Patterning using monomer-based sacrificial material lift-off

Abstract

The method comprises forming a plurality of islands of a first material on a plurality of first sections of a layer. A plurality of second sections of the layer are not covered by the first material. The method further comprises depositing a second material on (i) the islands of the first material and (ii) the second sections of the layer that are not covered by the islands of the first material. The method further comprises evaporating and / or sublimating the islands of the first material to remove any residue of the second material that was on the islands of the first material. In one example, the second material remains on the second sections of the layer, thereby forming a pattern of the second material on the layer. In one example, the first material is a monomer, and the second material is a conductor, dielectric, or semiconductor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001]

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to microelectronic devices, and more specifically, to patterning materials on layers within microelectronic devices.

Background Art

[0002]

[0002] Integrated circuit structures include multiple components such as transistors, diodes, conductive lines, vias, and / or passive devices such as resistors, inductors, and capacitors. In one example, an integrated circuit structure can include multiple layers, where each layer can include a dielectric material or a conductive material, or both. One or more corresponding components can be formed on or within the layer. To form components on or within the layer, one or more materials can be patterned on the layer (e.g., to form a pre-specified pattern of these materials on the layer), where the patterned materials can include a dielectric material and / or a conductive material.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0003] [Figure 1A]

[0003] FIG. 1A illustrates a flowchart depicting a method for forming multiple islands of a sacrificial material on multiple first sections of a layer, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, where multiple second sections of the layer are not covered by the sacrificial material. [Figure 1B]

[0004] FIG. 1B illustrates a flowchart depicting another method for forming multiple islands of a sacrificial material on multiple first sections of a layer, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, where multiple second sections of the layer are not covered by the sacrificial material. [Figure 2A]

[0005] FIG. 2A collectively illustrates exemplary integrated circuit structures at various stages of processing according to the technique of FIG. 1A, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2B]Figure 2B collectively illustrates an example of an integrated circuit structure representing various stages of processing according to the method of Figure 1A, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A]

[0006] Figure 3A collectively illustrates integrated circuit structures that represent examples of various stages of processing by the method shown in Figure 1B according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] Figure 3B collectively illustrates an example of an integrated circuit structure representing various stages of processing by the method shown in Figure 1B, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3C] Figure 3C collectively illustrates integrated circuit structures that represent examples of various stages of processing by the method shown in Figure 1B according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4]

[0007] Figure 4 illustrates a flowchart illustrating a method for forming an integrated circuit structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the material is arranged on multiple sections of a layer, thereby forming a pattern of material on the layer. [Figure 5A1]

[0008] Figure 5A1 collectively illustrates integrated circuit structures that represent examples of various stages of processing by the method shown in Figure 4, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5A2] Figure 5A2 collectively illustrates an example of an integrated circuit structure representing various stages of processing according to the method of Figure 4, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5B1] Figure 5B1 collectively illustrates integrated circuit structures that represent examples of various stages of processing by the method shown in Figure 4, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5B2] Figure 5B2 collectively illustrates integrated circuit structures that represent examples of various stages of processing by the method shown in Figure 4, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5C1] Figure 5C1 collectively illustrates integrated circuit structures that represent examples of various stages of processing according to the method of Figure 4, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5C2] Figure 5C2 collectively illustrates integrated circuit structures that represent examples of various stages of processing according to the method of Figure 4, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0004]

[0009] The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the present disclosure for illustrative purposes only and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Numerous variations, configurations, and other embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed description.

[0005]

[0010] This specification discloses a technique for patterning a material on a layer, wherein the patterning process is substantially free of chemical etching solutions and is based on the physical transformation of the sacrificial material. Examples of physical transformation of the sacrificial material include melting, evaporation, and / or sublimation of the sacrificial material, which avoids or reduces the use of harsh chemical etching solutions or photolithography. In one example, monomers may be used as the sacrificial material, but other materials may also be used. The patterning process is relatively gentle on the material and / or layer (compared to, for example, when chemical etching solutions are used), and the possibility of chemical incompatibility during the patterning process is absent or reduced.

[0006]

[0011] In one embodiment, the patterning process involves forming multiple islands of sacrificial material on multiple first sections of a layer, where multiple second sections of the layer are not covered by the sacrificial material. In one example, the sacrificial material is a monomer. In one example, the multiple islands of sacrificial material may be formed by first blanket-depositing the sacrificial material onto the layer, then patterning the sacrificial material using laser ablation to form islands of sacrificial material on the layer. In another example, the multiple islands of sacrificial material may be formed by depositing the sacrificial material onto the layer through a mask, such as a shadow mask.

[0007]

[0012] After multiple islands of sacrificial material are formed on multiple first sections of a layer, the material is deposited on (i) multiple islands of sacrificial material and (ii) multiple second sections of the layer not covered by the multiple islands of sacrificial material. Subsequently, physical changes are induced in the sacrificial material. For example, the multiple islands of sacrificial material are evaporated (in this case, the solid sacrificial material first melts and is converted to a liquid state, and then to a gaseous state through evaporation), and / or sublimated (in this case, the solid sacrificial material is converted directly to a gaseous state without going through a liquid state), and any material on the multiple islands of sacrificial material is removed accordingly. Thus, a pattern of material is formed on the layer. Numerous variations and embodiments will become apparent in light of this disclosure.

