Ex Parte Signorini - Page 4

                Appeal 2007-1097                                                                             
                Application 10/230,593                                                                       
           1          According to the Appellant’s specification, the dry plasma etchant is a                
           2    CO2 compound either alone or in combination with at least one other gas,                     
           3    such as NH3, H2, Ar, N2, He, or inert gases.  Specification 11:1-4.                          
           4          The Appellant discloses that the CO2 etchant has several advantages,                   
           5    including greater control of the etch rate and greater selectivity.                          
           6    Specification 11:6-19.                                                                       
           7                2.     Claims on appeal                                                          
           8          The Application contains four independent claims, claims 1, 11,                        
           9    20, and 23.  Claim 1 is representative of the subject matter on appeal:                      
          10                A method for patterning an organic bottom anti-reflectant                        
          11          coating layer over a semiconductor substrate, the method                               
          12          comprising the act of:                                                                 
          13                using a dry etch plasma process, the dry etch plasma                             
          14          process consisting of CO2 in combination with only one of an                           
          15          inert gas, NH3, H2, Ar, N2 or He to pattern the organic bottom                         
          16          anti-reflectant coating layer.                                                         
          17                                                                                                 
          18                3.     Gupta                                                                     
          19          The invention disclosed in Gupta enables the removal of an organic                     
          20    ARC layer which is exposed after patterning a photoresist layer.  Gupta                      
          21    4:34-37.                                                                                     
          22          A magnetically-enhanced reactive ion etch (MERIE) system is                            
          23    employed to remove the ARC layer.  Gupta 7:5-7.                                              
          24          A plasma etchant is introduced into the MERIE system to etch the                       
          25    layer of ARC.  Gupta 7:16-18.                                                                
          26          The plasma etchant includes an oxygen plasma.  Gupta 7:18-19.                          
          27          An “oxygen plasma” means a plasma comprising oxygen species,                           
          28    such as O2+ and O+, derived from a source of oxygen, such as O2, NO, N2O,                    
          29    NO2, CO, and CO2.  Gupta 7:21-24.                                                            

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