Direct halogen etching of metal films by laser-induced photochemical and thermal processes at submicrometer resolution is described. The regimes in which each of the processes is prevalent are readily observed. In addition to direct definition of metal patterns, the etched metal films serve as durable resist layers for conventional etching processes. Cl2 is photochemically dissociated at low laser power density levels, enabling direct-write etching of Cr, Mo, and W films on fragile substrates. NF3-assisted etching is dominated by thermal reactions.
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Rothschild et al. (1987) studied this question.