US Patent 7585778 Method of etching an organic low-k dielectric material

A method of etching organic low-k dielectric materials is provided herein. In one embodiment, a method of etching organic low-k dielectric materials includes placing a substrate comprising an exposed organic low-k dielectric material in an etch reactor; supplying a process gas comprising an oxygen-containing gas, a nitrogen-containing gas, and methane (CH4); and forming a plasma from the process gas to etch the organic low-k dielectric material. The organic low-k dielectric material may include polymer-based low-k dielectric materials, photoresists, or organic polymers. The oxygen-containing gas may be oxygen (O2) and the nitrogen-containing gas may be nitrogen (N2).