Resist pattern swelling material, and method for patterning using same

Abstract

To provide a method for easily forming microscopic patterns exceeding the limit of exposure in the patterning technique utilizing the photolithography method in the vacuum deep ultraviolet ray region, a resist pattern swelling material is comprised by mixing a water-soluble or alkali-soluble composition comprising a resin and a cross linking agent and any one of a non-ionic interfacial active agent and an organic solvent selected from a group of the alcohol based, chain or cyclic ester based, ketone based, chain or cyclic ether based organic solvents.

Description

[0001] This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Applications No. 2001-245082, filed Aug. 10, 2001, and No. 2002-230427, filed Aug. 7, 2002, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, and a continuation of PCT / JP02 / 08224, filed Aug. 12, 2002.[0002] 1. Field of the Invention[0003] The present invention relates to a resist pattern swelling material, a method of forming a microscopic pattern, a method of manufacturing a miniaturized device and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device and more specifically to a technique for swelling a pattern provided on the resist exceeding the exposure limit by providing a film on the surface of resist pattern formed through the exposure and then swelling the resist pattern through reaction between the resist pattern and the relevant film.[0004] Predominantly because of maintaining high productivity, utilization of light for resist exposure is still highly demanded even at p...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0020] In more detail, in the example of item (1), since a film is formed on the surface of the resist pattern with a material obtained by mixing the particular cross linking agent and the particular interfacial active agent into the particular resin composition, the interfacial active agent within the film can improve affinity with the resist pattern surface and thereby the sufficient pattern swelling effect of the material can be attained.

[0021] In the example of item (2), since a film is formed on the resist pattern surface with a material obtained by adding the particular cross linking agent and a resin material known as the existing resist material into the particular resin composition, the existing resist material in the film reacts with the resist pattern surface and dissolves a little the pattern surface to improve the affinity with the resist pattern surface and thereby sufficient pattern swelling effect of the material can be assured.

[0022] In the example of item (3), since a film is formed on the resist pattern surface with inclusion of the resin material known as the existing resist material, the particular cross linking agent and the solvent which does not easily dissolves the resist pattern, the solvent reacts with the resist pattern surface to dissolve the surface a little to improve the affinity with the resist pattern surface and thereby sufficient pattern swelling effect of the material can be assured.

[0023] In the example of item (5), the affinity of the resist pattern surface is improved with an aqueous solution including the interfacial active agent and subsequently the resist pattern surface is coated with a water-soluble composition including the particular resin and the particular cross linking agent. Thereby, the affinity of the resist pattern surface can be improved by formation of the pattern swelling material through the coating thereof and sufficient swelling effect can be assured.

Problems solved by technology

Namely, the phase-solubility is rather good in the resists consisting of resins based on phenol as explained in the items (a) and (b), but the resist pattern swelling effect cannot be obtained in the resist consisting of the resins based on alicyclic group as explained in the item (c) because such phase-solubility cannot be detected.

On the other hand, even after the process by a kind of chemical solution to which a good solvent of 20 wt % is added is executed before the swelling process by forming through the coating of the pattern swelling film on the resist pattern, increase of the thickness almost cannot be recognized and therefore the swelling effect of the resist pattern by the process with the chemical solution may substantially be neglected.

Actually, when excessively large amount of interfacial active agent is added, aggregation becomes a problem and thereby the interfacial active agent is allocated with deviation and therefore it can be thought that sufficient pattern swelling amount cannot be obtained.

Moreover, when amount of addition of the interfacial active agent exceeds 5 wt % among the result of experiments, the surface of pattern is roughed (nebula is generated) and this event will generate a fear for generation of a problem that control for the shape of pattern becomes difficult.

On the other hand, when the urea derivative is used, since this material has only two coupling hands for contribution to the cross linking within one molecule thereof, the cross linking property of the urea derivative is weak and therefore it can be assumed that the resist pattern is not sufficiently swelled and the hole pattern reduction effect is rather low.

From these results, it can be understood that addition of polyvinyl acetal itself does not control the pattern swelling effect even when the polyvinyl acetal is added when the phenol based resin is included in the pattern swelling material.

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