International Business Machines Corporation

Freescale Semiconductor,inc.

Other

Freescale Semiconductors Inc.

Willard E Conley

William R Brunsvold

Wayne Martin Moreau

Ratnam Sooriyakumaran

Ari Aviram

Ranee W Kwong

David Earle Seeger

Harbans S Sachdev

Kevin Michael Welsh

James Thomas Fahey

Daniel Bucca

Dale M Crockatt

Steven J Holmes

Ahmad D Katnani

Carlton G Willson

Leo L Linehan

Nancy E Iwamoto

Veeraraghavan S Basker

David V Horak

Mehul D Shroff

Wu-Song S Huang

James F Cameron

James W Thackeray

Robert Lavin Wood

Hiroshi Ito

David M Dobuzinsky

Jean M Frechet

Michael D Armacost

Scott Arthur MacDonald

Hubert Schlosser

Ruiqi Tian

William C Wille

Robert Neal Lang

Ronald Anthony DellaGuardia

Michael L Passow

Christopher F Lyons

Xuefeng Hua

Scott L Jacobs

Puneet Sharma

Nicholas J Clecak

George J Hefferon

Randolph J Smith

Premlatha J Jagannathan

Matthew A Thompson

Ming-Fea Chow

Melvin W Montgomery

David Paul Merritt

George L Mack

Steve S Miura

Peter R Hagerty

Philip Chiu

Richard J Kvitek

Steve S Muira

Ann M Uptmor

Tina J Cotler-Wagner

An integrated circuit including a degradation monitoring circuit. The degradation monitoring circuit includes a comparison circuit having a delay element including an input coupled to a data node of a timing path and having an output to provide a delayed signal of a data signal of the data node. The comparison circuit includes a logic comparator that provides a logic comparison between a data signal of the data node and the output of the delay element. The monitoring circuit includes a sampling circuit that provides a sampled signal of the output of the logic comparator that is a sampled with respect to a clock signal of the clock signal line. The monitoring circuit includes a hold circuit that provides a signal indicative of a data signal of the data node transitioning within a predetermined time of an edge transition of a clock signal of the clock signal line.

Integrated circuit with degradation monitoring

A first photoresist is applied over an optically dense layer and lithographically patterned to form an array of first photoresist portions having a pitch near twice a minimum feature size. The pattern in the first photoresist portions, or a first pattern, is transferred into the ARC layer and partly into the optically dense layer. A second photoresist is applied and patterned into another array having a pitch near twice the minimum feature size and interlaced with the first pattern. The pattern in the second photoresist, or a second pattern, is transferred through the ARC portions and partly into the optically dense layer. The ARC portions are patterned with a composite pattern including the first pattern and the second pattern. The composite pattern is transferred through the optically dense layer and into the underlayer to form a sublithographic pattern in the underlayer.

Multi-exposure lithography employing a single anti-reflective coating layer

Negative photoresist over an insulating layer is exposed to radiation according to a pattern for an opening in the insulating layer for filling conductive material. A post of the negative photoresist is left over the location where the opening in the insulating layer is to be formed. A developable hard mask is formed over the post by a spin-on process so that the hard mask over the post is much thinner than directly over the insulating layer. An etch back is performed to remove the hard mask from over the post so that the post of negative photoresist is thus exposed. The post is removed to form an opening in the hard mask. An etch is performed to form the opening in the insulating layer aligned to the opening in the hard mask. The opening in the insulating layer is filled with the conductive material.

Method of making a semiconductor device using negative photoresist

In one embodiment, a photoresist is lithographically patterned to form an array of patterned photoresist portions having a pitch near twice a minimum feature size. Fluorine-containing polymer spacers are formed on sidewalls of the patterned photoresist portions. The pattern of the fluorine-containing polymer spacers is transferred into an underlying layer to form a pattern having a sublithographic pitch. In another embodiment, a first pattern in a first photoresist is transferred into a first ARC layer underneath to form first ARC portions. A planarizing second optically dense layer, a second ARC layer, and a second photoresist are applied over the first ARC portions. A second pattern in the second photoresist is transferred into the second ARC layer to form second ARC portions. The combination of the first ARC portions and second ARC portions function as an etch mask to pattern an underlying layer with a composite pattern having a sublithographic pitch.

