Reverse Layer Pattern Transfer for Submicron Precision
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional nanoimprint technologies face challenges in achieving precise pattern transfer due to resist material degradation and deformation during etching, especially at submicron scales, leading to issues with critical dimension accuracy and edge line roughness, and the lift-off method struggles with burr formation and insufficient thickness at pattern edges, making mass production difficult.
Innovation Solution
A pattern forming method that eliminates the use of resist as an etching mask and avoids the lift-off method by forming a reverse layer on a thin film, exposing the resist pattern, and using this reverse layer to etch the thin film and subsequently the base material, thereby forming a hard mask layer for precise pattern transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If resist material is used as etching mask for pattern transfer, then pattern formation is enabled, but resist degradation and deformation occur during etching leading to poor critical dimension accuracy and edge line roughness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a reverse layer as an intermediary material between the resist pattern and the thin film to be etched. This reverse layer serves as a protective mediator that prevents direct contact between the resist and the etching plasma, thereby preventing resist degradation and deformation while enabling precise pattern transfer to the underlying thin film and base material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the masking function into two separate components: the resist pattern (for defining the pattern geometry) and the reverse layer (for providing etching protection). This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally - the resist maintains pattern definition while the reverse layer provides stable protection during etching, resolving the contradiction between pattern formation capability and material stability.
2Manufacturing precision
If lift-off method is used for pattern formation, then pattern transfer is achieved, but burr formation and insufficient thickness at pattern edges occur
Solution Approach 1:
The reverse layer acts as an intermediary that enables controlled material removal without the harmful effects of the lift-off method. By providing a protective barrier during etching, it allows complete and uniform etching through the thin film and base material without causing burr formation or thickness variations at pattern edges, which are common problems with lift-off techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using lift-off where the mask is removed after etching (which causes burrs and thickness issues), the patent inverts the approach by forming a reverse layer that remains in place during etching. This inverted methodology - keeping the protective layer rather than removing the mask - eliminates the harmful effects of traditional lift-off while achieving precise pattern formation with uniform thickness.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional etching is performed with resist mask, then pattern transfer is enabled, but resist consumption and deformation occur under high ion energy
Solution Approach 1:
The reverse layer serves as a protective intermediary that absorbs the full brunt of high ion energy during etching, preventing direct impact on the resist material. This mediator layer enables faithful pattern transfer to the thin film and base material while eliminating resist consumption and deformation that would otherwise occur under high ion energy conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by forming the reverse layer prior to etching, creating a protective buffer that cushions the resist pattern from the harmful effects of high ion energy. This pre-established protection prevents resist consumption and maintains pattern integrity throughout the etching process, ensuring high pattern transfer fidelity without material loss.
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 method prevents resist degradation and deformation during etching, ensures precise pattern formation without resist masks and lift-off methods, and allows for the creation of patterns with improved critical dimension accuracy and edge line roughness, facilitating mass production.
Implementation Method 1
a step of forming a pattern of a resist on a surface of the thin film of the second material; a step of forming a reverse layer of a third material on the pattern of the resist; a step of removing the reverse layer to expose a surface of the resist; a step of forming a reverse pattern, of the reverse layer complementary to the pattern of the resist by removing the resist
Implementation Method 2
a step of forming a hard mask layer comprising the thin film, on which the reverse layer is formed, by etching the thin film through the reverse pattern of the reverse layer as a mask
Implementation Method 3
a step of etching the base material through, as a mask, the hard mask layer on which the reverse layer remains or the hard mask layer on which the reverse layer has been removed
Data Source
AI summary
A pattern forming method includes a step of forming a pattern of a resist on a surface of a thin film formed on the base material; a step of forming a reverse layer on the pattern of the resist; a step of forming a reverse pattern, of the reverse layer complementary to the pattern of the resist by removing the resist after removing the reverse layer to expose a surface of the resist; a step of forming a hard mask layer including the thin film, on which the reverse layer is formed, by etching the thin film through the reverse pattern of the reverse layer as a mask; and a step of etching the base material through, as a mask, the hard mask layer on which the reverse layer remains or the hard mask layer on which the reverse layer has been removed.