초록 ▼

The present invention relates to a method of reactive sputtering for depositing an amorphous hydrogenated carbon film (a-C:H) from an argon/hydrocarbon/hydrogen/oxygen plasma, preferably an Ar/acetylene-helium/hydrogen/oxygen plasma. Such films are optically transparent in the visible range and part

The present invention relates to a method of reactive sputtering for depositing an amorphous hydrogenated carbon film (a-C:H) from an argon/hydrocarbon/hydrogen/oxygen plasma, preferably an Ar/acetylene-helium/hydrogen/oxygen plasma. Such films are optically transparent in the visible range and partially absorbing at ultraviolet (UV) and deep UV (DUV) wavelengths, in particular, 365, and 248, 193 nm. Moreover, the films produced by the present invention are amorphous, hard, scratch resistant, and etchable by excimer laser ablation or by oxygen reactive ion etch process. Because of these unique properties, these films can be used to form a patterned absorber for UV and DUV single layer attenuated phase shift masks. Film absorption can also be increased such that these films can be used to fabricate conventional photolithographic shadow masks.

대표청구항 ▼

[ Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:] [1.] A method of forming a work piece by depositing an amorphous hydrogenated carbon film onto a substrate by reactive sputter deposition which comprises the steps of:providing a deposition chamb

[ Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:] [1.] A method of forming a work piece by depositing an amorphous hydrogenated carbon film onto a substrate by reactive sputter deposition which comprises the steps of:providing a deposition chamber containing an ion gun, said substrate, a graphite target outside said ion gun, and a pumping means to evacuate said chamber;introducing a precleaning gas containing an inert gas through the ion gun, producing an energetic flux of said precleaning gas in ionic form and using said precleaning gas to preclean said substrate;providing a process gas containing argon, hydrogen, and a reactant gas containing a hydrocarbon gas and helium gas;introducing said process gas into the chamber, applying a dc bias voltage to the graphite target and using argon as a sputtering gas to reactively sputter deposit an amorphous hydrogenated carbon film from said graphite target onto said substrate wherein:said argon is introduced into said chamber at a flow rate of from about 1 to about 100 sccm;said hydrogen is introduced into said chamber at a flow rate of from about 1 to about 10 sccm; andan oxygen placed into said chamber is introduced at a flow rate of no more than about 10 sccm;said hydrocarbon and said helium are introduced into said chamber, as a combined gas, at a flow rate of from about 5 to about 100 sccm, said combined gas containing from about 50% to about 1% hydrocarbon and from about 50% to about 99% helium to provide said amorphous hydrogenated carbon film with an optical transmission of 0.5% to 10% at the wavelengths of 365 nm, 248 nm or 193 nm, less than 80% transmission at 488 nm wavelength, and a refractive index 1.6 to 2.2 at 365 nm, 248 nm or 193 nm.