Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd (corporation)

Ron-Fu Chu

Mei Sheng Zhou

Yang Pan

Qun Ying Lin

Zadig Cheung-Ching Lam

Chun Hoe Yik

Liu Lianjun

Chet Ping Lim

A new method of avoiding resist notching in the formation of a polysilicon gate electrode in the fabrication of an integrated circuit device is described. Bare active areas are provided surrounded by field oxide isolation on a semiconductor substrate wherein the surface of the substrate has an uneven topography due to the uneven interface between the active areas and the isolation. A polysilicon layer is deposited over the active areas and the field oxide isolation of the substrate. The surface of the polysilicon layer is roughened using a plasma etching process wherein pits are formed on the surface which act as light traps. The roughened polysilicon layer is covered with a layer of photoresist. Portions of the photoresist layer are exposed to actinic light wherein reflection lights from the actinic light are trapped in the pits. The reflection lights do not reflect onto the unexposed portion of the photoresist layer. The photoresist layer is developed and patterned to form the desired photoresist mask for the polysilicon layer wherein the absence of reflection lights reflecting onto the unexposed portion of the photoresist results in the notch-free photoresist mask in the formation of a polysilicon gate electrode in the fabrication of an integrated circuit device.

Attenuation of reflecting lights by surface treatment

A Chemical-Mechanical Polish (CMP) planarizing method and a Chemical-Mechanical Polish (CMP) slurry composition for Chemical-Mechanical Polish (CMP) planarizing of copper metal and copper metal alloy layers within integrated circuits. There is first provided a semiconductor substrate having formed upon its surface a patterned substrate layer. Formed within and upon the patterned substrate layer is a blanket copper metal layer or a blanket copper metal alloy layer. The blanket copper metal layer or blanket copper metal alloy layer is then planarized through a Chemical-Mechanical Polish (CMP) planarizing method employing a Chemical-Mechanical Polish (CMP) slurry composition. The Chemical-Mechanical Polish (CMP) slurry composition comprises a non-aqueous coordinating solvent and a halogen radical producing specie.

Method and slurry composition for chemical-mechanical polish (CMP)

A method for forming upon a reflective layer, such as a reflective conducting layer, within an integrated circuit an Anti-Reflective Coating (ARC) which simultaneously possesses adhesion promotion characteristics for an organic layer to be formed upon the reflective layer. There is first formed upon a semiconductor wafer a reflective integrated circuit layer which may be a hydrophilic reflective integrated circuit layer or a hydrophobic integrated circuit layer. The semiconductor wafer is then immersed into and withdrawn from a Langmuir trough having formed therein a Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) monolayer film of a dye surfactant molecule ordered upon a surface of water. Upon withdrawing the wafer from the Langmuir trough, there is formed upon the reflective integrated circuit layer an ordered LB film of the dye surfactant molecule. The chromophore groups within the dye surfactant molecule and ordered LB film provide ARC characteristics to the reflective layer.

Langmuir-blodgett (LB) films as ARC and adhesion promoters for

This computer system, as well as its method of operation, corrects the position data used to define the location of alignment marks on a workpiece. The first step is to scan marks along a first direction to determine the direction of wafer scaling along the first direction. Second, scan marks along a second direction to determine the direction of wafer scaling along the second direction. Next, scan a first set of alignment marks on a workpiece oriented in a first direction and a second set of alignment marks on the workpiece oriented in a second direction in an initial sequence to collect initial direction data on the location. Then, scan the first set of alignment marks and the second set of alignment marks in a reverse sequence to collect reverse direction data on the location. Finally, average the initial direction data and the reverse direction data. This enables correction of false alignment data attributable to falsely measured locations of alignment marks.

Method and system for enhancement of wafer alignment accuracy

An antireflection mask and method of using the antireflection mask to form contact holes for an integrated circuit wafer are described. The antireflection mask has a patterned opaque layer formed on a transparent mask substrate. The patterned opaque layer has first openings for exposing photoresist in regions where the photoresist is thicker and second openings for exposing photoresist in regions where the photoresist is thinner. A patterned layer of antireflection material having a light transmittance of less than 100% is formed over the second openings but not over the first openings. Light is passed through the mask to expose a layer of photoresist. The light exposing the thinner photoresist regions is attenuated by the antireflection material thereby compensating for variations in photoresist thickness. In addition the antireflection material reduces reflections from the patterned opaque layer of the mask.

Antireflection mask for contact hole opening

A method for dry etching metal films, specifically aluminum, is described. This process uses photoresist as a mask with a gas mixture of BCl3, Cl2 and N2 used for the RIE. The addition of specific amounts of N2 to the etching chemistry results in non-tapered or non-undercut aluminum shapes. These desired shapes are attributed to the creation of polymer on the sidewall of the aluminum during the etching procedure, thus protecting against the isotropic components of RIE process, which cause the tapering. This RIE process can also be conducted at high enough temperatures, needed to avoid deleterious microloading effects.

Enhanced metal etch process

This invention provides an improved process latitude mask for forming contact or via hole openings in a photoresist masking layer in the fabrication of semiconductor integrated circuits. The invention also provides a method of forming contact or via hole openings in a photoresist masking layer using an improved process latitude mask. The improved process latitude mask, called a dot mask, uses an opaque blocking area formed in the center of the primary opening in a projection mask for forming contact or via hole openings in a photoresist layer. The opaque blocking area is equal to or less than the area of the primary opening divided by nine. The opaque blocking area is small enough so that it will not form an image in the photoresist layer. The opaque blocking area modifies the light intensity profile at the photoresist layer in a manner which improves process latitude.

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Singapore, Singapore

Ron-Fu Chu