Nec Corporation

Nec Electronics Corporation

Tsuyoshi Yoshii

Haruo Iwasaki

Shinji Ishida

Hiroshi Yoshino

Atsushi Nishizawa

Norihiko Samoto

The invention relates to a photomask for use in a thermal flow process in which: a photomask is prepared in which a plurality of exposure openings are formed; a resist is applied to the surface of a layer of a semiconductor integrated circuit that is to undergo processing; this resist is patterned by an exposure process through the photomask to form a plurality of openings in the resist that correspond to each of the exposure openings; and the patterned resist is then heated to cause each of the openings to shrink; wherein at least a portion of exposure openings among the plurality of exposure openings are formed in shapes that compensate for anisotropic deformation that occurs in the openings when the patterned resist is heated to cause each of the openings to shrink. Since the openings that are formed in the resist are provided in advance with shapes that compensate for the deformation that occurs when the openings shrink, these openings attain the proper shape after undergoing shrinking and deformation.

Photomask and pattern forming method used in a thermal flow process and semiconductor integrated circuit fabricated using the thermal flow process

A method for forming a fine pattern on a chemical sensitization photoresist includes the consecutive steps of exposing a photoresist film with KrF excimer laser, developing the exposed photoresist film to form a photoresist pattern, separating protective group from the photoresist pattern, and heating the photoresist film to make the photoresist pattern to have a swelling property, thereby reshaping the openings in the photoresist pattern while reducing the size of the openings. The method achieves a finer pattern in a design rule of 0.30 to 0.18 &mgr;m without degradation of the shape.

Method for forming a pattern on a chemical sensitization photoresist

An antireflection film includes a base resin and an additive resin, the additive resin having a dry etching rate higher than that of the base resin. A photoresist pattern is formed and the antireflection film is selectively etched using the photoresist pattern as a mask. The molecular weight and weight percent of the additive resin are selected to provide an etching rate for the antireflection film that permits selective removal of the antireflection film while leaving an effective amount of the photoresist.

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Tokyo, Japan

Tsuyoshi Yoshii