Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Woo-sung Han

Sang-jun Choi

Jeong-Ho Yeo

Seong-woon Choi

Dong-Woon Park

Young-mi Lee

Methods and apparatus are disclosed that arrange mask patterns in response to the contribution of a second pattern to image intensity. In some methods of arranging mask patterns, a distribution of functions h(&#x3be;&#x2212;x) is obtained which represents the contribution of a second pattern to image intensity on a first pattern. Neighboring regions of the first pattern are discretized into finite regions, and the distribution of the functions h(&#x3be;&#x2212;x) is replaced with representative values(x,&#x3be;) of the discretized regions. A position of the second pattern is determined using polygonal regions having the same(x,&#x3be;). As described, the term x is the position of the first pattern and the term &#x3be; is the position of the assist.

Methods of arranging mask patterns and associated apparatus

Provided is a method for forming a fine pattern of a semiconductor device by controlling the amount of flow of a resist pattern, including forming a resist pattern having a predetermined pattern distance on a material layer to be etched, forming a flow control barrier layer on the resist pattern to control the amount of flow during a subsequent resist flow process and to make the profile of the flowed pattern be vertical, optionally forming the flow control barrier layer by coating a material including a water-soluble high-molecular material and a crosslinking agent on the resist pattern, mixing and baking the coated material layer, and processing the resultant structure using deionized water, carrying out the flow resist process to form a hyperfine pattern and etching the lower material layer, and thereby forming fine patterns having the shape of contact holes or lines and spaces to have a critical dimension of about 100 nm or less, even with use of a KrF resist.

Growing community of inventors

Seongnam-si, South Korea

Woo-sung Han