摘要:
A hardmask stack is comprised of alternating layers of doped amorphous carbon and undoped amorphous carbon. The undoped amorphous carbon layers serve as buffer layers that constrain the effects of compressive stress within the doped amorphous carbon layers to prevent delamination. The stack is provided with a top capping layer. The layer beneath the capping layer is preferably undoped amorphous carbon to reduce photoresist poisoning. An alternative hardmask stack is comprised of alternating layers of capping material and amorphous carbon. The amorphous carbon layers may be doped or undoped. The capping material layers serve as buffer layers that constrain the effects of compressive stress within the amorphous carbon layers to prevent delamination. The top layer of the stack is formed of a capping material. The layer beneath the top layer is preferably undoped amorphous carbon to reduce photoresist poisoning. The lowest layer of the hardmask stack is preferably amorphous carbon to facilitate easy removal of the hardmask stack from underlying materials by an ashing process.
摘要:
A layer of material is patterned anisotropically using a bi-layer hardmask structure. Residual photoresist from a photoresist mask used to pattern an upper layer of the bi-layer hardmask is removed prior to patterning of the polysilicon layer. Passivation agents are later introduced from an external source during patterning of the layer of material. This provides a substantially uniform supply of passivation agents to all parts of the layer of material as it is being etched, rather than relying on the generation of passivation agents from consumption of photoresist during etching, which can produce local non-uniformities of passivation agent availability owing to differences in photoresist thickness remaining on different sized features.
摘要:
To reduce the width of a MOSFET gate, the gate is formed with a hardmask formed thereupon. An isotropic etch is then performed to trim the gate in order to reduce the width of the gate. The resulting gate may be formed with a width that is narrower than a minimum width achievable solely through conventional projection lithography techniques.
摘要:
To reduce the width of a MOSFET gate, the gate is formed with a hardmask formed thereupon. An isotropic etch is then performed to trim the gate in order to reduce the width of the gate. The resulting gate may be formed with a width that is narrower than a minimum width achievable solely through conventional projection lithography techniques.
摘要:
A method for an integrated circuit includes the use of an amorphous carbon ARC mask. A layer of amorphous carbon material is deposited above a layer of conductive material, and a layer of anti-reflective coating (ARC) material is deposited over the layer of amorphous carbon material. The layer of amorphous carbon material and the layer of ARC material are etched to form a mask comprising an ARC material portion and an amorphous carbon portion. A feature may then be formed in the layer of conductive material by etching the layer of conductive material in accordance with the mask.
摘要:
An amorphous carbon layer is implanted with one or more dopants that enhance the etch resistivity of the amorphous carbon to etchants such as chlorine and HBr that are typically used to etch polysilicon. Such a layer may be pattern to form a handmask for etching polysilicon that provides improved pattern transfer accuracy compared to conventional undoped amorphous carbon.
摘要:
For patterning an IC (integrated circuit) material, a rigid organic under-layer is formed over the IC material, and the rigid organic under-layer is patterned to form a rigid organic mask structure. In addition, the rigid organic mask structure is trimmed to lower a critical dimension of the rigid organic mask structure beyond the limitations of traditional BARC mask structures. Any portion of the IC material not under the rigid organic mask structure is etched away to form an IC structure.
摘要:
The present invention uses in situ scatterometry to determine if a defect (e.g., photoresist erosion, photoresist bending and pattern collapse) is present on a wafer. In one embodiment, in situ scatterometry is used to detect a pattern integrity defect associated with the layer of photoresist. In situ scatterometry produces diffraction data associated with the thickness of the photoresist patterned mask. This data is compared to a model of diffraction data associated with a suitable photoresist thickness. If the measured diffraction data is within an acceptable range, the next step of the photolithography process is carried out. However, if the measured thickness is outside of the suitable range, a defect is detected, and the wafer may be sent for re-working or re-patterned prior to main etch, thereby preventing unnecessary wafer scrap. Another aspect of the present invention allows for a feedback control mechanism to alter a physical parameter of the photolithographic process based upon the in situ scatterometry measurements.
摘要:
A method for forming semiconductor features, e.g., gates, line widths, thicknesses and spaces, produced by a photoresist trim procedure, in a closed loop process is presented. The methodology enables the use of optical emission spectroscopy and/or optical interferometry techniques for endpoint monitoring during resist trim etching of photoresist structures. Various types of material layers underlying photoresist structures are employed in order to provide an endpoint signal to enable closed loop control, with resultant improved targeting of photoresist mask and reproducibility. In addition, the method provides for in situ etch rate monitoring, and is not adversely affected by etch rate variances within an etching chamber during an etch process.
摘要:
Methods are presented for fabrication of alignment features of a desired depth, and shallow trench isolation (STI) features in Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) material. Specific embodiments require no more than two lithography and etch processes, which represents an improvement over current methodology requiring three lithography and etch processes in order to produce the desired features during manufacture of a semiconductor device.