Protective layer, useful for protecting complementary metal oxide semiconductor circuits during wet alkali etching of micromechanical silicon elements, comprises a plasma deposited carbon-containing layer or plasma treated photoresist layer

摘要

A (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) CMOS compatible protective layer, obtained by plasma deposition of a carbon-containing layer or by plasma treatment of a photoresist layer, is new. An Independent claim is also included for production of the above protective layer by (i) treating a photoresist layer with a halocarbon-containing plasma; (ii) depositing a hydrogen-containing amorphous carbon layer from a halocarbon plasma; or (iii) sputter depositing an amorphous carbon, hydrogen-containing amorphous carbon or nitrogen-containing amorphous carbon layer. Preferred Features: The protective layer is 100-2000 nm thick. The photoresist treatment plasma contains a sulfur halide and the deposition plasma contains up to 50 vol.% halocarbon, especially a fluorocarbon.