[0008] [General Overview]

[0013] Patterning layered materials generally involves a photolithography process and / or chemical etching solution to selectively etch the material from above the layer. However, the use of chemical etching solutions can be relatively harsh on the material to be patterned and / or the layer itself, increasing the possibility of chemical incompatibility during the patterning process.

[0009]

[0014] Accordingly, techniques for patterning a material on a layer with little or no use of chemical etching solutions or photolithography processes are described herein. In one example, the patterning process is based on one or more physical changes of a sacrificial material and the resulting removal thereof. In some examples, the sacrificial material is a monomer, but other sacrificial materials that can be selectively removed may also be used. In some such examples, the physical changes of the sacrificial material include melting and evaporation of the sacrificial material, and / or sublimation. The patterning process is relatively gentle on the material and / or layer (compared to, for example, when chemical etching solutions are used), and the possibility of chemical incompatibility during the patterning process is absent or reduced.

[0010]

[0015] Using monomers as sacrificial materials is advantageous because, for example, the monomers can be removed relatively easily and selectively afterward (e.g., through one or more physical processes such as melting and evaporation, and / or sublimation). Monomers are generally short-chain organic molecules that can react with one or more other short-chain monomer molecules to form, for example, relatively large polymer chains or other three-dimensional composite chains. For example, monomers are short-chain compounds having a carbon skeleton. In one example, monomers are chemically relatively weak (e.g., compared to polymers) because they have relatively short chains (e.g., shorter than polymers) and the chains are not covalently bonded. Therefore, monomer removal processes are relatively easy, as will be discussed later. For example, during the sacrificial material removal process described below (e.g., in Figure 4), monomers can be removed through physical changes of monomers (such as melting and evaporation, and / or sublimation) without using any harsh chemicals or wet etching processes for monomer removal. Due to the relatively low temperatures used to melt, evaporate, and / or sublimate monomers (compared to polymers, for example), and because substantial amounts of chemicals or etching solutions are not used to remove monomers, the monomer removal process is gentle on the layer and / or the material to be patterned on the layer. Furthermore, the monomer removal process leaves little to no monomer residue, thereby avoiding or reducing contamination from residual monomers.

[0011]

[0016] In one embodiment, the patterning process involves first forming multiple islands of sacrificial material on multiple first sections of a layer. In one example, multiple second sections of the layer are not covered by the sacrificial material. As described above, in one example, the sacrificial material is a monomer. Any suitable monomer may be used, such as pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA), 4,4'-oxydianiline (ODA), and / or another suitable monomer.

[0012]

[0017] In one example, multiple islands of sacrificial material may be formed by first blanket-depositing the sacrificial material onto a layer, as described with respect to Figures 1A, 2A, and 2B, and then using laser ablation to pattern the sacrificial material and form islands of sacrificial material on the layer. In another example, multiple islands of sacrificial material may be formed by depositing the sacrificial material onto a layer through a mask, such as a shadow mask, as described with respect to Figures 1B, 3A, 3B, and 3C. In one example, laser ablation may be used to produce sacrificial material islands with relatively higher resolution compared to a scenario in which a shadow mask is used to form the sacrificial material islands.

[0013]

[0018] After multiple islands of sacrificial material are formed on multiple first sections of a layer, the material is deposited on (i) the multiple islands of sacrificial material and (ii) multiple second sections of the layer that are not covered by the multiple islands of sacrificial material. In one example, the material may be deposited as a conformal thin film.

[0014]

[0019] In one example, the material may be deposited in a low-pressure chamber, such as a partial vacuum environment (in another example, the material may be deposited at ambient atmospheric pressure), and the sacrificial material (e.g., as mentioned above, this may be a monomer) may be vacuum-compatible and vacuum-stable during the deposition of the material at low pressure or ambient atmospheric pressure. In one example, the deposited material may be, for example, a dielectric material, a semiconductor material, or a conductive material, and may be implementation-specific.

[0015]

[0020] Subsequently, in one example, the sacrificial material islands are removed from several first sections of the layer, along with the material on top of them, for example, by causing a physical change in the sacrificial material. As a result of the removal of the sacrificial material and the material on top of them, several islands of material remain on several second sections of the layer. Note that the several first sections of the layer (which were previously covered by the sacrificial material) are no longer covered by the material.

[0016]

[0021] As described above, the islands of the sacrificial material can be removed by causing a physical change to the sacrificial material, such as melting and evaporating, sublimating, and / or burning off the sacrificial material. The sacrificial material removal process can be a technique that does not use a chemical etching solution and may not use a photolithography process. For example, the sacrificial material (e.g., comprising monomers) is removed, and the unwanted material on the islands of the sacrificial material can be lifted off by heating the islands and / or layers of the sacrificial material. This results in melting and evaporation, and / or sublimation of the sacrificial material, and lift-off of the material on the islands of the sacrificial material.

[0017]

[0022] After the sacrificial material has been removed (e.g., through melting, evaporation, sublimation, or other means), the portion of the material that was above the sacrificial material is no longer adhered to the layer. In contrast, the other portions of the material on the second section of the layer are adhered to the layer or otherwise fixed. Thus, any residue of the material that was above the sacrificial material lifts off the structure with the sacrificial material. Any residue of the material that may remain above the removed sacrificial material can be removed, for example, using compressed gas or another suitable cleaning process, taking into account the limited adhesion that such residual material would have. After the removal process, the layer of patterned material remains on the plurality of second sections of the layer (and does not remain on the plurality of first sections of the layer).

