Selective silicon dioxide etchant for superconductor integrated circuits

Patent · Tue Feb 27 00:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6900668

Blaugher, R D; Buttyan, J; Przbysz, J X

This patent describes an improved method for providing silicon dioxide with openings which expose contact pad areas for connections to superconductor in the preparation of superconducting integrated circuits. The method is of the type utilizing depositing of a silicon dioxide film on a substrate which has superconductor on parts of its surface, placing a resist film on the silicon dioxide film, patterning the resist film to expose portions of the silicon dioxide, and reactive ion etching the exposed portions of the silicon dioxide film to expose contact pad areas of superconductor. The improved method comprises: utilizing an etchant gas consisting essentially of 50--95 volume percent nitrogen trifluoride and 5--50 volume percent rare gas for the reactive ion etching of the exposed portions of the silicon dioxide film to expose contact pad areas of superconductor, whereby carbon-containing etchant is not used and polymer by-products of the etching process are essentially completely avoided.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
• Patent Number(s): US 4904341; A
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-234992A
• OSTI ID: 6900668
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: 22 Aug 1988
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
THIN FILMS
SILICON OXIDES
ETCHING
FABRICATION
NITROGEN FLUORIDES
SUPERCONDUCTORS
CHALCOGENIDES
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
FILMS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
MICROELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SURFACE FINISHING
426001* - Engineering- Superconducting Devices & Circuits- (1990-)
360201 - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories- Preparation & Fabrication