Inpria Corporation

Tokyo Electron Limited

Alan J Telecky

Douglas A Keszler

Stephen T Meyers

Kai Jiang

Brian J Cardineau

Jeremy T Anderson

Joseph Burton Edson

Jason K Stowers

Andrew Grenville

Michael K Kocsis

Benjamin L Clark

Mollie Waller

Peter De Schepper

Michael Greer

Kirsten Louthan

Sangyoon Woo

Sonia Castellanos Ortega

Douglas A Kreszler

The processing of radiation patternable organometallic coatings is shown to be improved through the appropriate selection of post processing conditions between coating and development of the pattern. In particular, a coated wafer can be subjected to process delays to allow aging of the coating at various process points, in particular following irradiation. Process delays can be combined and interspersed with heating steps. The atmosphere above the coated wafer at various process steps can be adjusted to obtain desired improvements in the development of the pattern. Reactive gases can be beneficial with respect to improvement of coating properties.

Process environment for inorganic resist patterning

Organometallic radiation resist compositions are described based on tin ions with alkyl ligands. Some of the compositions have branched alkyl ligands to provide for improved patterning contrast while maintaining a high degree of solution stability. Blends of compounds with distinct alkyl ligands can provide further improvement in the patterning. High resolution patterning with a half-pitch of no more than 25 nm can be achieved with a line width roughness of no more than about 4.5 nm. Synthesis techniques have been developed that allow for the formation of alkyl tin oxide hydroxide compositions with very low metal contamination.

Organometallic solution based high resolution patterning compositions and corresponding methods

Organometallic precursors are described for the formation of high resolution lithography patterning coatings based on metal oxide hydroxide chemistry. The precursor compositions generally comprise ligands readily hydrolysable by water vapor or other OH source composition under modest conditions. The organometallic precursors generally comprise a radiation sensitive organo ligand to tin that can result in a coating that can be effective for high resolution patterning at relatively low radiation doses and is particularly useful for EUV patterning. The precursors compositions are readily processable under commercially suitable conditions. Solution phase processing with in situ hydrolysis or vapor based deposition can be used to form the coatings.

Organotin oxide hydroxide patterning compositions, precursors, and patterning

Stabilized precursor solutions can be used to form radiation inorganic coating materials. The precursor solutions generally comprise metal suboxide cations, peroxide-based ligands and polyatomic anions. Design of the precursor solutions can be performed to achieve a high level of stability of the precursor solutions. The resulting coating materials can be designed for patterning with a selected radiation, such as ultraviolet light, x-ray radiation or electron beam radiation. The radiation patterned coating material can have a high contrast with respect to material properties, such that development of a latent image can be successful to form lines with very low line-width roughness and adjacent structures with a very small pitch.

Radiation based patterning methods

Multiple patterning approaches using radiation sensitive organometallic materials is described. In particular, multiple patterning approaches can be used to provide distinct multiple patterns of organometallic material on a hardmask or other substrate through a sequential approach that leads to a final pattern. The multiple patterning approach may proceed via sequential lithography steps with multiple organometallic layers and may involve a hardbake freezing after development of each pattern. Use of an organometallic resist with dual tone properties to perform pattern cutting and multiple patterning of a single organometallic layer are described. Corresponding structures are also described.

Multiple patterning with organometallic photopatternable layers with intermediate freeze steps

Apparatuses and methods are described for removing edge bead on a wafer associated with a resist coating comprising a metal containing resist compositions. The methods can comprise applying a first bead edge rinse solution along a wafer edge following spin coating of the wafer with the metal based resist composition, wherein the edge bead solution comprises an organic solvent and an additive comprising a carboxylic acid, an inorganic fluorinated acid, a tetraalkylammonium compound, or a mixture thereof. Alternatively or additionally, the methods can comprise applying a protective composition to the wafer prior to performing an edge bead rinse. The protective composition can be a sacrificial material or an anti-adhesion material and can be applied only to the wafer edge or across the entire wafer in the case of the protective composition. Corresponding apparatuses for processing the wafers using these methods are presented.

Apparatuses for reducing metal residue in edge bead region from metal-containing resists

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Albany, OR, United States of America

Alan J Telecky