Process and material for manufacturing semiconductor devices

Claim 2

fluorine atoms to produce as an intermediate a low order oxide. 3. A process as in claim 2 wherein the reaction temperature is within the range

Claim 3

of 25 to 300 degrees centigrade. 4. A process as in claim 2 wherein said

Claim 4

halocarbon gas includes at least one hydrogen atom. 5. A process as in claim 2 wherein said halocarbon and said oxygen are supplied to a reactor

Claim 5

from separate sources. 6. A process as in claim 2 wherein said halocarbon and said oxygen are supplied to a reactor from a common premixed source.

Claim 6

A process as in claim 6 wherein said gaseous binary mixture contains 8.5 percent oxygen and 91.5 percent tetrafluoromethane by volume, said mixture being supplied to said reactor at a total flow rate within the range of 9 to 55 micromoles per second corresponding total pressures of 220 to 850 microns mercury, and having RF energy coupled to said mixture within the range of 20 to 400 watts. .[.8. A composition of matter, useful for chemically converting material in a plasma environment, consisting essentially of a binary gaseous mixture of oxygen and a halocarbon having no more than two carbon atoms per molecule, wherein at least one carbon atom in said molecule is linked to a predominance of fluorine atoms..].

Claim 7

A composition of matter, useful in a process for .Iadd.chemically .Iaddend.etching .Iadd.a silicon containing .Iaddend.material in the presence of an organic etch mask by forming fluorine-based and oxyfluoride-based compounds volatile in a low pressure-low temperature plasma, consisting essentially of a binary gaseous mixture of oxygen and tetrafluoromethane wherein said mixture contains 1 to 25 percent oxygen by volume. .[.10. A composition of matter, useful in a process for etching material in the absence of an organic etch mask by forming fluorine-based and oxyfluoride-based compounds volatile in a low pressure-low temperature plasma, consisting essentially of a binary gaseous mixture of oxygen and tetrafluoromethane wherein said mixture contains 1 to 75 percent oxygen by volume..]. .[.11. A composition of matter, useful in a process for etching material in the presence of a metal etch mask by forming fluorine-based and oxyfluoride-based compounds volatile in a low pressure-low temperature plasma, consisting essentially of a binary gaseous mixture of oxygen and tetrafluoromethane wherein said mixture contains 1 to 75 percent oxygen by

Claim 8

volume..]. 12. A composition of matter, useful in a process for .Iadd.etching silicon oxide in the presence of photoresist in .Iaddend.manufacturing semiconductors, comprising a binary gaseous mixture of oxygen and tetrafluoromethane, said oxygen containing 8.5 percent of the mixture by volume. .Iadd. 13. A process for chemically etching solid material in a plasma environment, comprising the step of: exposing the material to a gaseous plasma at a pressure of at least 220 microns formed from a binary mixture consisting essentially of oxygen and a halocarbon having no more than two carbon atoms per molecule, wherein at least one carbon atom in said molecule is linked to a predominance of fluorine atoms to produce as an intermediate low order oxides. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 14. A process for chemically etching solid material in a plasma environment, comprising the step of: exposing the material to a gaseous plasma formed in an RF field from a binary mixture consisting essentially of oxygen and a halocarbon having no more than two carbon atoms per molecule, wherein at least one carbon atom in said molecule is linked to a predominance of fluorine atoms to produce as an intermediate low order oxides. .Iaddend..Iadd. 15. A process for chemically etching solid material in a plasma environment, comprising the step of: exposing the material to a gaseous plasma formed from a binary mixture consisting essentially of oxygen and a halocarbon having no more than two carbon atoms per molecule, wherein at least one carbon atom in said molecule is linked to a predominance of fluorine atoms to produce as an intermediate low order oxides and wherein said mixture contains 1 to 25% oxygen by volume. .Iaddend.