[0018]

[0023] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, these various approaches can be used individually or together to pattern a material on a layer, for example, using a patterning process that does not use a chemical etching solution and uses monomers as the sacrificial material. In light of the present disclosure, numerous variations and embodiments will become apparent.

[0019]

[0024] As used herein in the description and claims, the term “about” indicates that the listed values ​​may be slightly modified, provided that the modification does not result in a non-conformity of the process or device. For example, for some elements, “about” may refer to a variation of ±0.1%, while for others, “about” may refer to a variation of ±1%, ±10%, or any point within that range. Also, as used herein, a term defined in the singular is intended to include a term defined in the plural, and vice versa.

[0020]

[0025] Any reference to a numerical range in this specification explicitly includes each number (including fractions and integers) that falls within that range. For example, a reference to the range "at least 50" or "at least about 50" in this specification includes integers such as 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, and fractions such as 50.1, 50.2, 50.3, 50.4, 50.5, 50.6, 50.7, 50.8, 50.9. Further examples include, as used herein, references to the range “less than 50” or “about less than 50” include integers such as 49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, etc., and fractions such as 49.9, 49.8, 49.7, 49.6, 49.5, 49.4, 49.3, 49.2, 49.1, 49.0, etc.

[0021]

[0026] As used herein, the terms “substantially” or “substantial” are equally applicable when used in a negative sense to refer to the complete or near-complete absence of an action, feature, characteristic, state, structure, item, or result. For example, a “substantially” flat surface is either perfectly flat or so nearly flat that its effect would be as if the surface were perfectly flat.

[0022] [Method]

[0027] Figure 1A illustrates a flowchart illustrating a method 104a for forming multiple islands 208 of sacrificial material 206 on multiple first sections 219 of layer 204 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, where multiple second sections 220 of layer 204 are not covered by the sacrificial material 206. Figures 2A and 2B collectively illustrate an integrated circuit structure 200 that is an example of the processing by method 104a of Figure 1A according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figures 1A, 2A, and 2B are described together.

[0023]

[0028] Referring to method 104a, in 108, a layer of sacrificial material 206 is deposited on layer 204. Layer 204 can be any suitable type of layer on which a pattern of material (e.g., material 506) will be formed, the pattern formation of which will be described with respect to Figure 4 below. Layer 204 may be, for example, a substrate, a layer of dielectric material, a layer of semiconductor material, or a layer of conductive material.

[0024]

[0029] In one embodiment, the sacrificial material 206 may be deposited on layer 204 using an appropriate deposition technique (e.g., conformal deposition technique), such as sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), vapor-phase epitaxy (VPE), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), or liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE). In one example, the layer of sacrificial material 206 is deposited by an appropriate thermal evaporation technique at a temperature of, for example, 100-200°C (or a different temperature range depending on the type of sacrificial material used).

[0025]

[0030] For example, the sacrificial material 206 layer may have thicknesses in the range of 10 nanometers (nm) to 50 microns, for example, in the sub-ranges of 100 nm to 50 microns, 100 nm to 10 microns, 100 nm to 1 micron, 500 nm to 50 microns, and 500 nm to 10 microns, depending on the application (Figure 5B1 below illustrates the thickness of the sacrificial layer in more detail).

[0026]

[0031] In one embodiment, the sacrificial material 206 is a monomer, but other types of sacrificial materials may also be used. Using a monomer as the sacrificial material 206 is advantageous, for example, because the monomer can be removed relatively easily afterward (see, for example, process 412 of method 400 in Figure 4, described below). A monomer is generally a short-chain organic molecule that can react with one or more other short-chain monomer molecules to form, for example, a relatively large polymer chain or another three-dimensional composite chain. For example, monomers are generally short-chain compounds and generally have a carbon skeleton. In one example, because monomers have relatively short chains (e.g., shorter than polymers) and because the chains are not covalently bonded, monomers are chemically relatively weak (e.g., compared to polymers). Therefore, monomer removal processes are relatively easy, as described below. For example, during the sacrificial material removal process described below (e.g., in Figure 4), the monomer can be removed through one or more physical changes (such as melting and evaporation, and / or sublimation) without using, for example, any harsh chemicals or wet etching processes for monomer removal. Therefore, the monomer removal process is, for example, a dry process that does not use chemicals. Due to the relatively low temperatures used to melt, evaporate, and / or sublimate the monomers (compared to polymers, for example), and because substantial amounts of chemicals or etching solutions are not used to remove the monomers, the monomer removal process is gentle on layer 504 and / or the material 512 to be patterned on this layer, as described below with respect to Figures 4, 5A1 to 5C2. Furthermore, the monomer removal process leaves no significant monomer residue, thereby avoiding or reducing contamination by residual monomers.

[0027]

[0032] Any suitable type of monomer can be used as sacrificial material 206. An example monomer that can be used as sacrificial material 206 is pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA, C6H2(C2O3)2), which is an organic compound monomer. The boiling point of PMDA monomer is about 397-400°C and can vary depending on the process conditions (such as at least partial vacuum pressure or air pressure in the reaction chamber). In another example, the organic compound monomer can be sublimated and converted directly from a solid state to a gaseous state, for example, without passing through a liquid state.

