Photoresist Composition for EUV Pattern Transfer and Etch Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The semiconductor industry faces challenges in reducing feature size and increasing device density due to tight process windows in photolithographic processing, necessitating advancements in extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) to improve wafer exposure throughput and maintain the march towards smaller components.
Innovation Solution
The development of a photoresist composition that includes a polymer and a crosslinker, which undergoes selective exposure to actinic radiation, followed by baking operations to enhance chemical differences and solubility, allowing for improved etch resistance and pattern transfer in semiconductor manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional photolithographic processing is used, then manufacturing process is simple, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to tight process windows at nanometer technology process nodes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the photoresist by incorporating specific polymers with carboxylic acid groups and metal oxide nanoparticles, changing the chemical and physical properties to achieve better etch resistance and pattern fidelity at nanometer dimensions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite photoresist materials combining organic polymers (with carboxylic acid functional groups) and inorganic metal oxide nanoparticles, creating a hybrid material system that provides both photosensitivity and enhanced etch resistance simultaneously
2Manufacturing precision
If EUVL is used to form smaller semiconductor device feature size, then manufacturing precision improves, but productivity deteriorates due to reduced wafer exposure throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the photoresist composition parameters including polymer molecular weight, nanoparticle size distribution, and concentration ratios to enhance photospeed while maintaining nanometer-scale resolution, enabling higher throughput EUVL processing
3Ease of manufacture
If photoresist composition is simplified, then ease of manufacture improves, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to insufficient etch resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates metal oxide nanoparticles (such as alumina, silica, or titania) into the photoresist matrix, creating a composite material that provides both structural integrity for pattern fidelity and chemical resistance to etching processes without significantly complicating the manufacturing formulation
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 enables higher semiconductor device feature resolution and density with increased wafer exposure throughput, reducing defects and improving resistance to wet and dry etching operations.
Implementation Method 1
The photoresist layer is selectively exposed to actinic radiation to form a latent pattern
Implementation Method 2
followed by baking operations to enhance chemical differences and solubility
Data Source
AI summary
Manufacturing method includes forming photoresist layer including photoresist composition over substrate. Photoresist composition includes: photoactive compound, polymer, crosslinker. The polymer structureA1, A2, A3 independently C1-C30 aryl, alkyl, cycloalkyl, hydroxylalkyl, alkoxy, alkoxyl alkyl, acetyl, acetylalkyl, carboxyl, alkyl carboxyl, cycloalkyl carboxyl, hydrocarbon ring, heterocyclic, chain, ring, 3-D structure; R1 is C4-C15 chain, cyclic, 3-D structure alkyl, cycloalkyl, hydroxylalkyl, alkoxy, or alkoxyl alkyl; proportion of x, y, and z in polymer is 0≤x/(x+y+z)≤1, 0≤y/(x+y+z)≤1, and 0≤z/(x+y+z)≤1, x, y, and z all not 0 for same polymer. Crosslinker is monomer, oligomer, polymer including structuresB1, B2, B3, B4, and D each independently C1-C30 aryl, alkyl, cycloalkyl, hydroxylalkyl, alkoxy, alkoxyl alkyl, acetyl, acetylalkyl, carboxyl, alkyl carboxyl, cycloalkyl carboxyl, hydrocarbon ring, heterocyclic group, chain, ring, 3-D structure; R2 and Ra are C4-C15 chain, cyclic, 3-D structure alkyl, cycloalkyl, hydroxylalkyl, alkoxy, alkoxyl alkyl.