UV-Responsive Metal Oxide Film for Direct Hard Mask Patterning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor patterning techniques face challenges with high-resolution polymer resists having low etch resistance and etch selectivity, making it difficult to transfer patterns to underlying layers, especially when downscaled, and there is a need for direct patterning of UV radiation responsive materials that can serve as hard masks without intermediate organic polymer resists.
Innovation Solution
A method for forming a UV radiation responsive metal oxide-containing film is developed, which involves depositing the film over a substrate by heating and contacting it with specific vapor phase reactants, allowing regions to have different etch rates before and after UV irradiation, enabling direct patterning without the need for intermediate organic polymer resists.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If thin polymer resist is used for high resolution patterning, then resolution is improved, but etch resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the polymer resist and hardmask into a single integrated material layer. This UV-responsive metal oxide-containing film performs both the patterning function of a resist and the etch protection function of a hardmask simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate layers and their associated processing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The UV-responsive metal oxide-containing film serves multiple functions: it acts as a pattern-defining resist, provides etch resistance as a hardmask, and enables direct etch transfer to underlying layers. This multi-functional material replaces the traditional multi-layer structure with a single versatile layer.
2Manufacturing precision
If polymer resist is downscaled for higher resolution, then patterning resolution is improved, but etch selectivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental material parameters from organic polymer to inorganic metal oxide composition. This compositional change enables the material to maintain high etch selectivity and reliability even at scaled dimensions, while preserving the UV-responsive patterning capability needed for high resolution.
3Manufacturing precision
If indirect patterning through intermediate polymer resist is used for hardmask patterning, then hardmask pattern definition is achieved, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the intermediate polymer resist step from the hardmask patterning process. By making the hardmask material itself UV-responsive, the pattern definition function is directly integrated into the hardmask layer, removing the need for separate resist application, exposure, and removal steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The UV-responsive metal oxide-containing film is deposited in advance with the desired pattern directly formed through UV irradiation before the etching process. This preliminary pattern formation eliminates the need for subsequent intermediate steps to transfer the pattern, simplifying the overall process sequence.
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 method provides a UV radiation responsive metal oxide-containing film with improved etch resistance and selectivity, allowing direct patterning and hard mask formation, reducing line edge roughness and linewidth variation, and simplifying semiconductor fabrication.
Implementation Method 1
contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase reactant comprising a metal component, a hydrogen component, and a carbon component; and contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase reactant comprising an oxygen precursor
Implementation Method 2
regions of the UV radiation responsive metal oxide-containing film have a first etch rate after UV irradiation and regions of the UV radiation responsive metal oxide-containing film not irradiated with UV radiation have a second etch rate
Data Source
AI summary
A method for forming ultraviolet (UV) radiation responsive metal-oxide containing film is disclosed. The method may include, depositing an UV radiation responsive metal oxide-containing film over a substrate by, heating the substrate to a deposition temperature of less than 400° C., contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase reactant comprising a metal component, a hydrogen component, and a carbon component, and contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase reactant comprising an oxygen containing precursor, wherein regions of the UV radiation responsive metal oxide-containing film have a first etch rate after UV irradiation and regions of the UV radiation responsive metal oxide-containing film not irradiated with UV radiation have a second etch rate, wherein the second etch rate is different from the first etch rate.