[0028]

[0033] Another example monomer that can be used as sacrificial material 206 is 4,4'-oxydianiline (ODA, O(C6H4NH2)2), which is another organic compound monomer. The boiling point of the ODA monomer is approximately 219°C. Any other suitable type of monomer can also be used as sacrificial material 206.

[0029]

[0034] Method 104a proceeds from 108 to 112. In 112, sections of sacrificial material 206 may be selectively removed such that multiple islands 208 of sacrificial material 206 remain on multiple first sections 219 of layer 204, where multiple second sections 220 of layer 204 are not covered by sacrificial material 208, as illustrated in Figure 2B.

[0030]

[0035] In one example, selective removal of the sacrificial material 206 is performed using laser ablation or fracturing. For example, a laser beam is moved across the sacrificial material 206 using an appropriate technique, for example, by using a Garbo laser beam, where a galvanometer (which is an electromechanical instrument) is used to deflect the laser beam by using a mirror, thereby causing the laser projection to move across the sacrificial material 206 in a specific, pre-set pattern. The laser beam selectively removes the sacrificial material 206. The portion of the sacrificial material 206 not removed by the laser beam remains as an island 208.

[0031]

[0036] Therefore, the resulting integrated circuit structure 200 has multiple islands 208 of sacrificial material 206 on multiple first sections 219 of layer 204, where multiple second sections 220 of layer 204 are not covered by the sacrificial material 208.

[0032]

[0037] It should be noted that the process in Method 104a is presented in a specific order for the sake of clarity. However, according to some embodiments, one or more of the processes may be performed in a different order, or not at all (and are therefore optional). Numerous variations of Method 104a and the technique described herein will become apparent in light of this disclosure.

[0033]

[0038] Figure 1B illustrates another flowchart illustrating another method 104b for forming multiple islands 308 of sacrificial material 306 on multiple first sections 319 of layer 304 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, where multiple second sections 320 of layer 304 are not covered by the sacrificial material 308. Figures 3A, 3B, and 3C collectively illustrate an integrated circuit structure 300 that is an example of the processing by method 104b of Figure 1B according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figures 1B, 3A, 3B, and 3C are described together.

[0034]

[0039] Referring to method 104b in Figure 1B, method 104b comprises forming a mask 388 on a second section 320 of layer 304 in 116, where the mask 388 has an opening 350 above the first section 319 of layer 304, as illustrated, for example, in Figure 3A. In one example, the description of layer 204 in Figure 2A also applies to layer 304 in Figure 3A. The mask 388 can be any suitable type of mask, such as a shadow mask or a hard mask. As illustrated in Figure 3A, section 319 of layer 304 is exposed through the opening 350 in the mask 388.

[0035]

[0040] Method 104b proceeds from 116 to 120. In 120, as illustrated in Figure 3B, the sacrificial material 306 is deposited (i) on the mask 388 and (ii) on section 319 of layer 304 through the opening 350 of the mask 388. In one embodiment, the sacrificial material 306 may be deposited using an appropriate deposition technique, such as sputtering, CVD, PVD, ALD, VPE, MBE, or LPE. For example, the layer of sacrificial material 306 is deposited by an appropriate thermal evaporation and deposition technique at a temperature of, for example, 100-200°C (or a different temperature range depending on the type of sacrificial material used).

[0036]

[0041] For example, the sacrificial material 306 layer may have thicknesses in the range of 10 nanometers (nm) to 50 microns, for example, in the sub-ranges of 100 nm to 50 microns, 100 nm to 10 microns, 100 nm to 1 micron, 500 nm to 50 microns, and 500 nm to 10 microns, depending on the application (Figure 5B below illustrates the thickness of the sacrificial layer in more detail).

[0037]

[0042] For example, the description of sacrificial material 208 in Figure 2A also applies to sacrificial material 308 in Figure 3B. Therefore, as described above with respect to Figure 2A, sacrificial material 308 can be a monomer.

[0038]

[0043] Method 104b proceeds from 120 to 124. At 124, the mask 388 is removed along with the sacrificial material 306 on it. In one example, as a result, several islands 308 of the sacrificial material 306 remain on several first sections 319 of layer 304, where several second sections 320 of layer 304 are not covered by the sacrificial material 308, as illustrated in Figure 3C.

[0039]

[0044] In the example where mask 388 is a shadow mask, the shadow mask is lifted off from layer 304 along with the sacrificial material 306 on it. In the example where mask 388 is a hard mask, the hard mask can be etched using any suitable etching technique, along with the removal of the sacrificial material 306 on it.

[0040]

[0045] Therefore, the resulting integrated circuit structure 300 in Figure 3C has multiple islands 308 of sacrificial material 306 on multiple first sections 319 of layer 304, where multiple second sections 320 of layer 304 are not covered by the sacrificial material 308.

[0041]

[0046] It should be noted that the process in Method 104b is presented in a specific order for the sake of clarity. However, according to some embodiments, one or more of the processes may be performed in a different order, or may not be performed at all (and are therefore optional). Numerous variations of Method 104b and the technique described herein will become apparent in light of this disclosure.

