, comprising: placing a substrate with an etch layer disposed below a photoresist mask in a process chamber; conditioning the photoresist mask, comprising: providing a conditioning gas comprising a hydrogen containing gas with a flow rate and at least one of a fluorocarbon and a hydrofluorocarbon with a flow rate to the process chamber; energizing the conditioning gas to form the conditioning plasma; ramping the conditioning gas so that a ratio of the flow rate of the hydrogen containing gas and the flow rate of the at least one of the fluorocarbon and hydrofluorocarbon is ramped down; and stopping the conditioning plasma; providing an etch plasma to the process chamber, wherein the etch plasma is different than the conditioning plasma; and etching a feature in the etch layer with the etch plasma.