An etching process method and device based on nanoimprint technology
By employing a one-step etching process based on nanoimprint technology and utilizing adjustments to the radio frequency power supply and etching gas, the issues of pattern resolution and production capacity in stepped grating etching have been resolved, enabling efficient and flexible pattern transfer and production.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ADVANCED MATERIALS TECH & ENG INC
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-26
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, the step grating etching process suffers from problems such as poor pattern resolution, damage to nanoimprint adhesive, long step etching time, and poor scalability, making it unsuitable for complex pattern transfer and efficient production.
A one-step etching process based on nanoimprint technology is adopted. By adjusting the radio frequency power supply and etching gas composition, the target etching selectivity is obtained, and the pattern to be etched is directly transferred to the substrate to achieve a target pattern consistent with the pattern to be etched.
It improves the resolution of pattern transfer, avoids resolution loss caused by step-by-step etching, shortens process time, enhances productivity and scalability, and is suitable for a variety of pattern structures.
Smart Images
Figure CN122284209A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor device control manufacturing, and to an etching process method and apparatus based on nanoimprint technology. Background Technology
[0002] In related technologies, the stepped grating technology mainly adopts a three-step method of "etching + nano-imprintlithography Trim (NIL Trim) + etching", such as Figure 1 As shown, the step morphology can be obtained mainly by nanoimprint finishing and etching in steps.
[0003] However, the above solution has the following drawbacks: 1) Poor image resolution. Image resolution depends on the NIL Trim capability. Currently, the resolution of nanoimprint technology (NIL) has reached within 10nm. However, after NIL Trim, the resolution error increases geometrically. 2) During the etching process, the nanoimprint adhesive suffers surface damage and consumption. Due to the limitations of the nanoimprint adhesive thickness and surface roughness, the limit of the number of grating steps is 2 to 3. Increasing the number of steps will further affect the image resolution. 3) Step-by-step etching results in a long overall process time and relatively small production capacity; 4) Poor scalability: The above solution can only be used for step grating etching and cannot be adapted to other projects. The cost-effectiveness of technology investment and output is poor. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an etching process method and apparatus based on nanoimprint technology. This invention utilizes nanoimprint technology to perform a single etching step, thereby obtaining a target pattern identical to the pattern to be etched. On one hand, this solution solves the problem of distortion during the transfer of complex patterns; on the other hand, this solution requires only one etching step, which helps reduce the overall process time and thus increase production capacity.
[0005] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: In a first aspect, this application provides an etching process method based on nanoimprint technology, the method being performed by a semiconductor etching device, the method comprising: Obtain the pattern to be etched, which is obtained based on the nanoimprint technology; The substrate to be etched is etched to obtain a target pattern that is consistent with the pattern to be etched.
[0006] Preferably, the etching of the substrate to be etched to obtain a target pattern consistent with the pattern to be etched includes: Adjust the composition of the RF power supply and etching gas to obtain the target etching selectivity; Based on the target etching selectivity, the pattern to be etched is transferred onto the substrate to be etched to obtain the target pattern that is consistent with the pattern to be etched.
[0007] Preferably, the radio frequency power supply includes an SRF power supply and / or a BRF power supply.
[0008] Preferably, the SRF power supply is set to 500~2000W.
[0009] Preferably, the BRF power supply is set to 20~1000W.
[0010] Preferably, the etching gas includes one or more of HBr, C4F8, and Ar.
[0011] Preferably, the HBr flow rate is 80~200 sccm.
[0012] Preferably, the ratio of HBr to C4F8 is in the range of 10:1 to 5:1.
[0013] Secondly, this application provides an etching apparatus based on nanoimprint technology, the apparatus comprising: An acquisition module is used to acquire the pattern to be etched, which is obtained based on the nanoimprint technology. An etching module is used to etch the substrate to be etched to obtain a target pattern that is consistent with the pattern to be etched.
[0014] Thirdly, this application provides a semiconductor etching apparatus, including the etching device based on nanoimprint technology as described above.
