Imec Vzw

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Katia Devriendt

Basoene Briggs

Juergen Boemmels

Zsolt Tokei

Christopher Wilson

Ivan Zyulkov

Farid Sebaai

The disclosed technology generally relates to patterning structures in semiconductor fabrication, and more particularly to patterning structures using mask structures having bridged lines. In one aspect, a method for patterning a target layer comprises: forming on the target layer a plurality of parallel material lines spaced apart such that longitudinal gaps exposing the target layer are formed between the material lines, filling the gaps with a sacrificial material, forming a hole by removing the sacrificial material along a portion of one of the gaps, the hole extending across the gap and exposing a surface portion of the target layer and sidewall surface portions of material lines on opposite sides of the one gap, performing a selective deposition process adapted to grow a fill material selectively on the one or more surface portions inside the hole, thereby forming a block mask extending across the gap, removing, selectively to the material lines and the block mask, the sacrificial material from the target layer to expose the gaps, the one gap being interrupted in the longitudinal direction by the block mask, and transferring a pattern including the material lines and the block mask into the target layer.

Method of patterning target layer

The disclosed technology generally relates to semiconductor processing, and more particularly to patterning a target layer using a sacrificial structure. According to an aspect of the disclosed technology, a method of patterning a target layer comprises forming on the target layer a plurality of parallel material lines spaced apart such that longitudinal gaps exposing the target layer are formed between the material lines. The method additionally includes filling the gaps with a sacrificial material and forming a hole by removing the sacrificial material along a portion of one of the gaps, where the hole extends across the gap. The hole exposes the target layer in the gap. The method additionally includes filling the hole with a fill material to form a block portion extending across the gap. The method additionally includes removing, selectively to the material lines and the block portion, the sacrificial material from the target layer to expose the gaps, where the one of the gaps is interrupted in the longitudinal direction by the block portion. The method further includes transferring a pattern including the material lines and the block portion into the target layer.

Growing community of inventors

Binkom, Belgium

Katia Devriendt