E-beam patterning of hot-filament CVD fluorocarbon films using supercritical CO2 as a developer

Communication: Supercritical carbon dioxide as the development medium for p atterning fluorocarbon films deposited by hot-filament CVD is described. Th is study is intended to merge the role of resist and dielectric material to produce directly patterned low dielectric constant films, which serve as i nsulating material compatible with metallization schemes. It concludes that such a direct dielectric patterning process represents a potential alterna tive to conventional lithography and wet development, and it may present a possible way of eliminating multiple steps presently required to produce pa tterned insulators.