[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: By utilizing nanoimprint lithography (NIL) technology, a pattern to be etched is first obtained based on this technique. Then, a single etching step is required to obtain a target pattern identical to the pattern to be etched. On one hand, this method can etch a target pattern identical to the pattern to be etched, thus avoiding the resolution loss that NIL Trim might cause, regardless of the complexity of the pattern, thereby solving the problem of pattern transfer distortion. On the other hand, this method only requires one etching step, eliminating the time wasted on multi-step etching, which helps improve throughput and efficiency. Attached Figure Description
[0016] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of an etching process based on nanoimprint technology provided by related technologies; Figure 2This is a flowchart of an etching process based on nanoimprint technology provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a flowchart of an etching process based on nanoimprint technology provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a flowchart of an etching process based on nanoimprint technology provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a structural block diagram of an etching device based on nanoimprint technology provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0017] The technical solution of the present invention will be further illustrated below through specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments described are merely illustrative of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the invention in any way.
[0018] In related technologies, the stepped grating technology mainly adopts a three-step method of "etching + nano-imprintlithography Trim (NIL Trim) + etching", such as Figure 1 As shown. This method mainly relies on nanoimprint finishing and etching, and the step morphology can be obtained in three steps.
[0019] However, this scheme has the following drawbacks: 1) Poor image resolution. Image resolution depends on the NIL Trim capability. Currently, the resolution of nanoimprint technology (NIL) has reached within 10nm. However, after NIL Trim, the resolution error increases geometrically. 2) During the etching process, the nanoimprint adhesive suffers surface damage and consumption. Due to the limitations of the nanoimprint adhesive thickness and surface roughness, the limit of the number of grating steps is 2 to 3. Increasing the number of steps will further affect the image resolution. 3) Step-by-step etching results in a long overall process time and relatively small production capacity; 4) Poor scalability: The above solution can only be used for step grating etching and cannot be adapted to other projects. The cost-effectiveness of technology investment and output is poor.
[0020] Based on the problems existing in the above-mentioned solutions, this application proposes an etching process method based on nanoimprint technology, which aims to solve the problems of distortion in the transfer of complex patterns and low process efficiency.
[0021] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating an etching process method based on nanoimprint technology provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. The method is performed by a semiconductor etching apparatus and includes at least the following steps: Step 100: Obtain the pattern to be etched; It should be understood that the "pattern to be etched" in the embodiments of this application is predetermined. This "pattern to be etched" is obtained based on nanoimprint lithography (NIL). Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a mechanical pattern transfer technique that directly transfers micro- and nano-structures on a template onto a substrate material through physical contact, breaking the optical diffraction limit and achieving ultra-high resolution of 2-5 nanometers.
[0022] Optionally, the "pattern to be etched" in this embodiment is obtained by performing step 100 using a semiconductor device. This semiconductor device for obtaining the "pattern to be etched" is different from the "semiconductor etching device" in this embodiment. Alternatively, it can be understood that this semiconductor device obtains the pattern to be etched based on nanoimprint technology.
[0023] Optionally, the "pattern to be etched" in this embodiment is predetermined before step 100. For example, the "pattern to be etched" is predetermined by other equipment based on nanoimprint technology, and then obtained by a semiconductor etching apparatus performing the nanoimprint etching process provided in this embodiment. For example, the two devices communicate electronically.
[0024] Step 200: Etch the substrate to be etched to obtain a target pattern that matches the pattern to be etched.
[0025] In some embodiments, the target pattern is predetermined and corresponds to the pattern to be etched. For example, before employing the above process, the operator of the semiconductor equipment has predetermined that the target pattern is a rectangle (length A, width B), then the pattern to be etched is also a rectangle (length A, width B).
[0026] In this embodiment of the application, the semiconductor device completely transfers the pattern to be etched onto the substrate through a one-step etching process, thereby obtaining a target pattern that is consistent with the pattern to be etched.
[0027] For example, such as Figure 3 As shown in the embodiments of this application, an etching process based on nanoimprint lithography (NIL) technology can obtain a target pattern identical to the pattern to be etched in a single etching step. On the one hand, this method can etch a target pattern identical to the pattern to be etched, thus avoiding resolution loss that may be caused by NIL Trim regardless of the complexity of the pattern, thereby solving the problem of pattern transfer distortion. On the other hand, this method only requires one etching step, eliminating the need for time-consuming multi-step etching, which is beneficial for improving production capacity and efficiency.
[0028] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned "one-step etching" uses dry etching.
