Antireflective Hardmask Composition for 157 nm Lithography
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hardmask materials are difficult to apply, require high-temperature baking, and lack sufficient etch resistance and radiation resistance, especially at shorter wavelengths, making them unsuitable for advanced lithographic processes.
Innovation Solution
A hardmask composition comprising a polymer mixture with specific monomeric units, a crosslinking component, and an acid catalyst, which can be applied by spin-coating without high-temperature baking, providing excellent etch selectivity and radiation resistance at 157, 193, and 248 nm wavelengths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional hardmask materials are used, then etch resistance may be sufficient, but application difficulty increases and high-temperature baking is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the hardmask material by incorporating specific polymers with carboxylic acid groups and hydroxyl groups that enable low-temperature curing. This compositional parameter change allows the material to achieve sufficient etch resistance without requiring high-temperature baking, thus resolving the contradiction between application ease and temperature requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite hardmask material system combining multiple polymer components (polymers with carboxylic acid groups, polymers with hydroxyl groups, and crosslinking agents) that work synergistically. This composite structure provides both ease of application at low temperatures and sufficient etch resistance, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements
2Reliability
If conventional hardmask materials are used, then etch resistance may be adequate, but radiation resistance at short wavelengths is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the optical absorption parameters of the hardmask material by selecting polymers with specific chromophores that exhibit strong absorbance at short wavelengths (157, 193, and 248 nm). This parameter modification enables the material to resist radiation damage at these wavelengths while maintaining adequate etch resistance, resolving the contradiction between radiation resistance and material performance
3Ease of operation
If conventional hardmask materials are used, then process simplicity may be maintained, but etch selectivity between hardmask and photoresist is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent imparts local quality differences to the hardmask material by incorporating functional groups (carboxylic acid and hydroxyl groups) that provide specific chemical reactivity. This local chemical characteristic enables selective etching between the hardmask and photoresist layers, allowing the etching process to distinguish between different material regions and achieve the desired pattern transfer with high selectivity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composition enables efficient pattern transfer with superior optical and mechanical properties, easy application, and high etch selectivity, suitable for fabricating semiconductor integrated circuits with improved storage life and reduced interactions with imaging resist layers.
Implementation Method 1
hardmask compositions including polymers having strong absorbance in the short wavelength region (e.g., 157, 193 and 248 nm) of the electromagnetic spectrum
Implementation Method 2
a crosslinking component; and (c) an acid catalyst
Data Source
AI summary
Hardmask compositions having antireflective properties useful in lithographic processes, methods of using the same, and semiconductor devices fabricated by such methods, are provided. Antireflective hardmask compositions of the invention include:(a) a polymer mixture includinga first polymer that includes one or more of the following monomeric unitswherein A is a bivalent radical selected from the group consisting of carbonyl, oxy, alkylene, fluoroalkylene, phenyldioxy, and any combination thereof; R1 and R2 are each independently a bivalent radical selected from the group consisting of an alkylene, an arylene, and any combination thereof; and x, y, and z are 0 or integers; anda second polymer including an aryl group;(b) a crosslinking component; and(c) an acid catalyst.