Comparison of etching tools for resist pattern transfer

Several etching tools are evaluated for the oxygen-based plasma pattern transfer step in surface imaging and multilayer resist processes. These tools include a conventional parallel-plate reactive ion etcher, a magnetically enhanced reactive ion etcher, an electron cyclotron resonance reactor, and an rf helical resonator (Helicon) reactor. The performance of each tool is examined with respect to etch rate, etch profile, selectivity between the imaging layer and the pattern transfer layer, etch uniformity, etching residue, linewidth uniformity, and process latitude.