[0042]

[0047] Comparing structure 200 in Figure 2B with structure 300 in Figure 3C, method 104a in Figure 1A and method 104b in Figure 1B form similar structures 200 and 300, respectively. In one embodiment, the resolution of the island 208 of the sacrificial material 206 in Figure 2B may be greater than the resolution of the island 308 of the sacrificial material 306 in Figure 3C. Similarly, the pitch of the island 208 of the sacrificial material 206 in Figure 2B may be smaller than the pitch of the island 308 of the sacrificial material 306 in Figure 3C. Therefore, in one example, the laser ablation of method 104a in Figure 1A produces island 208 of the sacrificial material 206 in Figure 2B with better resolution and finer pitch compared to, for example, the island 308 of the sacrificial material 306 in Figure 3C.

[0043]

[0048] For example, either structure 200 or 300 in Figure 2B or Figure 3C may be used in method 400, which will be described later in Figure 4. For instance, based on the desired resolution and / or pitch of the sacrificial material island, one of structures 200 or 300 in Figure 2B or Figure 3C may be selected and used for method 400, which will be described later in Figure 4.

[0044]

[0049] Figure 4 illustrates a flowchart illustrating a method 400 for forming an integrated circuit structure 500, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, in which material 512 is present on multiple sections 520 of a layer 504, thereby forming a pattern of material 512 on the layer 504. Figures 5A1, 5A2, 5B1, 5B2, 5C1, and 5C2 collectively illustrate integrated circuit structures 500 that are examples of various stages of processing by the method 400 of Figure 4, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figures 4, 5A1, 5A2, 5B1, 5B2, 5C1, and 5C2 are described together.

[0045]

[0050] Figures 5A1, 5B1, and 5C1 illustrate cross-sectional views of structure 500. Figure 5A2 is a top or top view of structure 500 as shown in Figure 5A1, Figure 5B2 is a top or top view of structure 500 as shown in Figure 5B1, and Figure 5C2 is a top or top view of structure 500 as shown in Figure 5C1.

[0046]

[0051] Referring to method 400 in Figure 4, method 400 comprises forming multiple islands 508 of sacrificial material 506 on multiple sections 519 of layer 504, where other multiple sections 520 of layer 504 are not covered by the sacrificial material 508, as illustrated, for example, in Figures 5A1 and 5A2.

[0047]

[0052] Such islands 508 of the sacrificial material 506 may be formed using either method 104a of Figure 1A or method 104b of Figure 1B. For example, as described above, based on the desired resolution and / or pitch of the islands of the sacrificial material, one of the structures 200 of Figure 2B or 300 of Figure 3C (which are formed using either method 104a of Figure 1A or method 104b of Figure 1B, respectively) may be selected and used in process 104 of method 400 of Figure 4. Thus, process 104 of method 400 may be carried out using either method 104a of Figure 1A or method 104b of Figure 1B. In Figure 5A2 and one or more other figures herein, the islands 508 are illustrated to have a circular or elliptical cross-section, as illustrated in the plan view of Figure 5A2. However, the islands 508 and / or other features described herein may also have any other suitable cross-sectional shape. Several other exemplary shapes of the islands 508 are illustrated in Figure 5A2. For example, the island may have an elliptical shape 508a, a square or rectangular shape 508b, or a rhombic shape 508c, as illustrated in Figure 5A2.

[0048]

[0053] As illustrated in Figures 5A1 and 5A2, a plurality of openings 550 are formed above the section 520 of layer 504 and through the island 508 of sacrificial material 506.

[0049]

[0054] For example, the descriptions of sacrificial materials 208 and 308 in Figures 2A and 3A also apply to sacrificial material 508 in Figures 5A1 and 5A2. Therefore, as described above with respect to Figure 2A, sacrificial material 508 in Figures 5A1 and 5A2 may be a monomer. Similarly, for example, the descriptions of layers 204 and 304 in Figures 2A and 3A also apply to layer 504 in Figures 5A1 and 5A2.

[0050]

[0055] Method 400 proceeds from 104 to 408. In 408, as illustrated, for example, in Figures 5B1 and 5B2, the material 512 is deposited (i) on the island 508 of the sacrificial material 506, and (ii) on the section 520 of the layer 504 through the opening 550 in the sacrificial material 506. In one embodiment, the material 512 may be deposited using an appropriate deposition technique, such as sputtering, CVD, PVD, ALD, VPE, MBE, or LPE. In one example, the material 512 may be deposited as a thin film.

[0051]

[0056] In one example, material 512 may be deposited in a low-pressure chamber, such as at least a partial vacuum environment (in another example, material 512 may be deposited at ambient atmospheric pressure), and the sacrificial material 506 (which may be a monomer, for example, as described above) may be vacuum-compatible and vacuum-stable during the deposition of material 512 at low pressure or ambient atmospheric pressure. In one example, material 512 may be, for example, a dielectric material, a semiconductor material, or a conductive material, and may be implementation-specific.

[0052]

[0057] As illustrated in Figure 5B1, the island 508 of the sacrificial material 506 has a thickness or height H2, and the layer of material 512 deposited on layer 504 and island 508 has a thickness or height H1. In one example, the height H2 is substantially greater than H1. For example, H2 is, for example, at least 1.2 times (e.g., H2 is 120% of H1), or 1.4 times, or 1.8 times, or 2.0 times, or 2.5 times, or 3.0 times greater than H1. As illustrated in Figure 5B1, the thickness or heights H1 and H2 are measured in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of layer 504. In one example, an island 516 of material 512 with a relatively high aspect ratio can be formed, for example, by appropriately controlling the heights H1 and H2.

