Method for processing substrate and method for fabricating apparatus

1. A method for processing a substrate, the substrate comprising an organic film pattern, the method comprising:

a fusion/deformation step of fusing said organic film pattern to deform the fused organic film pattern; and

a third removal step of removing at least a part of the fused and deformed organic film pattern;

wherein the substrate further comprises a semiconductor film and a metal film, said metal film is formed on said semiconductor film, said organic film pattern is formed on the metal film, the organic film pattern is a resist pattern, and the method further comprises:

a first etching step of etching said metal film with said resist pattern being used as a mask;

said first etching step being carried out before said fusion/deformation step;

wherein said etched metal film and said fused and deformed organic film pattern form a joint resist mask, the method further comprises:

a second etching step of etching said semiconductor film with said joint resist mask, said second etching step being carried out after said fusion/deformation step before said third removal step;

wherein said metal film is turned into a source electrode and a drain electrode of a thin film transistor (TFT) by said first etching step;

wherein the method further comprising:

a third etching step of etching said semiconductor film to form a channel of the said TFT, the third etching step being carried out after said third removal step.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a first removal step of removing at least one of a deterioration layer and a deposited layer formed on a surface of said organic film pattern, said first removal step being carried out before said fusion/deformation step.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising a second removal step of removing a part of said organic film pattern, said second removal step being carried out after said first removal step and before said fusion/deformation step.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said organic film pattern is deformed in said fusion/deformation step by making contact with organic solution to cause fusion reflow.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said organic solution contains at least one of the following organic solvents (R indicates an alkyl group or a substitutional alkyl group, Ar indicates a phenyl group or an aromatic ring other than a phenyl group): (a) alcohol (R—OH); (b) ether (R—O—R, Ar—O—R, Ar—O—Ar); (3) ester; (4) ketone; and (5) glycol ether.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said organic film pattern is exposed to vapor of said organic solvent in said fusion reflow.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein said organic film pattern is immersed into said organic solvent in said fusion reflow.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein said fusion reflow is comprised of a step of applying gas atmosphere to said organic film pattern.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said step of applying gas atmosphere to said organic film patter is carried out in gas atmosphere of said organic solvent.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a second heating step of heating the fused and deformed organic film pattern, said second heating step being carried out after said fusion/deformation step and before said third removal step.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising a third heating step of heating the fused and deformed organic film pattern, said third heating step being carried out after said third removal step.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising a first heating step of heating said organic film pattern, said first heating step being carried out before said fusion/deformation step.

13. A method of fabricating an apparatus including a substrate processed in accordance with the method defined in claim 1 .

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said apparatus is comprised of one of a semiconductor device, a liquid crystal display device, an electro-luminescence (EL) display device, a field emission display device and a plasma display device.