Tokyo Electron Limited

International Business Machines Corporation

Infineon Technologies Ag

Timbre Technologies, Inc.

Steven A Scheer

Mark H Somervell

Colin J Brodsky

Carlos A Fonseca

Benjamen M Rathsack

Wai-Kin Li

Michael Carcasi

Joshua Hooge

Wallace Paul Printz

Dirk Pfeiffer

Daniel Sanders

Dario Leonardo Goldfarb

Sean David Burns

David Robert Medeiros

Ian J Brown

Michael James Lercel

Libor Vyklicky

Uwe Paul Schroeder

Manuel B Madriaga

Roel Gronheid

Kathleen Nafus

Alan Nolet

Benjamin M Rathsack

Brian Head

Sophie Bernard

The disclosure herein describes methods for Photosensitized Chemically Amplified Resist Chemicals (PS-CAR) to pattern light sensitive films (e.g., photoresist on anti-reflective coatings) on a semiconductor substrate. In one embodiment, a two-step exposure process may generate higher acid concentration regions within a photoresist layer. The PS-CAR chemicals may include photoacid generators (PAGs) and photosensitizer elements that enhance the decomposition of the PAGs into acid. The first exposure may be a patterned EUV or UV exposure that generates an initial amount of acid and photosensitizer. The second exposure may be a non-EUV flood exposure that excites the photosensitizer which increases the acid generation rate where the photosensitizer is located in the film stack. The distribution of energy during the exposures may be optimized by using certain characteristics (e.g., thickness, index of refraction, doping) of the photoresist layer, an underlying layer, and/or an overlying layer.

Chemical amplification methods and techniques for developable bottom anti-reflective coatings and dyed implant resists

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for mitigation of photoresist line pattern collapse in a photolithography process by applying a gap-fill material treatment after the post-development line pattern rinse step. The gap-fill material dries into a solid layer filling the inter-line spaces of the line pattern, thereby preventing line pattern collapse due to capillary forces during the post-rinse line pattern drying step. Once dried, the gap-fill material is depolymerized, volatilized, and removed from the line pattern by heating, illumination with ultraviolet light, by application of a catalyst chemistry, or by plasma etching.

Line pattern collapse mitigation through gap-fill material application

Methods and heat treatment apparatus for heating a substrate and any layer carried on the substrate during a bake process. A heat exchange gap between the substrate and a heated support is at least partially filled by a gas having a high thermal conductivity. The high thermal conductivity gas is introduced into the heat exchange gap by displacing a lower thermal conductivity originally present in the heat exchange gap when the substrate is loaded. Heat transfer across the heat exchange gap is mediated by the high thermal conductivity gas.

Methods and heat treatment apparatus for uniformly heating a substrate during a bake process

Provided is a method and system for controlling a spike anneal process on a substrate, comprising selecting one or more objectives, one or more absorbance layers, a technique of modifying absorption of the selected one or more absorbance layers, one or more wavelengths used in a heating device. A substrate modified with the selected technique of modifying absorption is provided. The spike anneal process is performed on the substrate using the selected heating device and selected spike anneal process variables. One or more of the spike anneal process variables, the selected technique of the modifying absorption, the selected one or more wavelengths, and/or the selected heating device are adjusted in order to meet the one or more objectives of the spike anneal process.

Method and system for controlling a spike anneal process

A method and system for patterning a substrate using a lithographic process, such as a dual tone development process, is described. The method comprises use of at least one photo-activated acid enhancement component to improve process latitude for the dual tone development process.

Dual tone development with a photo-activated acid enhancement component in lithographic applications

A method and system for patterning a substrate using a dual tone development process is described. The method and system comprise a flood exposure of the substrate to improve process latitude for the dual tone development process.

Flood exposure process for dual tone development in lithographic applications

A method for patterning a substrate with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation is provided. The method includes contacting a surface of the substrate with at least one surface modification agent that reacts with and bonds to the surfaceof the substrateto provide a modified surface. A layer of photoresist is formed on the modified surface, followed by exposing the layer of photoresist to a pattern of EUV radiation. The surface modification agent has a general formula: X-L-Z, where X is a leaving group; L is a linkage group including a substituted or un-substituted carbon chain having 1 to 20 carbons, a sulfur moiety, a silicon moiety, or combinations thereof; and Z is at least one of an acid functional group, a photoactive acid generator group or a halide.

Substrate treatment to reduce pattern roughness

An Electrostatic Post Exposure Bake (EPEB) subsystem comprising an Electrostatic Bake Plate (EBP) configured in a processing chamber in an EPEB subsystem, wherein the EPEB wafer comprises an exposed masking layer having unexposed regions and exposed regions therein and the EPEB wafer is developed using the EBP.

Electrostatic post exposure bake apparatus and method

A method of patterning a substrate using a dual-tone development process is described. The patterning method comprises forming a layer of radiation-sensitive material on a substrate, wherein the layer of radiation-sensitive material comprises a dual tone resist. Thereafter, the patterning method comprises performing one or more exposures of the layer of radiation-sensitive material to one or more patterns of radiation, wherein at least one of the one or more exposures comprises using a mask having a dual-tone mask pattern region configured for printing dual tone features and a half-tone mask pattern region configured for printing half-tone features. Furthermore, the half-tone mask pattern region is optimized for use with the dual tone resist.

Method for creating gray-scale features for dual tone development processes

A method for patterning a substrate is described. In particular, the invention relates to a method for double patterning a substrate using dual tone development. Further, the invention relates to optimizing a dual tone development process.

Method of process optimization for dual tone development

A method and system for patterning a substrate using a dual-tone development process is described. The method and system comprise using a resist material having a polymer backbone with a plurality of protecting groups attached thereto to improve process latitude and critical dimension uniformity for the dual-tone development process.

Dual tone development processes

Variable resist protecting groups

The invention provides a method of processing a substrate using Double-Patterning (D-P) processing sequences and Electric-Field Enhanced Layers (E-FELs). The D-P processing sequences and E-FELs can be used to create lines, trenches, vias, spacers, contacts, and gate structures using a minimum number of etch processes.

Using electric-field directed post-exposure bake for double-patterning (D-P)

A method for etching a pattern on a surface is disclosed. A mask layer is disposed over a surface and a resist is disposed over the mask layer. The resist is exposed to light through the mask exposing primary pattern and sidelobe regions. The resist is developed and the mask layer is etched according to the resist pattern. A first material is deposited over the mask layer, wherein a gap is formed beneath the material and over the primary pattern region. The material is etched back so that the gap is exposed, and the primary pattern region is etched using the first material as a mask.

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Poughkeepsie, NY, United States of America

Steven A Scheer