[0053]

[0058] For example, a height H2 greater than H1 ensures a discontinuity between the portion of material 512 above island 508 and the other portion of material 512 above section 520. Such a discontinuity facilitates the lift-off of the portion of material 512 above island 508 during process 412, for example, as described below.

[0054]

[0059] Method 400 proceeds from 408 to 412. In 412, the island 508 of the sacrificial material 506 is removed along with the material 512 on it, such that multiple islands 516 of material 512 remain on multiple sections 520 of layer 504, where multiple sections 519 of layer 504 are not covered by material 512, as illustrated in Figures 5C1 and 5C2. The sections 519 of layer 504 that are not covered by material 512 are exposed through openings 570 in the material 512.

[0055]

[0060] In one embodiment, the islands 508 of the sacrificial material 506 can be removed, for example, by a substantially chemical-free technique, i.e., by a technique that does not use an etching solution, and without using a photolithography process. For example, the islands 508 of the sacrificial material 506 can be removed by causing one or more physical changes, such as melting and evaporation of the sacrificial material 506, and / or sublimation.

[0056]

[0061] For example, the sacrificial material 506 (e.g., comprising monomers) may be removed, and the unwanted material 512 on the island 508 may be lifted off by heating the layer 504 and / or structure 500. This results in the conversion of the solid sacrificial material 506 to a liquid state through a melting process, and then to a gaseous state through subsequent evaporation, or a direct conversion from solid to gaseous state through sublimation of the sacrificial material 506, and the lift-off of the material 512 on the island 508. In one example, melting, evaporation, and / or sublimation may be carried out at atmospheric pressure or at least under partial vacuum, depending, for example, the type of sacrificial material 506 used.

[0057]

[0062] For example, if the sacrificial material 506 is PMDA (as described above) and the process is carried out at atmospheric pressure, a temperature of approximately 400°C may be used for the evaporation of the sacrificial material 506. In another example, if the sacrificial material 506 is ODA (also described above) and the process is carried out at atmospheric pressure, a temperature of approximately 219°C may be used for the evaporation of the sacrificial material 506. The evaporation temperature may also depend on the air pressure in the reaction chamber and the type of sacrificial material 506 (e.g., the type of monomer used for the sacrificial material 506). In one example, the evaporation temperature may be up to 500°C. Similarly, in one example, the melting and / or sublimation temperature may also depend on process parameters such as air pressure.

[0058]

[0063] After the sacrificial material 506 is removed through melting, evaporation, and / or sublimation, the portion of material 512 that was above the sacrificial material 506 is no longer adhered to layer 504. In contrast, the other portion of material 512 on section 520 adheres to layer 504 or is otherwise fixed. Thus, the portion of material 512 that was above the sacrificial material 506 lifts off from structure 500 together with the sacrificial material 506. Any residue of the portion of material 512 that was above the removed sacrificial material 506 can be removed using compressed gas (e.g., by blowing compressed gas such as air onto structure 500) or using another suitable cleaning process. In one example, the cleaning process for removing the residue of material 512 also does not use the harsh chemicals typical of etching solutions.

[0059]

[0064] As described above, in one example, the laser ablation process described with respect to Figures 1A, 2A-2B may be used to produce sacrificial material islands with relatively higher resolution compared to a scenario in which a mask is used to form sacrificial material islands, as described with respect to Figures 1B, 3A-3C, for example. Figure 5C2 illustrates a magnified view of an opening 570a in material 516, where the opening 570a is located above section 519a of layer 504 (see Figures 5C1 and 5C2 for opening 570a and section 519a), and the opening 570a is formed using islands of sacrificial material 506 formed using a mask, according to Figures 1B, 3A-3C. In the plan view of Figure 5C2, layer 504 is visible through the opening 570a. As illustrated, the opening 570a has imperfections, such as several hair-like protrusions or extensions. This is because, as explained with respect to Figures 1B and 3A-3C, for example, the corresponding island 508 of the sacrificial material 506 was formed using the mask 306. Therefore, the corresponding island 508 of the sacrificial material 506 was a relatively low-resolution island and had similar imperfections such as hair-like protrusions or extensions. As a result, when the island 508 of the sacrificial material 506 is removed (for example, process 412 of method 400), the corresponding opening 570a then has the same imperfections such as hair-like protrusions or extensions, as illustrated in Figure 5C2.

[0060]

[0065] As described above, in one embodiment, the sacrificial material 506 is a monomer (although other types of sacrificial materials may also be used). Using a monomer as the sacrificial material 206 is advantageous because, for example, the monomer can be removed relatively easily afterward (compared to, for example, removing a polymer or another type of sacrificial material). Because monomers have relatively short chains (for example, shorter than polymers) and the chains are not covalently bonded, monomers are chemically relatively weak (compared to, for example, polymers). For example, during the sacrificial material removal process 412, the sacrificial material 506 can be melted and evaporated, sublimated, or otherwise removed without using, for example, any harsh chemicals or wet etching processes for monomer removal. Thus, the sacrificial material removal process is a chemical-free dry process and involves, for example, a physical change of the sacrificial material 506 (e.g., evaporation). Due to the relatively low temperatures used to melt, evaporate, and / or sublimate the monomers (compared to polymers, for example), and because substantial amounts of chemicals or etching solutions are not used to remove the monomers, the sacrificial material removal process is gentle on the material 512 patterned on layer 504 and / or layer 204. Furthermore, the sacrificial material removal process eliminates, or at least reduces, any incompatibility between material 512 and any chemical etching process (for example, since no chemical etching process is used in method 400). Moreover, the sacrificial material removal process leaves no significant sacrificial material residue, thereby avoiding or reducing any contamination from any residual sacrificial material.

