A study of the major deposition parameters including source material, oxygen partial pressure, substrate temperature, and deposition rate affecting the optical quality of electron beam evaporated TiO(2) films is presented. After careful optimization of these parameters it is possible to reproducibly deposit TiO(2) films from TiO(2) source material mixed with 5% CeO(2) at an oxygen partial pressure of 5 x 10(-5) Torr, a substrate temperature of 320 degrees C, and a deposition rate of 2 A/s.

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Silver sensitized germanium selenide/polymer bilevel resist system has been used to pattern structures in SiO2 on silicon. Using reactive sputter etching in an SF6 plasma for developing germanium selenide gives superior results compared to CF4 or CHF3 in terms of sensitivity; 500:1, contrast; 7, and sensitivity; 50 mJ/cm2 at 436 nm. By this method 1-μ lines and spaces and 1-μ contact holes have been defined in germanium selenide. These have been transferred into polymer and SiO2 using standard reactive sputter etching with O2 and CHF3, respectively.

Reactive sputter etching of SiO=, with CHF3-O~ plasmas has been investigated in a parallel-plate reactor by combining etch-rate measurements with concurrent determination of ion densities (using a Langmuir probe) and the composition of neutral plasma species (using a mass spectrometer), and by examining etched profiles in the SEM. The importance of geometrical variables, such as plate separation and plate area, and the electrical parameters appropriate for characterizing the discharge are discussed. Etch rates are found to follow the ion density and to be fairly independent of the plasma chemistry under most experimental conditions. Moreover, a comparison of reactive sputter etching and reactive ion beam etching of SiO~ with CHF3 and CF4 shows that etch yields per incoming ion are essentially independent of the flux of neutral radicals to the substrate. This strongly suggests as the dominant etch mechanism for SiO~ direct reactive ion etching, where ions themselves are the main reactants in the etch reaction. Measured etch yields are consistent with this picture. However, the plasma chemistry has a decisive influence on the etch rate of Si, and thus on the etch selectivity of SiO~ with respect to Si, and also on the exact shape of profiles etched into SiO2.