Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Shekhan Pramanick

Bhanwar Singh

Matthew S Buynoski

Subhash Gupta

Che-Hoo Ng

A method of preparing a narrow photoresist line by first forming a resist pattern on a substrate, wherein a resist line is designed to have a width &ldquo;w&rdquo; in excess of a desired width &ldquo;w,&rdquo; The resist is then subjected to ionic bombardment with ionized particles in a direction normal to the planar surface of a resistant substrate. The ionic bombardment causes formation of a hardened &ldquo;chemically less reactive&rdquo; skin on the exposed top surface of the photoresist. The resist is then subjected to an isotropic etch procedure. Due to the hardened top surface of the narrow pattern, the side wall erode at a faster rate than the top, causing a narrowing of the line width, while retaining a more substantial photoresist thickness than would occur if the top surface would not be hardened in advance of the etch procedure.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Shekhan Pramanick