[0061]

[0066] Furthermore, in one example, no photolithography process may be used to form the structure 500 in Figure 5C or to remove the sacrificial material 506. For example, the island 508 of the sacrificial material 506 is formed without using a photolithography process (or chemical etching process), either by using laser ablation for relatively high-resolution features (e.g., Figures 1A, 2A, and 2B) or by using a shadow mask for relatively low-resolution features (e.g., Figures 1B, 3A, 3B, and 3C). Similarly, the sacrificial material 506 is removed in 412 of method 400 without using any photolithography process at all.

[0062]

[0067] The removal of sacrificial materials such as monomers is described herein. For example, as described above, a layer of monomer is deposited (see process 104), and then, at an appropriate point in the process flow, is heated to cause melting and evaporation, and / or sublimation, of the monomer (see process 412). In some other examples, two layers of monomer may be deposited. Thus, in some such examples, the sacrificial material 506 may include two distinct and compositionally different layers of monomer, such as a layer of first monomer and a layer of second monomer. The melting, evaporation, and / or sublimation temperatures of the two monomers may be different. In the monomer removal process 412, the first monomer, having a relatively lower melting and boiling temperature (or lower sublimation temperature), is removed first at a relatively lower temperature, followed by the removal of the second monomer, having a relatively higher melting and boiling temperature (or higher sublimation temperature). In some other examples, instead of two, there may be more than two layers of different monomers having different melting and boiling temperatures and / or different sublimation temperatures.

[0063]

[0068] It should be noted that the processes in Method 400 are presented in a specific order for the sake of clarity. However, according to some embodiments, one or more of the processes may be performed in a different order, or not at all (and are therefore optional). Numerous variations of Method 400 and the technique described herein will become apparent in light of this disclosure.

[0064] [Further example embodiments]

[0069] The following examples relate to further embodiments, from which numerous substitutions and configurations become apparent.

[0065]

[0070] Example 1. A method comprising: forming a plurality of islands of a first material on a plurality of first sections of a layer, wherein a plurality of second sections of the layer are not covered by the first material; (i) depositing a second material on the plurality of islands of the first material and (ii) the plurality of second sections of the layer that are not covered by the plurality of islands of the first material; and evaporating and / or sublimating the plurality of islands of the first material so that the second material remains on the plurality of second sections of the layer and thereby forms a pattern of the second material on the layer, and removing the residue of the second material that was on the plurality of islands of the first material.

[0066]

[0071] Example 2. The method according to Example 1, wherein the first material is a monomer.

[0067]

[0072] Example 3. The method according to any one of Examples 1-2, wherein removing residue of the second material that was on multiple islands of the first material is further comprising using compressed gas to remove the residue of the second material.

[0068]

[0073] Example 4. The method according to any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein forming multiple islands of the first material on multiple first sections of a layer comprises depositing the first material on multiple first sections and multiple second sections of a layer, and selectively removing the first material from multiple second sections of a layer such that the first material remains on the multiple first sections of the layer, thereby forming multiple islands of the first material.

[0069]

[0074] Example 5. The method of Example 4, wherein selective removal of the first material from multiple second sections of a layer comprises ablation of the first material from multiple second sections of a layer by passing a laser beam over portions of the first material located on multiple second sections of a layer.

[0070]

[0075] Example 6. The method according to any one of Examples 1 to 5, wherein forming multiple islands of a first material on multiple first sections of a layer comprises depositing the first material on a layer through a mask such that the first material is deposited on multiple first sections of the layer without being deposited on multiple second sections of the layer, and removing the mask.

[0071]

[0076] Example 7. The mask is a shadow mask, as described in Example 6.

[0072]

[0077] Example 8. The method according to any one of Examples 1 to 7, comprising evaporating and / or sublimating multiple islands of the first material at a temperature of up to 500°C.

[0073]

[0078] Example 9. The method according to any one of Examples 1 to 8, wherein the evaporation and / or sublimation of multiple islands of the first material is performed in at least a partial vacuum environment.

[0074]

[0079] Example 10. The method according to any one of Examples 1 to 9, wherein the thickness of at least one island among a plurality of islands of the first material is at least 20% greater than the thickness of the second material deposited on at least one of a plurality of second sections of the layer, and these thicknesses are measured in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the layer.

[0075]

[0080] Example 11. A method comprising: (i) depositing a material on the monomer structure on the first section of a layer, and (ii) depositing a material on the monomer structure on the first section of the layer and on the second section of the layer; and removing the monomer structure and removing any residue of the material that was on the monomer structure.

[0076]

[0081] Example 12. The method according to Example 11, wherein the monomer structure is removed without using a chemical etching process or photolithography.

