In-Situ Dry Development for EUV Hard Mask Etch Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
EUV photoresists face challenges with pattern distortion and etch transfer issues due to thin film thickness and low EUV absorption, leading to defects in high aspect ratio areas, especially with critical dimensions less than 30 nm, and conventional development processes suffer from capillary forces.
Innovation Solution
Implementing in-situ dry development and etching tools that integrate dry develop and hard mask etching processes, using plasma or chemical vapor development, and incorporating sensors and controllers for process control to achieve precise pattern formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If wet development process is used, then development efficiency is improved, but capillary forces cause pattern distortion and defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the wet chemical development process with a plasma-based dry development process. This substitution eliminates the capillary forces inherent in liquid-based development that cause pattern distortion, while maintaining effective photoresist development through plasma chemistry interactions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses plasma in a controlled atmosphere environment for development. The plasma provides a non-capillary, controlled chemical environment that develops the photoresist pattern without the harmful capillary effects of liquid developers, thereby preventing pattern distortion.
2Manufacturing precision
If photoresist film thickness is reduced, then critical dimension resolution is improved, but etch transfer issues and pattern distortion increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the development process parameters from wet to plasma-based dry development. This parameter change enables better control of thin photoresist patterns, improving critical dimension resolution while preventing etch transfer issues through more uniform pattern formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes plasma-based development for wet chemical development, providing better control over thin photoresist film development. This substitution eliminates capillary forces that distort thin patterns and improves etch transfer fidelity by creating more accurate and uniform patterns.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate wet development and hard mask etching processes are used, then process flexibility is improved, but manufacturing complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the development and hard mask etching processes into a single integrated plasma-based process. This combination maintains process flexibility through plasma parameter control while reducing manufacturing complexity by eliminating separate process steps and simplifying the overall workflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The plasma processing system is designed to perform multiple functions - both development and hard mask etching - within a single chamber. This multi-functionality reduces manufacturing complexity and equipment requirements while maintaining the flexibility needed for different pattern formation requirements.
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
Reduces pattern distortion and defects by utilizing dry development processes, improving etch transfer and reducing manufacturing costs through efficient process control and integration of dry develop and hard mask etching.
Implementation Method 1
Patterned exposure is followed by a development process during which the removal of soluble regions of the photo resist occurs using either a wet (solvent) or a dry (gaseous) development process
Implementation Method 2
using plasma or chemical vapor development
Implementation Method 3
The photo resist is exposed through a lithographic mask (and associated optics) using, for example, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography
Implementation Method 4
exposing the photoresist film with a pattern of extreme ultraviolet radiation to form an exposed photoresist film
Implementation Method 5
an etch chamber for plasma etching a first wafer to be processed
Implementation Method 6
etching the hard mask material in a hard mask etch chamber to form the patterned structure
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment etching tool includes an etch chamber for plasma etching a first wafer to be processed; a transfer chamber coupled to the etch chamber; a first run path between the transfer chamber and the etch chamber, the first run path including a path for moving the first wafer to be processed from the transfer chamber to the etch chamber, where the etching tool is configured to dry develop the first wafer to be processed before etching a hard mask on the first wafer in the etch chamber.