Silicon-Containing Resist Underlayer Film for Dual-Tone Patterning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional resist underlayer films are not suitable for both positive and negative tone developments, requiring separate equipment and processes, which is economically irrational and complicates equipment and quality control.
Innovation Solution
A silicon-containing resist underlayer film-forming composition that includes a condensation product or hydrolysis condensation product of organic boron and silicon compounds, with specific chemical formulas, which enhances etching selectivity and adhesion, allowing the film to be used in both positive and negative tone developments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate resist underlayer films are used for positive and negative tone developments, then adhesion and etching selectivity are optimized for each specific process, but equipment complexity and process management difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by developing a single resist underlayer film composition that functions effectively for both positive tone and negative tone developments. The composition contains a polymer with carboxyl groups (providing adhesion to substrates) and a glassy matrix former (提供ing etching selectivity), which work together to deliver reliable performance across different development processes without requiring separate optimized formulations for each tone type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies homogeneity by creating a unified resist underlayer film composition with consistent chemical and physical properties that perform reliably in both positive and negative tone developments. The homogeneous composition eliminates the need for separate film formulations, simplifying equipment and process management while maintaining optimized adhesion and etching selectivity through the synergistic combination of polymer and glassy matrix former components.
2Device complexity
If conventional resist underlayer films are used for both positive and negative tone developments, then equipment and process management are simplified, but transfer precision and pattern accuracy deteriorate due to lack of optimization for specific development processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by creating a universal resist underlayer film composition that maintains high pattern transfer precision for both positive and negative tone developments. The composition achieves this through the synergistic interaction between the polymer component (with carboxyl groups for adhesion) and the glassy matrix former (for etching selectivity), which together provide optimized performance across different development processes without requiring separate formulations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies composite materials by combining a polymer with carboxyl groups and a glassy matrix former in a single resist underlayer film composition. This composite structure integrates multiple functional components that work together to provide both adhesion and etching selectivity, enabling precise pattern transfer in both positive and negative tone developments while using a single unified composition.
3Manufacturing precision
If separate processing lines are established for positive and negative tone developments, then pattern transfer quality is optimized for each process, but productivity and manufacturing efficiency decrease due to duplicated equipment and processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by developing a single resist underlayer film composition that delivers optimized pattern transfer quality for both positive and negative tone developments. This universal composition eliminates the need for separate processing lines and duplicated equipment, allowing manufacturers to process both tone types on the same production line while maintaining high pattern transfer quality, thereby improving productivity and manufacturing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies merging by combining the functional requirements of separate positive and negative tone development processes into a single resist underlayer film composition. By integrating the adhesion-providing polymer and etching-selectivity-providing glassy matrix former into one unified formulation, the patent enables both process types to be performed on the same equipment without compromising pattern transfer quality, thus consolidating manufacturing operations and improving efficiency.
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
The composition provides high etching selectivity and adhesion, enabling precise pattern transfer in both positive and negative tone developments without transfer differences in size, improving process efficiency and simplifying equipment management.
Implementation Method 1
a condensation product or hydrolysis condensation product of a mixture comprising: one or more kinds of an organic boron compound shown by the following general formula (1) and a condensation product thereof and one or more kinds of a silicon compound (B) shown by the following general formula (2)
Implementation Method 2
a condensation product or hydrolysis condensation product of a mixture comprising: one or more kinds of an organic boron compound shown by the following general formula (1) and a condensation product thereof and one or more kinds of a silicon compound (B) shown by the following general formula (2)
Data Source
Figure 1(I-A)~1(II-I)
AI summary
The present invention is a silicon-containing resist underlayer film-forming composition containing at least any one of a condensation product and a hydrolysis condensation product or both of a mixture comprising: one or more kinds of a compound (A) selected from the group consisting of an organic boron compound shown by the following general formula (1) and a condensation product thereof and one or more kinds of a silicon compound (B) shown by the following general formula (2). Thereby, there can be provided a resist underlayer film applicable not only to the resist pattern formed of a hydrophilic organic compound obtained by the negative development but also to the resist pattern formed of a hydrophobic compound obtained by the conventional positive development. R1m0B(OH)m1(OR)(3-m0-m1) (1) R10m10R11m11R12m12Si(OR13)(4-m10-m11-m12) (2)