Tokyo Electron Limited

Texas Instruments Corporation

Osaka University

Benjamen M Rathsack

Mark H Somervell

Joshua Hooge

Michael Carcasi

James Walter Blatchford

Steven A Scheer

Seiji Nagahara

Ian J Brown

Anton J deVillers

Jeffrey Smith

Makoto Muramatsu

Lior Huli

Wallace Paul Printz

Carlos A Fonseca

David C Hall

Thomas J Aton

Frank Scott Johnson

Hidetami Yaegashi

Teruhiko Kodama

Kenichi Oyama

Tadatoshi Tomita

Seiichi Tagawa

Benjamin P McKee

Steven Arthur Vitale

Hisashi Genjima

Kathleen Nafus

Carl Albert Vickery, Iii

Ryan Burns

Meenakshisundaram Gandhi

Brian Head

Steven Scheer

The disclosure herein describes methods for Photosensitized Chemically Amplified Resist Chemicals (PS-CAR) to pattern light sensitive films (e.g., photoresist on anti-reflective coatings) on a semiconductor substrate. In one embodiment, a two-step exposure process may generate higher acid concentration regions within a photoresist layer. The PS-CAR chemicals may include photoacid generators (PAGs) and photosensitizer elements that enhance the decomposition of the PAGs into acid. The first exposure may be a patterned EUV or UV exposure that generates an initial amount of acid and photosensitizer. The second exposure may be a non-EUV flood exposure that excites the photosensitizer which increases the acid generation rate where the photosensitizer is located in the film stack. The distribution of energy during the exposures may be optimized by using certain characteristics (e.g., thickness, index of refraction, doping) of the photoresist layer, an underlying layer, and/or an overlying layer.

Chemical amplification methods and techniques for developable bottom anti-reflective coatings and dyed implant resists

Described herein are technologies to facilitate device fabrication, especially those that involve spin-on coatings of a substrate (e.g., wafer). More particularly, technologies described herein facilitate the planarization (i.e., flatness) of spin-on coatings during the device fabrication to form a uniformly planar film or layer on the substrate. This abstract itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. The scope of the present invention is pointed out in the appending claims.

Facilitation of spin-coat planarization over feature topography during substrate fabrication

The disclosure herein describes methods for Photosensitized Chemically Amplified Resist Chemicals (PS-CAR) to pattern light sensitive films on a semiconductor substrate. In one embodiment, a two-step exposure process may generate higher acid concentration regions within a photoresist layer. The PS-CAR chemicals may include photoacid generators (PAGs) and photosensitizer elements that enhance the decomposition of the PAGs into acid. The first exposure may be a patterned EUV exposure that generates an initial amount of acid and photosensitizer. The second exposure may be a non-EUV flood exposure that excites the photosensitizer which increases the acid generation rate where the photosensitizer is located on the substrate. The distribution of energy during the exposures may be optimized by using certain characteristics (e.g., thickness, index of refraction, doping) of the photoresist layer, an underlying layer, and/or an overlying layer.

Methods and techniques to use with photosensitized chemically amplified resist chemicals and processes

Methods and systems for PS-CAR photoresist simulation are described. In an embodiment, a method includes determining by simulation at least one process parameter of a lithography process using a radiation-sensitive material. In such an embodiment, the radiation-sensitive material includes: a first light wavelength activation threshold that controls the generation of acid to a first acid concentration in the radiation-sensitive material and controls generation of photosensitizer molecules in the radiation-sensitive material, and a second light wavelength activation threshold that can excite the photosensitizer molecules in the radiation-sensitive material that results in the acid comprising a second acid concentration that is greater than the first acid concentration, the second light wavelength being different from the first light wavelength. In such an embodiment, the method also includes performing a lithography process using the previously-determined at least one process parameter.

Photo-sensitized chemically amplified resist (PS-CAR) simulation

A method for partially filling an open feature on a substrate includes receiving a substrate having a layer with at least one open feature formed therein, wherein the open feature penetrates into the layer from an upper surface and includes sidewalls extending to a bottom of the open feature. The open feature is overfilled with an organic coating that covers the upper surface of the layer and extends to the bottom of the open feature. The method further includes removing a portion of the organic coating to expose the upper surface of the layer and recessing the organic coating to a pre-determined depth from the upper surface to create an organic coating plug of pre-determined thickness at the bottom of the open feature, and converting the chemical composition of the organic coating plug to create an inorganic plug.

