706 results about "Immersion lithography" patented technology

A method and system is described for drying a thin film on a substrate following liquid immersion lithography. Drying the thin film to remove immersion fluid from the thin film is performed prior to baking the thin film, thereby reducing the likely hood for interaction of immersion fluid with the baking process. This interaction has been shown to cause non-uniformity in critical dimension for the pattern formed in the thin film following the developing process.

In a lithographic projection apparatus, a space between an optical element of a projection system is filled with a first fluid and a second fluid separated by a translucent plate. The first and second fluids have first and second indices of refraction, respectively, that are different from one another. The first fluid is provided in a space between a substrate and the translucent plate and preferably has an index of refraction similar to the index of refraction of the substrate. The second fluid is provided in a space between the translucent plate and the optical element and preferably has an index of refraction similar to the index of refraction of the optical element. The translucent plate has a third index of refraction between the first and second indices of refraction. The third index of refraction may be equal to the first index of refraction or the second index of refraction. A device manufacturing method includes filling a space between the optical element and the substrate with at least two fluids having different indices of refraction.

An immersion lithographic system 10 comprises an optical surface 51, an immersion fluid 60 with a pH less than 7 contacting at least a portion of the optical surface, and a semiconductor structure 80 having a topmost photoresist layer 70 wherein a portion of the photoresist is in contact with the immersion fluid. Further, a method for illuminating a semiconductor structure 80 having a topmost photoresist layer 70 comprising the steps of: introducing an immersion fluid 60 into a space between an optical surface 51 and the photoresist layer wherein the immersion fluid has a pH of less than 7, and directing light preferably with a wavelength of less than 450 nm through the immersion fluid and onto the photoresist.

The present invention relates to an immersion lithographic system for patterning a work piece arranged at an image plane and covered at least partly with a layer sensitive to electromagnetic radiation. Said system comprising a source emitting electromagnetic radiation onto an object plane, a mask, adapted to receive and modulate said electromagnetic radiation at said object plane and to relay said electromagnetic radiation toward said work piece, and an immersion medium contacting at least a portion of a final lens of said lithographic system and a portion of said work piece, wherein an area of said contacting is restricted by capillary forces. The invention further relates to a method for patterning a workpiece.

A purely refractive projection objective suitable for immersion microlithography is designed as a single-waist system with five lens groups, in the case of which a first lens group with negative refractive power, a second lens group with positive refractive power, a third lens group with negative refractive power, a fourth lens group with positive refractive power and a fifth lens group with positive refractive power are provided. A constriction site of narrowest constriction of the beam bundle lies in the region of the waist. A waist distance AT exists between the object plane and the constriction site X. The condition AT/L≦0.4 holds for a distance ratio AT/L between the waist distance AT and an object-image distance L of the projection objective. Embodiments of inventive projection objectives reach very high numerical apertures NA>1.1 in conjunction with a large image field and are distinguished by a compact overall size and good correction of the lateral chromatic aberration.

A liquid-filled balloon may be positioned between a workpiece, such as a semiconductor structure covered with a photoresist, and a lithography light source. The balloon includes a thin membrane that exhibits good optical and physical properties. Liquid contained in the balloon also exhibits good optical properties, including a refractive index higher than that of air. Light from the lithography light source passes through a mask, through a top layer of the balloon membrane, through the contained liquid, through a bottom layer of the balloon membrane, and onto the workpiece where it alters portions of the photoresist. As the liquid has a low absorption and a higher refractive index than air, the liquid-filled balloon system enhances resolution. Thus, the balloon provides optical benefits of liquid immersion without the complications of maintaining a liquid between (and in contact with) a lithographic light source mechanism and workpiece.

An immersion lithographic apparatus includes a voltage generator or power source that applies a potential difference to an object in contact with the immersion liquid such that bubbles and/or particles in the immersion liquid are either attracted or repelled from that object due to the electrokinetic potential of the surface of the bubble in the immersion liquid.

A lithographic apparatus for immersion lithography is described in which a compensation controller controls actuators to apply forces to the substrate equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to forces which are applied to the substrate by a liquid supply system which supplies liquid between the projection system and the substrate.

In an immersion lithography apparatus, the immersion liquid is supplied from a tank via a flow restrictor. The liquid held in the tank is maintained at a substantially constant height above the flow restrictor to ensure a constant flow of liquid.

