Metal Oxide EUV Resist Development With Selective Gas Etching
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Solution Overview
Problem
The processing and development of inorganic-based resists for EUV patterning in semiconductor manufacturing pose challenges due to the need for improved selectivity between exposed and unexposed areas.
Innovation Solution
The method involves forming a metal oxide resist on a substrate, exposing it to an EUV light pattern, and then using a selective gas in conjunction with a developing gas to enhance the selectivity of the development process, allowing for thicker resist layers and reduced development dose and exposure time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If inorganic-based resists are used for EUV patterning, then etch resistance and etch selectivity are improved, but processing and development challenges increase
Solution Approach 1:
A selective gas is introduced as an intermediary substance between the developing gas and the metal oxide resist. This selective gas modifies the chemical environment to enhance the differential reactivity between exposed and unexposed resist regions, thereby improving development selectivity without compromising the inherent etch resistance of the inorganic resist material.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical parameters of the development environment by introducing a selective gas with specific reactivity characteristics. This modifies the development process parameters to achieve better contrast between exposed and unexposed areas, making the development of inorganic resists more controllable and less challenging.
2Device complexity
If conventional developing gas is used, then development process is simple, but selectivity between exposed and unexposed portions is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The selective gas acts as a chemical mediator that enhances the selectivity mechanism. It interacts differently with exposed versus unexposed resist portions, amplifying the contrast and enabling more precise pattern formation. This intermediary approach maintains relative process simplicity while dramatically improving manufacturing precision through selective chemical enhancement.
3Length of stationary object
If thicker resist layers are used, then mask budget is improved, but development selectivity becomes more difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The selective gas intermediary enables differential penetration and reaction rates through thicker resist layers. By modulating the chemical environment, it enhances the contrast between exposed and unexposed regions even at greater depths, allowing thicker resist masks to be effectively developed with maintained selectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
Introducing the selective gas changes the chemical reaction parameters and diffusion characteristics in the development process. This parameter modification enables effective development of thicker resist layers by enhancing the differential reactivity throughout the increased thickness, maintaining selectivity despite the greater material depth.
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 approach improves the selectivity of the development etch, enabling thicker resist layers to be used, reducing development dose and exposure time, and increasing process throughput while allowing for tuning of the selectivity by selecting appropriate chemistry for the selective gas.
Implementation Method 1
flowing a selective gas over the exposed metal oxide resist, where the selective gas increases a selectivity between the exposed portions and unexposed portions of the exposed metal oxide resist to a developing gas
Implementation Method 2
photons are emitted from a light source onto a photosensitive photoresist to initiate a chemical reaction in the photoresist
Implementation Method 3
the photoresist is developed and exposed or unexposed portions of the photoresist are removed to form a pattern or a mask
Data Source
AI summary
A method for processing a substrate includes forming a metal oxide resist over the substrate, exposing the metal oxide resist to an extreme ultraviolet light pattern, and flowing a selective gas over the metal oxide resist. The selective gas increases a selectivity of the exposed metal oxide resist to a developing gas. The method further includes flowing the developing gas over the metal oxide resist in a processing chamber and etching the substrate using remaining portions of the metal oxide resist as a mask.