Subtractive methods for creating dielectric isolation structures within open features

A method for patterning topography is provided. A substrate is provided with a plurality of lines. The method includes aligning and preparing a first directed self-assembly (DSA) pattern overlying the lines, transferring the first pattern to form first line cuts, aligning and preparing a second DSA pattern overlying the lines, and transferring the second pattern to form second line cuts. The DSA patterns include trenches and holes of diameter d, and each comprise a block copolymer having HCP morphology, a characteristic dimension Lapproximately equal to the line pitch, and a minority phase of the diameter d. The trenches are wet by a majority phase of the block copolymer and guide formation of the holes. The aligning and preparation of the DSA patterns include overlapping the two sets of trenches such that areas between holes of one pattern and adjacent holes of the other pattern are shared by adjacent trenches.

Use of grapho-epitaxial directed self-assembly applications to precisely cut logic lines

Provided is a method for cleaning an ion implanted resist layer or a substrate after an ashing process. A duty cycle for turning on and turning off flows of a treatment liquid using two or more nozzles is generated. The substrate is exposed to the treatment liquid comprising a first treatment chemical, the first treatment chemical with a first film thickness, temperature, total flow rate, and first composition. A portion of a surface of the substrate is concurrently irradiated with UV light while controlling the selected plurality of cleaning operating variables in order to achieve the two or more cleaning objectives. The cleaning operating variables comprise two or more of the first temperature, first composition, first film thickness, UV wavelength, UV power, first process time, first rotation speed, duty cycle, and percentage of residue removal are optimized to achieve the two or more cleaning objectives.

Controlling cleaning of a layer on a substrate using nozzles

A method is provided for forming a patterned topography on a substrate. The substrate is provided with features formed atop that constitute an existing topography, and a template for directed self-assembly (DSA) surrounds the exposed topography. Further to the method, the template is filled with a block copolymer (BCP) to cover the exposed topography, and then the BCP is annealed within the template to drive self-assembly in alignment with the topography. Developing the annealed BCP exposes a DSA pattern immediately overlying the topography.

Use of topography to direct assembly of block copolymers in grapho-epitaxial applications

Embodiments described relate to a method and apparatus for reducing lithographic distortion. A backside of a semiconductor substrate may be texturized. Then a lithographic process may be performed on the semiconductor substrate having the texturized backside.

Substrate backside texturing

A method for treating a microelectronic substrate to form a chemical template includes patterning the substrate to form a trench structure with a plurality of trenches of a defined trench width and depositing a photoactive material on the substrate to overfill the trench structure to form a fill portion in the plurality of trenches and an overfill portion above the trench structure. The method further includes exposing the photoactive material to electromagnetic radiation comprising a wavelength that is at least four times greater than the defined trench width such that the overfill portion is modified by the exposure while the electromagnetic radiation fails to penetrate into the plurality of trenches leaving the fill portion unmodified and removing the modified overfill portion of the photoactive material to form a planarized filled trench structure for use as a chemical template for selective reactive ion etching, selective deposition, or directed self-assembly.

Using sub-resolution openings to aid in image reversal, directed self-assembly, and selective deposition

A method of patterning a layered substrate is provided that includes forming a layer of a block copolymer on a substrate, annealing the layer of the block copolymer to affect microphase segregation such that self-assembled domains are formed, and annealing the layer of the block copolymer a second time to refine or modify the microphase segregation, where one of the annealing steps uses an absorption based heating method.

Integration of absorption based heating bake methods into a photolithography track system

Methods for measuring photosensitizer concentrations in a photo-sensitized chemically-amplified resist (PS-CAR) patterning process are described. Measured photosensitizer concentrations can be used in feedback and feedforward control of the patterning process and subsequent processing steps. Also described is a metrology target formed using PS-CAR resist, and a substrate including a plurality of such metrology targets to facilitate patterning process control.

Metrology for measurement of photosensitizer concentration within photo-sensitized chemically-amplified resist (PS-CAR)

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for mitigation of photoresist line pattern collapse in a photolithography process by applying a gap-fill material treatment after the post-development line pattern rinse step. The gap-fill material dries into a solid layer filling the inter-line spaces of the line pattern, thereby preventing line pattern collapse due to capillary forces during the post-rinse line pattern drying step. Once dried, the gap-fill material is depolymerized, volatilized, and removed from the line pattern by heating, illumination with ultraviolet light, by application of a catalyst chemistry, or by plasma etching.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Benjamen M Rathsack