[0029] Furthermore, step 200 above can also be implemented as the following sub-steps, such as... Figure 4 As shown, it includes: Step 210: Adjust the composition of the RF power supply and etching gas to obtain the target etching selectivity; In some embodiments, the radio frequency power supply includes a source radio frequency (SRF) power supply and / or a bias radio frequency (BRF) power supply. The SRF power supply is set to 500~2000W; and / or the BRF power supply is set to 20~1000W.
[0030] Preferably, the radio frequency power supply includes an SRF power supply, and the SRF power supply is set within the range of 500~2000W.
[0031] Preferably, the radio frequency power supply includes a BRF power supply, and the BRF power supply is set within the range of 20~1000W.
[0032] Preferably, the radio frequency power supply includes an SRF power supply and a BRF power supply, with the SRF power supply set in the range of 500~2000W and the BRF power supply set in the range of 20~1000W.
[0033] For example, as shown in Table 1 below: Table 1 Serial Number SRF BRF Example 1 900W / Example 2 / 80W Example 3 880W 100W Comparative Example 1 2400W / Comparative Example 2 / 10W Comparative Example 3 2400W 40W Comparative Example 4 400W 80W Comparative Example 5 500W 1000W As can be seen from Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 in Table 1 above, when the RF power supply only includes the SRF power supply, setting the SRF power supply within the range of 500~2000W is beneficial to ensure that the plasma density meets the process requirements while compensating for the power loss during impedance matching and maintaining the stability and repeatability of the process.
[0034] As can be seen from Example 2 and Comparative Example 2 in Table 1 above, when the radio frequency power supply only includes the BRF power supply, setting the BRF power supply within the range of 20~1000W is beneficial to ensure that the ion energy is sufficient to activate the surface chemical reaction while avoiding physical sputtering, surface damage and selectivity reduction caused by high-energy ion bombardment.
[0035] As can be seen from Example 3 and Comparative Examples 3-5 in Table 1 above, when the RF power supply includes both SRF and BRF power supplies, setting the SRF power supply within the range of 500-2000W and the BRF power supply within the range of 20-1000W can satisfy both process stability and process accuracy.
[0036] In some embodiments, the etching gas includes one or more of HBr, C4F8, and Ar.
[0037] Optional, C4F8 uses a higher F:C ratio. x F x Gases are used as substitutes, where the number of F molecules in one molecule is typically ≥6; alternatively, C is used. x H x F x Instead, the number of H atoms in one of the molecules is usually ≤2.
[0038] Alternatively, Ar mainly serves to bombard and dilute, and gases with similar functions include N2 and He.
[0039] HBr is the primary etching gas. The HBr flow rate is 80–200 sccm. Preferably, the HBr flow rate is 180 sccm. HBr can replace particles in the substrate to be etched. For example, assuming the substrate is SiC, HBr can replace SiC particles, generating volatile gases such as SiBr4 and CH4. These gases have relatively large molecular weights and, under bombardment, can effectively break the chemical bonds between Si and C, thus facilitating the etching process. Simultaneously, HBr can also undergo a replacement reaction with organic matter (which is the main component of masks such as nanoimprint stencils), causing the surface of the organic matter to harden, thereby improving the selectivity and protecting the underlying structure.
[0040] Optionally, the morphology can be maintained by adjusting the gas ratio of C4F8 and / or Ar. Preferably, the gas ratio of C4F8 to Ar is set to 1:6.
[0041] In some embodiments, the adjustment of the composition of the etching gas is positively correlated with the etching selectivity in the etching process based on nanoimprint technology proposed in the embodiments of this application. Alternatively, it can be understood that adjusting the composition of the etching gas directly affects the etching selectivity in the etching process based on nanoimprint technology proposed in the embodiments of this application.
[0042] Etching selectivity refers to the ratio of the etching rate of the material being etched (target material or substrate to be etched) to the etching rate of the mask or underlying material under the same etching conditions. Etching selectivity measures the etching process's ability to "distinguish" between different materials, that is, the ability to etch only the material being etched (target material or substrate to be etched) without damaging other materials.
[0043] The formula for calculating the etching selectivity is as follows: Where S represents the etching selectivity ratio. This indicates the etching rate of the material being etched (target material or substrate to be etched). This indicates the etching rate of the mask or underlying material (such as photoresist).
[0044] In this embodiment of the application, in order to copy the pattern to be etched to the substrate at a 1:1 ratio, an etching selectivity of 1:1 is required to completely transfer the pattern and avoid resolution loss.
