Imprinting Template Side Surface Coating for Resist Adhesion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In the imprinting method for forming fine patterns on semiconductor wafers, the resist used for transferring patterns from an imprinting template often adheres to the template's side surfaces due to high wettability, leading to defects when the template is repeatedly pressed against the resist, causing resist to fall on the wafer at unintended times.
Innovation Solution
A method of manufacturing an imprinting template where a film containing silicon, carbon, and fluorine (SiCFn) is formed on the side surfaces of the template, providing excellent water and oil repellency to prevent resist adhesion, or alternatively, a CF-based polymer layer is applied directly on the template surfaces for similar repellency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the template is pressed repeatedly against the resist, then the pattern transfer process can be performed multiple times, but the resist adheres to the side surface of the mesa portion and causes defects on the wafer
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies different surface properties to different parts of the template. The upper surface maintains high wettability for good resist contact, while the side surface is treated with a low wettability coating. This local differentiation allows the template to maintain reliable performance across multiple printing cycles without resist adhesion defects.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies a low wettability coating to the side surface of the mesa portion in advance to prevent resist adhesion before the printing process begins. This preliminary protective measure counteracts the harmful effect of resist climbing up the side surface during repeated pressing operations.
2Manufacturing precision
If the resist has high wettability on the quartz glass surface, then the resist adheres well to the template, but the resist extrudes from the mesa portion and climbs up the side surface
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a contrast in surface properties between the upper surface (high wettability) and side surface (low wettability). This local differentiation allows the resist to adhere well to the template upper surface for precise pattern transfer while preventing it from climbing up the side surface where the low wettability coating is applied.
3Reliability
If a low wettability coating is applied to the side surface, then resist adhesion is prevented, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the surface energy parameter (wettability) of the side surface by applying a low wettability coating. This parameter change fundamentally alters the interaction between the resist and the side surface, preventing adhesion while using a relatively simple coating process rather than complex structural modifications.
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 SiCFn or CF-based polymer layers effectively prevent resist from adhering to the template's side surfaces, reducing defects on the wafer and allowing for stable resist adherence during the pattern transfer process, thereby enhancing the manufacturing process's reliability and reducing defect occurrence.
Implementation Method 1
providing excellent water and oil repellency to prevent resist adhesion
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing an imprinting template substrate forms a protruded mesa portion by removing a part of the substrate, and forms a film containing silicon, carbon, and fluorine, on a side surface of the mesa portion. Even when the template is pressed to the resist, the resist barely adheres to the side surface of the template. Therefore, no defect that the resist having adhered to the side surface of the template falls on the wafer and then defective parts increase, occurs.