Process of drying a cast polymeric film disposed on a workpiece

Inactive Publication Date: 2003-01-09
IBM CORP
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Unfortunately, hot plate drying of photoresists surfaces removes most of the solvent but, as taught by Ito et al., J. Photopolymer Sci., 1, 625 (1999), up to about 7% by weight of the solvent may remain in the cast photoresist film.
Specifically, photoresists known as "fast" photoresists, which contain acid amplifiers, are particularly susceptible to this problem.
The retention of even 4% solvent in a photoresist film, as those skilled in the art are aware, reduces lithographic resolution of the photoresist film.
As such, the adverse environmental impact of such materials have led to increasing governmental regulation of their use.
None of these alternatives, however, provide the excellent results obtained by spray coating of protective coatings.
Such systems are not compatible with supercritical carbon dioxide.
This reaction causes undesirable results insofar as the resultant film is characterized by the presence of crystals, voids and the like.
Therefore, although this positive tone development is a significant advance in the art, it is not employable when positive tone photoresists are utilized.
Since most photoresist employed in the manufacture of semiconductor devices are positive photoresists, the invention of the '418 patent is not commercializable.
In this new process environmental problems associated with the removal of VOCs and, concurrently, the removal of residual amounts of these volatile compounds, which produce nonuniform coatings, is provided.

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  • Process of drying a cast polymeric film disposed on a workpiece
  • Process of drying a cast polymeric film disposed on a workpiece

Examples

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example 2

[0034] The KRS.RTM. photoresist film of Example 1 in which solvent extraction took place at 2000 psi and 32.degree. C. was cured by exposure to ultraviolet light and then developed in an alkaline solution.

[0035] This successful processing of the KRS.RTM. further emphasizes the benefits of the solvent extraction process of the present invention. That is, the successful curing of the KRS.RTM. photoresist film is indicative of the absence of any loss of photoacid generator, an essential ingredient in the curing of the photoresist film.

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Abstract

A process of drying a cast film polymeric disposed upon a workpiece. In this process a cast polymeric film, which includes a volatile organic compound therein, disposed on a workpiece, is contacted with an extraction agent which may be liquid carbon dioxide or supercritical carbon dioxide.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE[0001] 1. Field of the Invention[0002] The present invention is directed to a process of drying a cast polymeric film disposed on a workpiece. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a process of drying a cast polymeric film disposed on a workpiece by contacting the film with liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide.[0003] 2. Background of the Prior Art[0004] The casting of polymeric films by such methods as spin coating, spraying, dip coating or roller coating is commonly employed in many commercially important processing operations. A common concern in these processes is the removal of the solvent constituent of the polymeric composition to obtain a polymeric film free of solvent.[0005] A particularly important example of such processing involves the application of polymeric films on semiconductor workpieces in the fabrication of semiconductor devices. The most important of these polymeric films are photoresist compositions, which are disp...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): F26B5/00F26B21/14G03F7/16
CPCF26B5/005F26B21/14G03F7/162G03F7/168Y10S430/136
InventorGOLDFARB, DARIO L.MCCULLOUGH, KENNETH JOHNMEDEIROS, DAVID R.MOREAU, WAYNE M.SIMONS, JOHN P.TAFT, CHARLES J.
OwnerIBM CORP