Patent ID: 6921493

Claim:
A method of processing a substrate comprising: placing a substrate having a pattern in a processing chamber, the pattern defining interconnections on the substrate; providing a plasma within the processing chamber, the plasma comprising the combination of boron trichloride, chlorine, fluoroform and nitrogen gases, using the plasma to etch a film exposed on the substrate; removing the substrate from the processing chamber; placing the substrate in a second chamber; and processing the substrate in the second chamber under process conditions comprising; a first step that provides processing at conditions comprising: a pressure of about 7000 milliTorr (mT) to about 9000 mT; oxygen gas levels from about 1500 to about 3000 standard cubic centimeters (sccm); and water vapor levels from about 1000 to about 2000 sccm; a second step that provides processing at conditions comprising: a pressure of about 2000 milliTorr (mT) to about 4000 mT; and water vapor levels from about 1000 to about 2000 sccm; and a third passivation step that provides processing at conditions comprising: a pressure of about 2000 milliTorr (mT) to about 4000 mT; a plasma-comprising: a level of power about 2000 watts from one of an inductive source and a microwave source capable of producing an amount of chemical disassociation; oxygen gas levels from about 1500 to about 3000 standard cubic centimeters (sccm); and water vapor levels from about 1000 to about 2500 sccm.