a self - correcting etching process for fabricating microstructure is provided . the score process of the present invention is particularly useful for reducing preselected features of a hard mask without degrading the variation of the critical dimension within each wafer . alternatively , the cd variation of the hard mask features &# 39 ; produced during printing can be substantially reduced by applying score . hence , ultra - sub - lithographic features can be reliably fabricated . consequently , the method of the present invention can be used to increase the circuit performance , while improving the manufacturing yield .