Planarization Process Using Superstrate Shaping and Shrinkage Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current planarization techniques, such as CMP and contact planarization, face challenges in achieving aggressive planarization targets due to limitations in handling soft materials and large open features, leading to issues like dishing and insufficient control over topography variations.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the deposition of a formable material onto a substrate with a superstrate that takes on the shape of the substrate topography, followed by curing and subsequent dispensing of additional material to compensate for shrinkage, using a flexible superstrate and controlled deformation to achieve improved planarization across varying topographies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If CMP is used for planarization, then hard materials like metals and dielectrics can be planarized, but it is difficult to apply to soft materials like resist and requires tight process controls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical CMP process with a chemical planarization process using a liquid planarizing composition that chemically etches the substrate surface. This substitution eliminates the mechanical contact and pressure control requirements of CMP, making it suitable for soft materials like resist while reducing process control complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the planarization mechanism from mechanical removal to chemical etching by controlling pH, temperature, and composition parameters of the liquid planarizing solution. This allows adjustment of etch rate and selectivity to handle soft materials without requiring tight mechanical process controls.
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 effectively reduces post-cure topography variations to within 5-15 nm, achieving more aggressive planarization targets by compensating for volume shrinkage and pattern density variations, resulting in a significantly flatter surface suitable for advanced semiconductor and nanoimprint lithography applications.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid planarizing composition is brought into contact with the substrate and held in contact with the substrate for a predetermined time to etch the substrate
Implementation Method 2
the planarized composition is then removed from the substrate, and the planarizing composition that remains on the substrate is then subjected to a phase change to form a planarized film
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for planarization of a substrate. Material is dispensed onto the substrate that varies depending upon the substrate topography variation. A superstrate is brought into contact with the material, the material takes on a shape of the superstrate. The material is solidified. The superstrate is lifted away from the solidified material. Material has a first shrinkage coefficient. Second material is dispensed onto the solidified material with an average thickness. The average thickness is greater than a second material thickness threshold that is dependent upon step height of the substrate and the first shrinkage coefficient. The second material is then solidified.