The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of this invention includes an exposure section provided within a chamber for exposing a design pattern on a resist film applied on a wafer, and a liquid recycle section for supplying, onto the wafer, a liquid for use in immersion lithography for increasing the numerical aperture of exposing light during exposure while recycling the liquid. The liquid recycle section includes a liquid supply part for supplying the liquid onto the resist film of the wafer, a liquid discharge part for discharging and recovering the liquid from above the wafer, and an impurity removal part for containing the liquid and removing an impurity included in the liquid.

A purely refractive projection objective suitable for immersion micro-lithography is designed as a single-waist system with five lens groups, in the case of which a first lens group with a negative refracting power, a second lens group with a positive refracting power, a third lens group with a negative refracting power, a fourth lens group with a positive refracting power and a fifth lens group with a positive refracting power are provided. The system aperture is in the region of maximum beam diameter between the fourth and the fifth lens group. Embodiments of projection objectives according to the invention achieve a very high numerical aperture of NA>1 in conjunction with a large image field, and are distinguished by a good optical correction state and moderate overall size. Pattern widths substantially below 100 nm can be resolved when immersion fluids are used between the projection objective and substrate in the case of operating wavelengths below 200 nm.

To a resist composition, an alkali-soluble polymer having fluorinated ester-containing lactone units incorporated therein is included as an additive. The resist composition forms a resist film having a reduced contact angle after development. The resist film prevents water penetration during immersion lithography.

A system and/or method are disclosed for measuring and/or controlling refractive index (n) and/or lithographic constant (k) of an immersion medium utilized in connection with immersion lithography. A known grating structure is built upon a substrate. A refractive index monitoring component facilitates measuring and/or controlling the immersion medium by utilizing detected light scattered from the known grating structure.

Resist compositions that can be used in immersion lithography without the use of an additional topcoat are disclosed. The resist compositions comprise a photoresist polymer, at least one photoacid generator, a solvent; and a self-topcoating resist additive. A method of forming a patterned material layer on a substrate using the resist composition is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a top coat composition, which is characterized in that it is applied to a photoresist top surface by using a polymer containing at least one structure represented by the formula [1], [2] or [3]. It is possible to produce a top coat composition solution by dissolving this top coat composition in an organic solvent. These top coat composition and top coat composition solution can be used in immersion lithography.

There is disclosed a resist composition comprising, at least, a polymer including repeating units represented by the following general formula (1). There can-be provided a resist composition that has a good barrier property against water, prevents resist components from leaching to water, has high receding contact angle against water, does not require a protective film, has an excellent process applicability, suitable for the liquid immersion lithography and makes it possible to form micropatterns with high precision.

A resist composition which is stable relative to solvents used in immersion lithography processes and displays excellent sensitivity and resist pattern profile, and a method of forming a resist pattern that uses such a resist composition are provided. The resist composition is in accordance with predetermined parameters, or is a positive resist composition comprising a resin component (A) which contains an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group and displays increased alkali solubility under the action of acid, an acid generator component (B), and an organic solvent (C), wherein the component (A) contains a structural unit (a1) derived from a (meth)acrylate ester containing an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group, but contains no structural units (a0), including structural units (a0-1) containing an anhydride of a dicarboxylic acid and structural units (a0-2) containing a phenolic hydroxyl group.

The pressure and/or height of liquid in a liquid reservoir of an immersion lithography apparatus is obtained by a measurement device. The pressure and/or height can be used to determine the height and/or tilt of the substrate.

A top coat material for applying on top of a photoresist material is disclosed. The top coat material includes a polymer, which includes at least one fluorosulfonamide monomer unit having one of the following two structures:

wherein: M is a polymerizable backbone moiety; Z is a linking moiety selected from the group consisting of —C(O)O—, —C(O)—, —OC(O)—, and —O—C(O)—C(O)—O—; R₁ is selected from the group consisting of an alkylene, an arylene, a semi- or perfluorinated alkylene, and a semi- or perfluorinated arylene; p and q are 0 or 1; R₂ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, fluorine, an alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbons, and a semi- or perfluorinated alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbons; n is an integer from 1 to 6; and R₃ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl, an aryl, a semi- or perfluorinated alkyl, and a semi- or perfluorinated aryl. The top coat material may be used in lithography processes, wherein the top coat material is applied on a photoresist layer. The top coat material is preferably soluble in aqueous alkaline developer. The top coat material is also preferably insoluble in water, and is therefore particularly useful in immersion lithography techniques using water as the imaging medium.