Plasma sculpturing with a non-planar sacrificial layer.

摘要

A method of plasma planarization of the surface topography of a substrate layer is provided wherein a sacrificial layer, having an etch rate substantially different from the etch rate of the substrate layer, is applied to the surface topography of that substrate layer. The sacrificial and substrate layers are then plasma etched to remove the sacrificial layer and portions of the substrate layer. The ratio of substrate layer to sacrificial layer etch rate can be controlled by the specific material and etchant used to compensate for non-planar surface features of the sacrificial layer such that the resulting substrate surface topography is planar.