Orthogonal Sacrificial Line Patterns for IC Photoresist Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
As semiconductor components shrink, maintaining ideal critical dimensions of photoresist layers for integrated circuit layouts becomes challenging due to non-uniformity, pattern collapse, and decreasing dimensions, which affects the density and quality of field effect transistors.
Innovation Solution
The formation of orthogonal sacrificial line patterns separate from the ends of line patterns on a substrate, increasing density and preventing photoresist overflow, thereby enhancing uniformity and end profiles of line patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If photoresist layers are coated for forming integrated circuit layouts, then the photoresist layers can cover the substrate, but non-uniformity occurs and critical dimensions decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is divided into a first area for line patterns and a second area for sacrificial line patterns. This segmentation allows the photoresist coating process to be optimized differently in each area, with the sacrificial line pattern area serving as a reference for uniform coating thickness, thereby improving overall photoresist uniformity and critical dimension control.
Solution Approach 2:
The sacrificial line pattern acts as an intermediary structure that mediates the photoresist coating process. By providing a predefined geometric reference in the second area, it helps establish uniform photoresist thickness during coating, which then transfers to the line patterns in the first area, improving manufacturing precision without compromising reliability.
2Productivity
If component sizes are shrunk to increase density, then more components fit in chip area, but pattern collapse occurs and critical dimensions decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The sacrificial line pattern is formed in advance in the second area before the main line patterns are processed. This preliminary structure serves as a reference for subsequent photoresist coating and processing steps, ensuring that even as component sizes shrink to increase density, the critical dimensions are maintained through the established reference framework.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a parameter change by creating a dedicated second area with sacrificial line patterns that have specific geometric characteristics. This allows the photoresist coating parameters to be optimized based on the sacrificial pattern area, enabling smaller component sizes and higher density while maintaining manufacturing precision through the reference provided by the sacrificial structures.
3Productivity
If line patterns are made denser to increase component count, then chip capacity increases, but photoresist over-flow occurs and profiles deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is segmented into a first area for high-density line patterns and a second area for sacrificial line patterns. This segmentation allows the photoresist coating to be controlled by the sacrificial patterns, preventing over-flow in the high-density first area while maintaining the required line pattern density for increased chip capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sacrificial line pattern in the second area serves as an intermediary reference that mediates the photoresist coating process. It provides a geometric standard that prevents photoresist over-flow into the high-density line pattern area, thereby maintaining sharp end profiles even as line pattern density increases to boost productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit process includes the following steps. A substrate including a first area and a second area is provided. A plurality of line patterns cover the substrate of the first area, and a sacrificial line pattern covers the substrate of the second area, wherein these line patterns separate from and are orthogonal to the sacrificial line pattern. The present invention also provides an integrated circuit formed by said process. A substrate includes a first area and a second area; a plurality of line patterns cover the substrate of the first area; a slot pattern is in the substrate of the second area, wherein these line patterns are orthogonal to the slot pattern. Additionally, a plurality of line patterns cover the substrate; a sacrificial line pattern is at ends of the line patterns, wherein these line patterns separate from and are orthogonal to the sacrificial line pattern.