Micron Technology Incorporated

Nan Ya Technology Corporation

Other

Michael D Hyatt

Scott L Light

Anton J deVillers

Yuan He

Dan B Millward

Kaveri Jain

Jianming Zhou

Zishu Zhang

Lijing Gou

Vishal Sipani

Kyle Armstrong

David A Kewley

Michael Dean Van Patten

Ming-Chuan Yang

Michael A Many

Kevin J Torek

Ranjan Khurana

Anton J De Villiers

Mark Timothy James

Some embodiments include methods of forming electrically conductive lines. Photoresist features are formed over a substrate, with at least one of the photoresist features having a narrowed region. The photoresist features are trimmed, which punches through the narrowed region to form a gap. Spacers are formed along sidewalls of the photoresist features. Two of the spacers merge within the gap. The photoresist features are removed to leave a pattern comprising the spacers. The pattern is extended into the substrate to form a plurality of recesses within the substrate. Electrically conductive material is formed within the recesses to create the electrically conductive lines. Some embodiments include semiconductor constructions having a plurality of lines over a semiconductor substrate. Two of the lines are adjacent to one another and are substantially parallel to one another except in a region wherein said two of the lines merge into one another.

Semiconductor constructions

Semiconductor constructions having conductive lines which merge with one another

Methods of forming semiconductor devices and features in semiconductor device structures include conducting an anti-spacer process to remove portions of a first mask material to form first openings extending in a first direction. Another anti-spacer process is conducted to remove portions of the first mask material to form second openings extending in a second direction at an angle to the first direction. Portions of a second mask material underlying the first mask material at intersections of the first openings and second openings are removed to form holes in the second mask material and to expose a substrate underlying the second mask material.

Methods for forming semiconductor devices and semiconductor device structures

Methods of forming a pattern in a semiconductor device structure include deprotecting an outer portion of a first photosensitive resist material, forming a second photosensitive resist material, exposing portions of the first and second photosensitive resist materials to radiation, and removing the deprotected outer portion of the first photosensitive resist material and the exposed portions of the first and second photosensitive resist materials. Additional methods include forming a first resist material over a substrate to include a first portion and a relatively thicker second portion, deprotecting substantially the entire first portion and an outer portion of the second portion while leaving an inner portion of the second portion protected, and forming a second resist material over the substrate. A portion of the second resist material is exposed to radiation, and deprotected and exposed portions of the first and second resist materials are removed.

Methods of forming patterns for semiconductor device structures

Substrates and methods of forming a pattern on a substrate. The pattern includes a repeating pattern region and a pattern-interrupting region adjacent to the repeating pattern region. A mask is formed on the substrate, with the mask including the repeating pattern region and the pattern-interrupting region and which are formed using two separate masking steps. The mask is used in forming the pattern into underlying substrate material on which the mask is received. Substrates comprising masks are also disclosed.

Substrates and methods of forming a pattern on a substrate

A method including forming a line pattern in a substrate includes using a plurality of longitudinally spaced projecting features formed along respective guide lines as a template in forming a plurality of directed self-assembled (DSA) lines that individually comprise at least one of (a): the spaced projecting features and DSA material longitudinally there-between, and (b): are laterally between and laterally spaced from immediately adjacent of the guide lines. Substrate material elevationally inward of and laterally between the DSA lines may be processed using the DSA lines as a mask.

Methods of forming line patterns in substrates

Photolithographic apparatus and methods are disclosed. One such apparatus includes an optical path configured to provide a first diffraction pattern in a portion of an optical system and to provide a second diffraction pattern to the portion of the optical system after providing the first diffraction pattern. Meanwhile, one such method includes providing a first diffraction pattern onto a portion of an optical system, wherein a semiconductor article is imaged using the first diffraction pattern. A second diffraction pattern is also provided onto the portion of the optical system, but the second diffraction pattern is not used to image the semiconductor article.

Lens heating compensation in photolithography

An imaging device comprising a first region and a second region. Imaging features in the first region and assist features in the second region are substantially the same size as one another and are formed substantially on pitch. Methods of forming an imaging device and methods of forming a semiconductor device structure are also disclosed.

Imaging devices, methods of forming same, and methods of forming semiconductor device structures

Patterning methods and methods of forming electrically conductive lines

A method of forming a pattern on a substrate includes forming spaced first features derived from a first lithographic patterning step. Sidewall spacers are formed on opposing sides of the first features. After forming the sidewall spacers, spaced second features derived from a second lithographic patterning step are formed. At least some of individual of the second features are laterally between and laterally spaced from immediately adjacent of the first features in at least one straight-line vertical cross-section that passes through the first and second features. After the second lithographic patterning step, all of only some of the sidewall spacers in said at least one cross-section is removed.

Methods of forming a pattern on a substrate

A reticle with a composite polarizer includes: a transparent substrate; a patterned layer disposed on said transparent substrate; and a polarizing filter disposed on said transparent substrate, wherein said transparent substrate is substantially transparent with respect to illumination light, said patterned layer is partially opaque with respect to said illumination light, and said polarizing filter is capable of selectively polarizing said illumination light.

Reticle with composite polarizer and method of simultaneous optimization of imaging of a set of different patterns

A method of forming a mask for use in fabricating an integrated circuit includes forming first non-removable portions of a photoresist material through a mask having a plurality of apertures, shifting the mask, forming second non-removable second portions of the photoresist material overlapping the first portions, and removing removable portions of the photoresist material arranged between the first and second portions. The formed photoresist mask may be used to form vias in an integrated circuit. The pattern of vias produced have the capability to exceed the current imaging resolution of a single exposure treatment.

Patterning mask and method of formation of mask using step double patterning

A method of mitigating asymmetric lens heating in photolithographically patterning a photo-imagable material using a reticle includes determining where first hot spot locations are expected to occur on a lens when using a reticle to pattern a photo-imagable material. The reticle is then fabricated to include non-printing features within a non-printing region of the reticle which generate additional hot spot locations on the lens when using the reticle to pattern the photo-imagable material. Other implementations are contemplated, including reticles which may be independent of method of use or fabrication.

Growing community of inventors

Boise, ID, United States of America

Michael D Hyatt