Imprinting Template Side Surface Resist Adhesion Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the imprinting process for semiconductor manufacturing, the resist material tends to extrude and adhere to the side surfaces of the template, leading to defects when the template is repeatedly pressed against the resist, as the resist climbs up the side surfaces and eventually falls onto the wafer at unintended times.
Innovation Solution
A protective layer with a higher contact angle than the template material is applied to the side surfaces of the template, specifically a fluorocarbon layer, to prevent resist adhesion and deformation, and a shielding plate or cushioning member is used to protect the uneven pattern during the application of this layer, ensuring the resist repellent layer is formed only on the side surfaces without affecting the pattern.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the template is repeatedly pressed against the resist to form patterns, then the productivity increases, but the resist adheres to the side surface of the mesa portion and eventually causes defects
Solution Approach 1:
A protective layer is formed on the side surface of the mesa portion before the imprinting process begins. This preliminary protective coating prevents resist adhesion from the outset, allowing repeated imprinting cycles without defect accumulation. The protective layer is applied in advance to eliminate the harmful adhesion effect before it can occur during production.
2Manufacturing precision
If the template is pressed firmly against the resist to ensure pattern transfer, then the manufacturing precision improves, but the resist extrudes and climbs up the side surface of the mesa portion
Solution Approach 1:
A protective layer acts as an intermediary substance between the resist and the side surface of the mesa portion. This intermediate layer has low adhesion to resist materials, preventing resist climbing while allowing the imprinting process to proceed. The protective layer mediates the interaction between template and resist, eliminating the harmful climbing effect without compromising pattern transfer quality.
3Device complexity
If the template side surface is left untreated to maintain simplicity, then the device complexity is reduced, but the resist adheres to the side surface and reduces template durability
Solution Approach 1:
The surface energy parameters of the template side surface are modified by applying a protective layer with specific adhesion characteristics. This parameter change creates a surface that is non-adhesive to resist materials while maintaining the overall simplicity of the template structure. The protective layer changes the surface properties without fundamentally altering the template design.
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 solution effectively prevents resist adhesion to the template side surfaces, reducing defect occurrence in semiconductor manufacturing by ensuring consistent pattern transfer and extending the template's durability through repeated use.
Implementation Method 1
a protective layer on a side surface of the protruded portion, and having a contact angle higher with respect to a resist material than a contact angle of the protruded portion with respect to the resist material
Data Source
AI summary
An imprinting template substrate has a protruded portion, and a protective layer on a side surface of the protruded portion, and having a contact angle higher with respect to a resist material than a contact angle of the protruded portion with respect to the resist material. Even when the template is pressed to the resist, the resist hardly adheres to the side surface of the template. An imprinting process using the present template forms a pattern on a semiconductor substrate and then a semiconductor apparatus is manufactured.