EUV Resist Surface Roughness via Dynamic UV Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing technologies for EUV lithography face challenges in achieving sufficient penetration of low-wavelength light, leading to inadequate surface roughness improvement in resist patterns, as the resist material used for EUV lithography is poorly responsive to vacuum ultraviolet light.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus with a holder for rotating substrates at 0.5 rpm to 3 rpm during light emission, combined with a light source emitting a continuous spectrum of 115 nm to 400 nm, including vacuum ultraviolet light, and a gas supply and discharge system to maintain a controlled pressure environment, allowing optimal penetration of light components for surface roughness enhancement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If vacuum ultraviolet light is emitted to the resist pattern surface, then surface roughness improvement is achieved, but light penetration into the pattern is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is rotated during light emission at a controlled speed (0.5 rpm to 3 rpm), making the processing dynamic rather than static. This rotation enables different regions of the resist pattern to sequentially receive light irradiation, improving overall light penetration and surface roughness improvement effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds the temporal dimension of rotation to the light emission process. By rotating the substrate while emitting light, the system transforms a static illumination problem into a dynamic multi-angle irradiation process, allowing light to penetrate deeper into the pattern from multiple positions.
2Illumination intensity
If substrate rotation speed is increased, then light penetration improves, but uniformity of light distribution deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the rotation speed parameter within a specific range (0.5 rpm to 3 rpm) to balance light penetration and uniformity. This parameter optimization ensures that the substrate rotates slowly enough to maintain uniform light distribution while still achieving improved light penetration through the resist pattern.
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
This configuration enhances the surface roughness of resist patterns and underlying films by ensuring effective penetration of low-wavelength light, improving etching resistance and film quality, even with materials that are poorly responsive to vacuum ultraviolet light.
Implementation Method 1
a light source part including a plurality of light sources configured to emit light including vacuum ultraviolet light to the pattern
Implementation Method 2
emitting light having a wavelength of 200 nm or less to the front surface of a resist formed on the surface of a substrate and patterned after exposure
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate processing apparatus includes a holder configured to hold, within a processing container, a substrate having a pattern formed of a resist material for EUV lithography on a surface thereof, a rotation driving part configured to rotate the holder, and a light source part including a plurality of light sources configured to emit light to the surface of the substrate held by the holder rotated by the rotation driving part such that a number of rotations of the substrate is 0.5 rpm to 3 rpm.