Halogen-Containing Resist Underlayer Film for Electron Beam Lithography
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In electron beam lithography, adverse effects from the base substrate or electron beam cause resist patterns to become trailing or undercut, making it difficult to form straight patterns and achieving satisfactory margins relative to electron beam irradiance levels, and existing resist underlayer films do not adequately prevent intermixing with resist layers or offer sufficient dry etching rates.
Innovation Solution
A resist underlayer film forming composition containing a polymer compound with a repeating unit structure that includes halogen atoms, used in conjunction with a solvent, crosslinking agents, and acid generators, which forms a film that reduces adverse effects, prevents intermixing, and enhances dry etching rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a conventional resist underlayer film is used in electron beam lithography, then the film can be formed without special equipment, but the film causes intermixing with the resist layer and has inadequate dry etching rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the resist underlayer film by incorporating halogen-containing polymer compounds (with specific repeating unit structures containing halogen atoms) to achieve both ease of manufacture and improved resist pattern straightness. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by modifying the material properties to prevent intermixing while maintaining formation simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite material structure by combining halogen-containing polymer compounds with specific functional groups (hydroxyl, carboxyl, amino, or isocyanate groups) to create a resist underlayer film that simultaneously achieves ease of manufacture and prevents intermixing with the resist layer, thereby resolving the technical contradiction.
2Reliability
If the resist underlayer film is made thicker to improve adhesion and coverage, then the film provides better protection, but the dry etching rate decreases and pattern transfer efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the thickness parameter of the resist underlayer film to a specific range (50-500 nm) and changes the material composition (halogen-containing polymer compounds) to achieve both reliable adhesion and high dry etching rate. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between protection and etching efficiency.
3Ease of manufacture
If existing resist underlayer films are used, then the process is simple, but the film cannot prevent adverse effects from electron beam causing trailing or undercut patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by incorporating halogen-containing polymer compounds with specific repeating unit structures that contain halogen atoms, which prevents adverse effects from electron beam while maintaining process simplicity. This resolves the contradiction between ease of manufacture and pattern accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of electron beam into a beneficial process by using halogen-containing polymer compounds that specifically interact with electron beam to prevent trailing and undercut patterns, thereby improving pattern accuracy while maintaining simple processing.
4Ease of manufacture
If the resist underlayer film is formed without halogen-containing compounds, then the material is simpler and cheaper, but the dry etching rate is insufficient for efficient pattern transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition by introducing halogen-containing polymer compounds with specific repeating unit structures, which significantly increases the dry etching rate while maintaining reasonable material complexity. This resolves the contradiction between material simplicity and etching efficiency.
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 allows for the formation of straight resist patterns with improved margins relative to electron beam irradiance levels, prevents intermixing with resist layers, and provides a higher dry etching rate than traditional films, facilitating efficient pattern transfer during the electron beam lithography process.
Implementation Method 1
a resist underlayer film for electron beam lithography... capable of obtaining a satisfactory margin relative to an electron beam irradiance level by reducing the above adverse effects
Implementation Method 2
a resist underlayer film forming composition... which is applied to the substrate and calcined to form a film
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a resist underlayer film forming composition for an electron beam lithography that is used in a device production process using electron beam lithography and is effective for reducing adverse effects caused by an electron beam to obtain a favorable resist pattern, and a method of forming a resist pattern using the resist underlayer film forming composition for electron beam lithography. The resist underlayer film forming composition for an electron beam lithography comprises a polymer compound having a repeating unit structure that contains a halogen atom, and a solvent, and the composition is applied in a form of film between a film to be processed for forming a transferring pattern on a substrate and a resist film for an electron beam lithography, and used for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The polymer compound preferably contains at least 10% by mass of a halogen atom.