Process Solutions Containing Surfactants

Abstract

Process solutions comprising one or more surfactants are used to reduce the number of defects in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. In certain embodiments, the process solution may reduce post-development defects such as pattern collapse or line width roughness when employed as a rinse solution either during or after the development of the patterned photoresist layer. Also disclosed is a method for reducing the number of defects such as pattern collapse and/or line width roughness on a plurality of photoresist coated substrates employing the process solution of the present invention.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 804,513, filed on Mar. 19, 2004, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10 / 218,087, filed 12 Aug. 2002, 10 / 339,709, filed 9 Jan. 2003, and 10 / 616,662 filed 10 Jul. 2003, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to methods for the manufacture of semiconductor devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for reducing defects, particularly pattern collapse and photoresist line roughness, in semiconductor devices incurred during the manufacturing process without sacrificing throughput. [0003] Defects are a major limiting factor for production yield and device function, particularly when the device sizes are reduced and wafer sizes are enlarged to 300 mm. The term “defects”, as used herein, relates to def...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0023] In yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for avoiding a collapse of a developed pattern on the surface of a plurality of substrates and reducing photoresist line roughness comprising: providing a first substrate comprising a photoresist pattern developed upon the surface; preparing a process solution comprising from 10 ppm to about 10,000 of at least one surfactant having the formulas (I), (i), (III), (IVa), (IVb), (V), (VI), (VII), (VIII), (IXa), (IXb), (IXc), (Xa), (Xb), (Xc), or (Xd) described herein; contac

Problems solved by technology

Defects are a major limiting factor for production yield and device function, particularly when the device sizes are reduced and wafer sizes are enlarged to 300 mm.

The drive to reduce defects—thereby improving yield—presents new challenges to the manufacturing steps within the production of the semiconductor device, namely, the lithography, etching, stripping, and chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) processes.

Pattern collapse is becoming an emerging problem in the production of semiconductor devices due to the higher aspect ratios in the new generation of devices.

Both of these approaches may require extra manufacturing steps and special equipment that are not commonly used in semiconductor device fabrication.

Foaming and bubble generation may lead to defects.

According to Domke, the addition of the “surfactant” in the developer solution did not have a consistent effect on pattern collapse.

According to Cheu

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