Top Anti-Reflective Coating via Water-Mediated Spin Coating
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for forming top anti-reflective coatings (TARC) in semiconductor manufacturing are inefficient, leading to high consumption of TARC liquid, micro bubbles, central region depression, and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a turntable with a substrate and photoresist layer, where deionized water is sprayed on the photoresist layer, followed by the mixing and spin-coating of a TARC liquid with the water to form a uniform coating, reducing the amount of TARC liquid required and minimizing defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If TARC liquid is directly coated on the photoresist layer using conventional spin coating, then the photoresist layer is protected from light reflection, but the consumption of TARC liquid is high and the coating quality has defects
Solution Approach 1:
Deionized water is introduced as an intermediary substance between the photoresist layer and the TARC liquid. The water is sprayed onto the photoresist layer first, creating a hydrophilic surface that improves the wetting and uniform distribution of the subsequently applied TARC liquid. This mediator enables better coating quality and reduces TARC liquid consumption while maintaining the anti-reflective function.
Solution Approach 2:
The photoresist layer undergoes preliminary treatment by spraying deionized water before the TARC liquid is applied. This preliminary action modifies the surface properties of the photoresist layer, making it more receptive to the TARC liquid and ensuring uniform coating formation. The water spraying prepares the surface in advance to optimize the subsequent TARC coating process.
2Device complexity
If TARC liquid is directly spin-coated on the photoresist layer, then the coating process is simple, but defects such as micro bubbles and central region depression occur
Solution Approach 1:
Deionized water is sprayed onto the photoresist layer before applying the TARC liquid. This preliminary action creates a uniform hydrophilic surface that prevents defects such as micro bubbles and central region depression during spin coating. The water layer ensures uniform TARC liquid distribution and eliminates voids, significantly improving TARC film quality while adding only one simple spraying step to the process.
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 significantly reduces the consumption of TARC liquid, decreases the occurrence of micro bubbles and central region depression, and enhances the overall quality of the TARC film, thereby lowering costs and improving process efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
spraying deionized water on the photoresist layer
Implementation Method 2
performing a spin coating step to spin-coat and disperse the mixed liquid
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a method for coating top anti-reflective coating (TARC), which comprises the following steps: providing a turntable, placing a substrate above the turntable with a photoresist layer on the substrate, spraying deionized water on the photoresist layer, spraying a top anti-reflective coating liquid on the deionized water to mix the top anti-reflective coating liquid with the deionized water to form a mixed liquid, and performing a spin coating step to spin-coat and disperse the mixed liquid to form a top anti-reflective coating film on the photoresist layer.