摘要 |
Methods for forming a semiconductor devices are provided. A plasma pre-treatment operation is performed on a photoresist pattern formed over a material disposed over a substrate, and reduces critical dimensions (CDs) of features of the photoresist pattern to a greater extent at a central portion of the substrate than at outer portions of the substrate, thereby forming a treated pattern with a gradient of CDs. The material is then etched using the treated pattern as a photomask. An overetch operation that tends to reduce CDs of the etched features of the material to a greater extent at outer portions of the substrate than at the central portion of the substrate, is employed. The plasma pre-treatment operation is designed in conjunction with the overetch characteristics and, in combination, the operations produce etched features having CDs with a high degree of uniformity across the substrate. |