Rinse Treatment Method for Semiconductor Pattern Collapse Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the photolithography process for semiconductor manufacturing, miniaturized semiconductor wafers experience pattern collapse and increased precipitation-based defects during the rinse treatment, where surfactants used to reduce surface tension can permeate into resist patterns, altering line widths, and extended rinse times decrease productivity.
Innovation Solution
A rinse treatment method involving sequential use of pure water, a high-concentration surfactant solution, and a low-concentration surfactant solution to clean the substrate, with controlled rotation speeds to prevent pattern collapse and remove defects without extending rinse time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a surfactant is used in the rinse solution to reduce surface tension and prevent pattern collapse, then pattern collapse is prevented, but the surfactant permeates into the resist pattern causing variation in pattern line width
Solution Approach 1:
The rinse treatment is divided into multiple sequential steps with different surfactant concentrations. The first rinse uses a surfactant solution to prevent pattern collapse, while subsequent rinses use pure water or lower concentration surfactant solutions to remove excess surfactant from the resist pattern, thereby preventing line width variation.
Solution Approach 2:
The surfactant concentration in the rinse solution is dynamically changed throughout the process. The rinse treatment transitions from a higher concentration surfactant solution to pure water or lower concentration solutions in subsequent steps, optimizing both pattern collapse prevention and line width control.
2Manufacturing precision
If the rinse treatment time is extended to remove precipitation-based defects, then precipitation-based defects are reduced, but the throughput decreases reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The introduction of surfactant changes the chemical parameters of the rinse solution to enhance its cleaning effectiveness. The surfactant reduces surface tension and improves wetting properties, allowing for more effective removal of precipitation-based defects in a shorter time period, thus maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The surfactant acts as an intermediary substance that facilitates the removal of precipitation-based defects. By adding surfactant to the rinse solution, the cleaning efficiency is enhanced without requiring extended rinse times, thereby maintaining high throughput.
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 effectively prevents pattern collapse, maintains pattern line width stability, reduces precipitation-based defects, and enhances productivity by using surfactants to remove defects without prolonging the rinse process.
Implementation Method 1
the surfactant permeates into the resist pattern after developing treatment which has swelled and increased in permeability, thus varying the pattern line width (CD: Critical Dimension)
Implementation Method 2
mixing, for example, a surfactant into the rinse solution to reduce the surface tension of the rinse solution
Implementation Method 3
the surfactant permeates into the resist pattern after developing treatment which has swelled and increased in permeability
Data Source
AI summary
In the present invention, in a rinse treatment method of cleaning a substrate after an exposed pattern thereon has been subjected to developing treatment, the following steps are performed such as supplying pure water onto the substrate to clean the substrate with the pure water; supplying a first rinse solution composed of a surfactant with a predetermined concentration onto the substrate to clean the substrate with the first rinse solution; and supplying a second rinse solution composed of a surfactant with a concentration lower than that of the first rinse solution onto the substrate to clean the substrate with the second rinse solution. According to the present invention, in the rinse treatment of the substrate after developing treatment, it is possible to dry the substrate without causing pattern collapse to restrain variation in pattern line width, and to reduce the remaining precipitation-based defects to increase the productivity.