Lithography for pitch reduction

A method for forming a semiconductor device includes providing a plurality of features in a layout, selecting critical features from the plurality of features, placing a first plurality of short-range dummy etch features in the layout at a first distance from the critical features to increase the feature density near the critical features, wherein each of the first plurality of short-range dummy etch features has a first width, removing at least one of the first plurality of short-range dummy etch features from the layout that will subsequently interfere with the electrical performance of at least one active feature so that a second plurality of short-range dummy etch features remains, and using the layout to pattern a layer on a semiconductor substrate.

Method of forming a semiconductor device having dummy features

Photoresist compositions are provided comprising 1) a resin binder having photoacid-labile groups, 2) an acid generator and 3) a photospeed control agent. Photoresists of the invention exhibit good photospeed and can provide highly resolved relief images of small dimensions, including lines of sub-micron and sub-half micron dimensions with at least essentially vertical side walls. Methods are also provided that include control of photospeed of a photoresist composition of the invention.

Chemically amplified positive photoresists

A resist formulation minimizes blistering during reactive ion etching processes resulting in an increased amount of polymer by-product deposition. Such processes involve exciting a gaseous fluorocarbon etchant with sufficient energy to form a high-density plasma, and the use of an etchant having a carbon-to-fluorine ratio of at least 0.33. In addition to a conventional photoactive component, resists which minimize blistering under these conditions include a resin binder which is a terpolymer having: (a) units that contain acid-labile groups; (b) units that are free of reactive groups and hydroxyl groups; and (c) units that contribute to aqueous developability of the photoresist. After the photoresist is patterned on the silicon oxide layer and the high-density plasma is formed, the high-density plasma is introduced to the silicon oxide layer to etch at least one opening in the silicon oxide layer. Preferably, the terpolymer is made up of about 70% 4-hydroxystyrene, about 20% styrene, and about 10% t-butylacrylate.

Resist formulation which minimizes blistering during etching

Microlithographic methods for the use of improved underlayers for chemically amplified deep UV photoresist compositions and structures produced thereby are disclosed. The compositions comprise, in admixture, a polymeric binder, and an azide which is thermolyzed during microlithographic processing to form an amine. Films formed from the underlayer compositions of the present invention, when applied immediately under and proximate to a chemically amplified photoresist film reduce the resist structure sidewall foot or undercut caused by an adverse contact reaction.

Making of microlithographic structures with an underlayer film

Microlithographic structure with an underlayer film containing a

Microlithographic structure with an underlayer film comprising a

Quinone diazo compounds having bonded to the diazo ring or directly bonded to a ring of the compound, certain non-metallic atoms that improve the photosensitivity thereof are provided. These quinone diazo compounds are useful as photoactive compounds in photoresist compositions, and particularly positive photoresist composition employed in x-ray or electron beam radiation. Also provided is a method for preparing compounds of the present invention.

Quinone diazo compound containing non-metallic atom

Process for producing a positive pattern utilizing naphtho quinone

Positive resist composition containing naphthoquinonediazide compound

Dry developable top surface imageable photoresist compositions which comprise, in admixture, a film-forming aromatic polymer resin activated to electrophilic substitution, an acid catalyzable agent capable of being inserted into the aromatic polymer resin, and a radiation degradable acid generating compound and processes for generating positive tone resist images on substrates therewith.

Dry developable photoresist compositions and method for use thereof

High sensitivity, high contrast, heat-stable resist compositions for use in deep UV, i-line e-beam and x-ray lithography. These compositions comprise a film-forming polymer having aromatic rings activated for electrophilic substitution, an acid catalyzable crosslinking agent which forms a hydroxy-stabilized carbonium ion, and a photoacid generator. The compositions are aqueous base developable.

Crosslinkable aqueous developable photoresist compositions and method

Growing community of inventors

Cornwall, NY, United States of America

Willard E Conley