Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Ming-Huei Weng

Ching-Yu Chang

Chi-Cheng Hung

Wei-Liang Lin

Chen-Yu Liu

Kuan-Hsin Lo

Chun-Kuang Chen

A method includes providing a substrate; forming mandrel patterns over the substrate; and forming spacers on sidewalls of the mandrel patterns. The method further includes removing the mandrel patterns, thereby forming trenches that are at least partially surrounded by the spacers. The method further includes depositing a copolymer material in the trenches, wherein the copolymer material is directed self-assembling; and inducing microphase separation within the copolymer material, thereby defining a first constituent polymer surrounded by a second constituent polymer. The mandrel patterns have restricted sizes and a restricted configuration. The first constituent polymer includes cylinders arranged in a rectangular or square array.

Directed self-assembly process with size-restricted guiding patterns

A method includes performing a first polymerization process on a monomer solution to form a partially processed resin solution, the partially processed resin solution comprising a solvent and a silicon-based resin, spin coating the partially processed resin solution on a substrate, and performing a second polymerization process on the partially processed resin solution to shrink the partially processed resin solution to form a conformal silicon-based resin layer.

Conformal middle layer for a lithography process

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a first photoresist layer over a substrate, over which a protective layer material is deposited to form a protective layer. A second photoresist layer is formed over the protective layer. A first lithography exposure process is performed, through a first mask, to expose the first and second photoresist layers, and to form a bottom latent pattern. A second lithography exposure process is performed, through a second mask, to expose the first and second photoresist layers, and to form a top latent pattern, where the top latent pattern at least partially overlaps the bottom latent pattern. The first and second photoresist layers and the protective layer are developed to form a first main feature and a second main feature from the bottom and top latent patterns respectively, and an opening in the protective layer vertically aligned with the second main feature.

Method to define multiple layer patterns using double exposures

A lithography method is provided in accordance with some embodiments. The lithography method includes providing a substrate, forming a crosslinked layer over the substrate, wherein the crosslinked layer is in contact with the substrate, forming a patterned layer over the crosslinked layer, forming a pattern in the crosslinked layer and further in the substrate by using the patterned layer as a mask, treating the crosslinked layer by using a radiation source to transition the crosslinked layer to a de-crosslinked layer with a reduced molecular weight, and removing the de-crosslinked layer by using a solution that is not subject to cause damage on the substrate.

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Taipei, Taiwan

Ming-Huei Weng