[0045] In some embodiments, the ratio of HBr to C4F8 ranges from 10:1 to 5:1.
[0046] In some embodiments, the gas ratio of HBr, C4F8, and Ar is set to 180:12:72.
[0047] Step 220: Based on the target etching selectivity, transfer the pattern to be etched onto the substrate to be etched to obtain a target pattern that is consistent with the pattern to be etched.
[0048] In this embodiment of the application, the target etching selection ratio is 1:1.
[0049] Based on the above description, it can be understood that the method provided in this application embodiment can thoroughly improve the resolution problem, the monotonous morphology problem, and the production capacity problem caused by NIL Trim by circumventing the NIL Trim steps.
[0050] Furthermore, the method provided in this application adopts a novel approach, completing the entire pattern to be etched during the NIL pattern curing process. By adjusting the etching selectivity, the pattern of the nanoimprint mortise is transferred 1:1 to the substrate to be etched, thereby achieving the purpose of etching complex pattern morphology. Due to the properties of NIL (fluid, curing), NIL can relatively easily obtain high-resolution complex patterns. In terms of etching technology, as long as a formulation with an etching selectivity of 1:1 is obtained, complex patterns can be completely transferred without loss of resolution.
[0051] Figure 5 A structural block diagram of an etching apparatus based on nanoimprint technology provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. The apparatus includes: The acquisition module 310 is used to acquire the pattern to be etched, which is obtained based on nanoimprint technology. The etching module 320 is used to etch the substrate to be etched to obtain a target pattern that is consistent with the pattern to be etched.
[0052] In some embodiments, the etching module 320 is further configured to adjust the composition of the radio frequency power supply and the etching gas to obtain a target etching selectivity; based on the target etching selectivity, the pattern to be etched is transferred onto the substrate to be etched to obtain a target pattern consistent with the pattern to be etched.
[0053] In some embodiments, the radio frequency power supply includes an SRF power supply and / or a BRF power supply. The SRF power supply is set to 500~2000W, and the BRF power supply is set to 20~1000W.
[0054] In some embodiments, the etching gas includes one or more of HBr, C4F8, and Ar.
[0055] Optionally, the HBr flow rate is 80~200 sccm.
[0056] Optionally, the ratio of HBr to C4F8 can be in the range of 10:1 to 5:1.
[0057] In some embodiments, the etching apparatus based on nanoimprint technology is a semiconductor etching apparatus. That is, the aforementioned acquisition module 310 and etching module 320 are disposed in the semiconductor etching apparatus. Optionally, the semiconductor etching apparatus is an etching machine, such as an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching machine.
[0058] In some embodiments, the etching process based on nanoimprint technology described above can be applied to grating steps, any optical lens, camera array lens, and even optical components of a lithography machine.
[0059] The applicant declares that the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art should understand that any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention fall within the protection and disclosure scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. An etching process method based on nanoimprint technology, characterized in that, The method is performed by a semiconductor etching apparatus, and the method includes: Obtain the pattern to be etched, which is obtained based on the nanoimprint technology; The substrate to be etched is etched to obtain a target pattern that is consistent with the pattern to be etched.
2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The etching of the substrate to be etched yields a target pattern consistent with the pattern to be etched, including: Adjust the composition of the RF power supply and etching gas to obtain the target etching selectivity; Based on the target etching selectivity, the pattern to be etched is transferred onto the substrate to be etched to obtain the target pattern that is consistent with the pattern to be etched.
3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The radio frequency power supply includes a source radio frequency (SRF) power supply and / or a bias radio frequency (BRF) power supply.
4. The method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The SRF power supply is set to 500~2000W.
5. The method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The BRF power supply is set to 20~1000W.
6. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The etching gas includes one or more of HBr, C4F8, and Ar.
7. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The flow rate of HBr is 80~200 sccm.
8. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The ratio of HBr to C4F8 is in the range of 10:1 to 5:
1.
9. An etching apparatus based on nanoimprint technology, characterized in that, The device includes: An acquisition module is used to acquire the pattern to be etched, which is obtained based on the nanoimprint technology. An etching module is used to etch the substrate to be etched to obtain a target pattern that is consistent with the pattern to be etched.
10. A semiconductor etching apparatus, characterized in that, The semiconductor etching apparatus includes the etching device based on nanoimprint technology as described in claim 9.