[0077]

[0082] Example 13. A method according to any one of Examples 11-12, wherein removing the monomer structure involves causing a physical change to the monomer structure, thereby removing the monomer structure.

[0078]

[0083] Example 14. The method according to any one of Examples 11-13, wherein the removal of the monomer structure comprises evaporating and / or sublimating the monomer structure.

[0079]

[0084] Example 15. The material remains on the second section of the layer, as described in any one of Examples 11-14.

[0080]

[0085] Example 16. The method according to any one of Examples 11-15, wherein the material is a dielectric material or a conductive material.

[0081]

[0086] Example 17. A method comprising: (i) forming a sacrificial material structure on a first section of a layer, wherein a second section of the layer adjacent to the first section is not covered by the sacrificial material structure; (ii) depositing a first material on the sacrificial material structure; and removing the sacrificial material structure and the portion of the second material that was on the sacrificial material structure by causing a physical change to the sacrificial material structure.

[0082]

[0087] Example 18. The method of Example 17, wherein causing a physical change in the structure of the sacrificial material is to evaporate and / or sublimate the structure of the sacrificial material.

[0083]

[0088] Example 19. The method according to any one of Examples 17-18, wherein the removal of a portion of a second material that was on the structure of the sacrificial material is performed using compressed gas to remove the portion of a second material that was on the structure of the sacrificial material.

[0084]

[0089] Example 20. The method according to any one of Examples 17-19, wherein the sacrificial material comprises a monomer.

[0085]

[0090] The foregoing description of exemplary embodiments has been presented for illustrative and explanatory purposes only. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit this disclosure to the exact forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure is intended to be limited not by the forms for carrying out the invention, but rather by the claims appended herein. Future applications claiming priority to this application may assert the disclosed subject matter in different ways and may generally include any set of one or more limitations as variously disclosed or otherwise demonstrated herein.

Claims

1. It is a method, Forming multiple islands of a first material on multiple first sections of a layer, wherein multiple second sections of the layer are not covered by the first material. (i) depositing a second material on a plurality of islands of the first material, and (ii) depositing a second material on a plurality of second sections of the layer that are not covered by the plurality of islands of the first material, The process involves evaporating and / or sublimating the islands of the first material so that the second material remains on the plurality of second sections of the layer, thereby forming a pattern of the second material on the layer, and removing any residue of the second material that was on the plurality of islands of the first material. A method for providing this.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first material is a monomer.

3. Removing the residue of the second material that was on the plurality of islands of the first material is Using compressed gas to remove the residue of the second material. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

4. Forming multiple islands of the first material on the multiple first sections of the layer is The first material is deposited on the plurality of first sections and the plurality of second sections of the layer, Selectively removing the first material from the plurality of second sections of the layer such that the first material remains on the plurality of first sections of the layer, thereby forming a plurality of islands of the first material, The method according to claim 1, comprising:

5. Selectively removing the first material from the plurality of second sections of the layer is At a minimum, the first material is ablated from the plurality of second sections of the layer by passing a laser beam over the portion of the first material located on the plurality of second sections of the layer. The method according to claim 4, comprising:

6. Forming multiple islands of the first material on the multiple first sections of the layer is The first material is deposited on the layer through a mask such that the first material is not deposited on the plurality of second sections of the layer but on the plurality of first sections of the layer, Removing the aforementioned mask, The method according to claim 1, comprising:

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the mask is a shadow mask.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the evaporation and / or sublimation of the plurality of islands of the first material is performed at a temperature of up to 500°C.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein evaporating and / or sublimating a plurality of islands of the first material is performed in at least a partial vacuum environment.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of at least one island among a plurality of islands of the first material is at least 20% greater than the thickness of the second material deposited on at least one of the plurality of second sections of the layer, and the thickness is measured in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the layer.

11. It is a method, A monomer structure is formed on a first section of the layer, wherein a second section of the layer adjacent to the first section is not covered by the monomer structure. (i) the structure of the monomer on the first section of the layer, and (ii) depositing a material on the second section of the layer, The process involves removing the structure of the monomer and removing any residue of the material that was present on the structure of the monomer. A method for providing this.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the structure of the monomer is removed without using a chemical etching process or photolithography.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein removing the structure of the monomer is to cause a physical change in the structure of the monomer, thereby removing the structure of the monomer.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein removing the monomer structure comprises evaporating and / or sublimating the monomer structure.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the material remains on the second section of the layer.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the material is a dielectric material or a conductive material.

17. It is a method, A sacrificial material structure is formed on a first section of the layer, wherein a second section of the layer adjacent to the first section is not covered by the sacrificial material structure. (i) the structure of the sacrificial material, and (ii) depositing the first material on the second section of the layer, By causing a physical change in the structure of the sacrificial material, the structure of the sacrificial material is removed, and the portion of the second material that was on the structure of the sacrificial material is removed. A method for providing this.

18. Causing the aforementioned physical change to the structure of the sacrificial material is, The structure of the sacrificial material is evaporated and / or sublimated. The method according to claim 17, comprising:

19. Removing the portion of the second material that was on the structure of the sacrificial material is, Using compressed gas to remove the portion of the second material that was on the structure of the sacrificial material. The method according to claim 17, comprising:

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the sacrificial material comprises a monomer.

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