Patent ID: 7105279

Claim:
A method for fabricating a patterned layer, which comprises the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate having a layer to be patterned; producing an N-containing dielectric antireflection layer on the layer to be patterned; producing an N-free SiO x layer on the N-containing dielectric antireflection layer, the N-free SiO x layer being formed by using a vapor phase deposition process, with SiH 4 and O 2 being used as starting gases, the Si content of the N-free SiO x layer being varied such that the N-free SiO x layer is slightly absorbent; producing a photoresist layer on the N-free SiO x layer; exposing the photoresist layer for imaging a predetermined structure on the photoresist layer; developing the photoresist layer for forming the photoresist layer in accordance with the predetermined structure imaged during the exposure resulting in a photoresist structure; and transferring the photoresist structure to the layer for patterning the layer.