US5679269A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Diamond-like carbon for use in VLSI and ULSI interconnect systems
Assignee: Mann and Hummel GmbH
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Filing: 1996-04-12
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Granted: 1997-10-21
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Expires: 2016-04-12
Abstract
Abstract The present invention relates to semiconductor devices comprising as one of their structural components diamond-like carbon as an insulator for spacing apart one or more levels of a conductor on an integrated circuit chip. The present invention also relates to a method for forming an integrated structure and to the integrated structure produced therefrom. The present invention further provides a method for selectively ion etching a diamond-like carbon layer from a substrate containing such a layer.
Inventors
- 👤 Stephan Alan Cohen
- 👤 Daniel Charles Edelstein
- 👤 Alfred Grill
- 👤 Jurij Rostyslav Paraszczak
- 👤 Vishnubhai Vitthalbhai Patel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 23:12
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/60; H10P14/68; H10P14/683; H10P14/687; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/40; H10W20/45; H10W20/48; H10P14/63; H10P14/6326; H10P14/6328; H10P14/6334; H10P14/6336; H10P14/69; H10P14/6902
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
86 words
A method for forming patterns in SiO 2 comprising the steps of: selecting a substrate having an upper surface; forming a layer of diamond-like carbon material over said upper surface of said substrate; forming a layer of SiO 2 over said material; forming a patterned layer over said SiO 2 layer; introducing a gas containing fluorine; reactive ion etching said SiO 2 layer where exposed through said patterned layer; and terminating said reactive ion etching step prior to etching through said layer of diamond-like carbon material.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
86 words
A method for forming patterns in SiO 2 comprising the steps of: selecting a substrate having an upper surface; forming a layer of diamond-like carbon material over said upper surface of said substrate; forming a layer of SiO 2 over said material; forming a patterned layer over said SiO 2 layer; introducing a gas containing fluorine; reactive ion etching said SiO 2 layer where exposed through said patterned layer; and terminating said reactive ion etching step prior to etching through said layer of diamond-like carbon material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said gas containing fluorine includes CF 4 .
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said diamond-like carbon material is selected from the group consisting of hydrogenated amorphous carbon, amorphous carbon, amorphous diamond, fluorinated hydrogenated amorphous carbon and fluorinated amorphous diamond.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for selectively etching diamond-like carbon comprising the steps of: selecting a substrate having an upper surface; forming a first layer of diamond-like carbon doped with v atomic % of Si or Ge on said upper surface of said substrate, wherein v is from about 0.1 to about 25; forming a second layer of diamond-like carbon over said first layer; forming a patterned layer over said second layer; introducing gas containing O 2 ; reactive ion etching said second layer where exposed through said patterned layer; and terminating said reactive ion etching step prior to etching through said first layer.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for selectively etching diamond-like carbon comprising the steps of: selecting a substrate having an upper surface; forming a first layer of diamond-like carbon doped with v atomic % of Si or Ge on said upper surface of said substrate, wherein v is from about 0.1 to about 25; forming a second layer of diamond-like carbon over said first layer; forming a patterned layer over said second layer; introducing gas containing O 2 ; reactive ion etching said second layer where exposed through said patterned layer; and terminating said reactive ion etching step prior to etching through said first layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 4 wherein v is from about 5 to about 15.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-10-20 | 2001-04-21 | 2001-10-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-10-20 | 2005-04-21 | 2005-10-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-10-20 | 2009-04-21 | 2009-10-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |