The present disclosure provides a method for 
etching trenches, contact vias, or similar features to a depth of 100 mum and greater while permitting control of the etch profile (the shape of the sidewalls surrounding the etched opening). The method requires the use of a 
metal-comprising masking material in combination with a 
fluorine-comprising 
plasma etchant. The byproduct produced by a combination of the 
metal with reactive 
fluorine species must be essentially non-volatile under etch 
process conditions, and sufficiently non-corrosive to features on the substrate being etched, that the substrate remains unharmed by the etch process. Although aluminum is a preferred 
metal for the metal-comprising 
mask, other metals can be used for the masking material, so long as they produce an essentially non-volatile, non-corrosive etch byproduct under etch 
process conditions. By way of example, and not by way of limitation, 
metallic materials recommended for the 
mask include aluminum, 
cadmium, 
copper, 
chromium, 
gallium, 
indium, iron, 
magnesium, 
manganese, 
nickel, and combinations thereof. In particular, aluminum in combination with 
copper or 
magnesium is particularly useful, where the 
copper or 
magnesium content is less than about 8% by weight, and other constituents total less than about 2% by weight. The 
plasma feed gas includes at least one 
fluorine-containing compound such as 
nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), carbon 
tetrafluoride (CF4), and 
sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), by way of example and not by way of limitation. 
Oxygen (O2), or an 
oxygen-comprising compound, or 
hydrogen bromide (HBr), or a combination thereof may be added to the 
plasma feed gases to help provide a protective layer over etched sidewalls, assisting in profile control of the etched feature.