Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Bang-Ching Ho

Jen-Chieh Shih

Li-Jui Chen

Tsai-Sheng Gau

Chih-Ming Ke

Ching-Yu Chang

Chin-Hsiang Lin

Jeng-Horng Chen

Burn Jeng Lin

Chien-Hung Lin

Kuei Shun Chen

Chia-Hui Lin

Jian-Hong Chen

Fu-Jye Liang

Chung-Hsing Chang

Chih-Cheng Chin

A semiconductor device having a specific contact angle for immersion lithography is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a substrate and a top layer disposed on the substrate. The top layer used in an immersion lithography process includes a composition such that a fluid droplet that occurs during the immersion lithographic process and is not part of an exposure fluid puddle, will have a contact angle between about 40&#xb0; and about 80&#xb0; with a surface of the top layer.

Semiconductor using specific contact angle for immersion lithography

A method of determining temperatures at localized regions of a substrate during processing of the substrate in a photolithography process includes the following steps: independently illuminating a photoresist layer including a photoresist pattern at a plurality of locations on the substrate with a light source, so that light is diffracted off the plurality of locations of the photoresist pattern; measuring the diffracted light from the plurality of locations to determine measured diffracted values associated with respective locations from the plurality of locations; and comparing the measured diffracted values against a library to determine a pre-illumination process temperature of the photoresist layer at the plurality of locations.

Scatterometric method of monitoring hot plate temperature and facilitating critical dimension control

A method comprises forming a BARC layer on a substrate, treating the BARC layer to make its surface hydrophilic, forming a photoresist layer on the treated BARC layer, exposing the photoresist layer to a predetermined pattern, and developing the photoresist layer to form patterned photoresist.

Photolithography method to prevent photoresist pattern collapse

A method for forming a dual damascene structure in a semiconductor device manufacturing process where via plugs which may include a thickness portion of a plug filling material overlying the process surface is formed by diffusing an acid into a plug filling material layer followed by reacting the acid with the plug filling material layer to form a soluble portion which is then removed using a solvent. A remaining portion of the plug filling material is cured and a BARC layer may be formed over the process surface prior to patterning trenches in an overlying resist layer and forming a dual damascene structure.

Via plug formation in dual damascene process

An anti-reflective coating layer for the manufacturing of semiconductor devices is disclosed. In one example, a partial semiconductor device includes a substrate; a bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) layer over the substrate, and the BARC layer is transformed from being hydrophobic to being hydrophilic during a lithography process; and a photoresist layer over the BARC layer.

System and method for manufacturing semiconductor devices using an anti-reflective coating layer

A method for creating a hole in a semiconductor wafer includes forming a hard mask over a dielectric layer, the hard mask including a solid portion and a first opening. A patterning layer is provided over the hard mask, the patterning layer including second and third openings. The second opening of the patterning layer aligns with the first opening of the hard mask and the third opening of the patterning layer aligns with the solid portion of the hard mask. The hole is created in the dielectric layer using the second opening of the patterning layer and the first opening of the hard mask.

Dual damascene process with dummy features

A method for performing immersion lithography on a semiconductor wafer is disclosed. The method includes positioning the semiconductor wafer beneath a lens and applying a fluid between a top surface of the semiconductor wafer and the lens. An additive can be provided to the top surface so that any droplet of the fluid that forms on the top surface of the semiconductor wafer will have a contact angle between about 40&#xb0; and about 80&#xb0;.

Method using specific contact angle for immersion lithography

A method for transferring a pattern from a mask to a substrate (or wafer), comprises dividing a mask generation data file into a plurality of segments. The segments include a main pattern area and a stitching area. Each stitching area contains a respective common pattern. An image of an illuminated portion of the main pattern area is formed. Connection ends of the segments in a substrate area (or wafer area) are illuminated with an illumination beam. An image of the illuminated portion of the main pattern area is formed, and a halftone gray level dosage distribution is produced in the substrate area (or wafer area) corresponding to the common pattern. The common patterns of adjacent segments substantially overlap in the substrate area (or wafer area).

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Hsin-Chu, Taiwan

Bang-Ching Ho