Patent ID: 7767386

Claim:
A method of patterning a thin film on a substrate, comprising: preparing a film stack on said substrate, said film stack comprising said thin film formed on said substrate, a developable organic planarization layer (OPL) on said thin film, a developable anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer formed on said developable OPL, and a layer of photo-resist formed on said developable ARC layer; imaging said layer of photo-resist, said developable ARC layer and said developable OPL with an image pattern, wherein said imaging said developable OPL comprises partially imaging said developable OPL to a depth less than a thickness of said developable OPL; developing said layer of photo-resist, said developable ARC layer and said developable OPL to said depth without exposing said thin film, to form said image pattern through said layer of photo-resist, through said developable ARC layer and partially into said developable OPL, and completing a transfer of said image pattern by performing an etching process to extend said image pattern from said depth in said developable OPL through the thickness of said developable OPL to expose said thin film.