| US 7,491,343 B2 | ||
| Line end shortening reduction during etch | ||
| Yoko Yamaguchi Adams, Fremont, Calif. (US); Gowri Kota, Fremont, Calif. (US); Frank Y. Lin, Fremont, Calif. (US); and Qinghua Zhong, Fremont, Calif. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, Calif. (US) | ||
| Filed on Jan. 10, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/621,902. | ||
| Application 11/621902 is a continuation in part of application No. 11/521810, filed on Sep. 14, 2006, granted, now 7,407,597. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0087639 A1, Apr. 17, 2008 | ||
| This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer. | ||
| Int. Cl. B44C 1/22 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 216—37 [216/41; 438/694; 438/723] | 17 Claims |
| 1. A method for etching features in an etch layer, comprising:
providing a patterned photoresist mask over the etch layer, the photoresist mask having at least one photoresist line having
a pair of sidewalls ending at a line end;
placing a polymer layer over the at least one photoresist line, wherein a thickness of the polymer layer at the line end of
the photoresist line is greater than a thickness of the polymer layer on the sidewalls of the photoresist line; and
etching features into the etch layer through the photoresist mask.
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