公开(公告)号：US11526088B2

公开(公告)日：2022-12-13

申请号：US17404669

申请日：2021-08-17

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Anton J. Devilliers ,  Anthony R. Schepis ,  David Conklin

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  H01L23/544 ,  G06T7/33 ,  G06V10/24 ,  G06T7/00 ,  H01L21/66 ,  G06T7/73 ,  H04N5/225 ,  G03F9/00 ,  G01N21/956

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide an imaging system. For example, in the imaging system a first light source can generate a first light beam of a first wavelength, a second light source can generate a second light beam of a second wavelength, the second light beam having power sufficient to pass through at least a portion of a thickness of a wafer, an alignment module can coaxially align the second light beam with the first light beam, a coaxial module can focus the coaxially aligned first and second light beams onto a first pattern located on a front side of the wafer and a second pattern located below the first pattern, respectively, and an image capturing module can capture a first image of the first pattern and a second image of the second pattern. The second image can be captured via quantum tunneling imaging or infrared (IR) transmission imaging.

公开(公告)号：US20240363340A1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-31

申请号：US18306759

申请日：2023-04-25

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Charlotte Cutler ,  Michael Murphy ,  David Conklin

IPC: H01L21/02

CPC classification number: H01L21/02348 ,  H01L21/02282 ,  H01L21/02334

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate that includes: loading a substrate into a deposition tool, the substrate including a major working surface and a backside surface opposite the major working surface, the major working surface including a semiconductor device structure; in the deposition tool, performing a solution-based process to form a film on the backside surface, the film being an inorganic-based film or an organic-inorganic hybrid film.

公开(公告)号：US20240419074A1

公开(公告)日：2024-12-19

申请号：US18615313

申请日：2024-03-25

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Michael Murphy ,  Jacob Dobson ,  Jodi Grzeskowiak ,  David Conklin

IPC: G03F7/11 ,  G03F7/004 ,  G03F7/20

Abstract: A method includes forming a plurality of first mandrels over a substrate, forming an overcoat layer over the plurality of first mandrels, and inducing a crosslinking reaction within the overcoat layer and form a crosslinked overcoat layer. The method further includes exposing the substrate to a radiation to generate a plurality of acid molecules within the plurality of first mandrels, diffusing a portion of the plurality of acid molecules from the plurality of first mandrels into portions of the crosslinked overcoat layer, and inducing a decrosslinking reaction within the portions of the crosslinked overcoat layer and form de-crosslinked regions. Unmodified regions of the crosslinked overcoat layer form a plurality of second mandrels. The method further includes selectively removing the de-crosslinked regions. The plurality of first mandrels and the plurality of second mandrels form a mandrel pattern over the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20230350303A1

公开(公告)日：2023-11-02

申请号：US18193324

申请日：2023-03-30

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Charlotte Cutler ,  David Conklin

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G03F7/00 ,  G03F7/075 ,  G03F7/031 ,  G03F7/16

CPC classification number: G03F7/2002 ,  G03F7/70033 ,  G03F7/70975 ,  G03F7/0752 ,  G03F7/031 ,  G03F7/162

Abstract: A method of patterning an underlying layer that includes: depositing a metal-free polymer film over the underlying layer, exposing the film to an EUV to form an exposed region and a masked region of the film, the exposed region photoreacting to the EUV; selectively dry etching first portions of the film to form features including the remaining second portions of the film, an etch rate of the first portions being greater than that of the second portions of the film, the first portions being one of the exposed region and the masked region, the second portions being another of the exposed region and the masked region that is not the first portion, where a pitch of the features is below the feature size achievable with a 193 nm immersion lithography tool in a single patterning process; and patterning the underlying layer using the second portion as an etch mask.

公开(公告)号：US20230290676A1

公开(公告)日：2023-09-14

申请号：US17989438

申请日：2022-11-17

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： David Power ,  David Conklin ,  Jodi Grzeskowiak ,  Michael Murphy

IPC: H01L21/768 ,  H01L21/033 ,  H01L21/311

CPC classification number: H01L21/76816 ,  H01L21/0337 ,  H01L21/31144 ,  H01L21/76897

Abstract: A method of patterning a substrate, where the method includes: forming first structures over a memorization layer, the first structures including a first row of lines that are parallel with each other and spaced apart from each other; executing a first anti-spacer formation process to form first trenches along sidewalls of the first structures and sidewalls of a first fill material, the first trenches defining a first etch pattern; transferring the first etch pattern into the memorization layer and removing materials above the memorization layer; forming second structures over the memorization layer, the second structures including a second row of lines that are parallel with each other and spaced apart, placement of the second row of lines being shifted relative to the first row of lines; executing a second anti-spacer formation process to form second trenches formed along sidewalls of the second structures and sidewalls of a second fill material, the second trenches defining a second etch pattern; and transferring the second etch pattern into the memorization layer and removing materials above the memorization layer.

公开(公告)号：US20230251570A1

公开(公告)日：2023-08-10

申请号：US18166598

申请日：2023-02-09

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Michael Murphy ,  Charlotte Cutler ,  David Conklin

IPC: G03F7/004 ,  H01L21/311 ,  G03F7/11 ,  G03F7/16

CPC classification number: G03F7/0048 ,  H01L21/31144 ,  G03F7/11 ,  G03F7/0045 ,  G03F7/168

Abstract: A method of patterning a substrate by selective deprotection via dye diffusion. The method includes forming a photoresist pattern on the substrate from a layer of photoresist deposited on the substrate, depositing a first overcoat on the photoresist pattern, the first overcoat filling openings defined by the photoresist pattern and covering the photoresist pattern, the first overcoat including an organic film containing a dye. The method further includes diffusing the dye from the first overcoat a predetermined diffusion length into the photoresist pattern, resulting in diffusion regions in the photoresist pattern, and removing the first overcoat from the substrate. The method further includes activating the solubility-shifting agent in the diffusion regions of the photoresist pattern using a second actinic radiation, depositing a second overcoat on the substrate, and developing the substrate with a second developer resulting in removal of soluble portions of the diffusion regions of the photoresist pattern.

公开(公告)号：US20250029837A1

公开(公告)日：2025-01-23

申请号：US18908557

申请日：2024-10-07

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： David Conklin ,  Charlotte Cutler ,  Michael Murphy ,  Jodi Grzeskowiak

IPC: H01L21/027 ,  C09K13/00

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device can include coating a reversible overcoat layer over first mandrels on a substrate, inducing a crosslinking reaction within the reversible overcoat layer that renders the reversible overcoat layer insoluble to a developer and forms a crosslinked overcoat layer, diffusing acid particles from the first mandrels into first portions of the crosslinked overcoat layer, inducing a de-crosslinking reaction within the first portions of the crosslinked overcoat layer to form de-crosslinked regions, where unmodified regions of the crosslinked overcoat layer form second mandrels, and selectively removing the de-crosslinked regions with the developer such that the first mandrels and the second mandrels form a mandrel pattern over the substrate, where the developer has a solubility distance in a range of zero to seven in a Hansen Solubility Parameter space relative to methyl isobutyl carbinol.

公开(公告)号：US20240168384A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-23

申请号：US17992522

申请日：2022-11-22

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Michael Murphy ,  Charlotte Cutler ,  David Conklin

IPC: G03F7/16

CPC classification number: G03F7/168

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a method includes forming, by photolithography on a semiconductor wafer, first patterned features (PFs) including first photoresist structures (PRSs) having a first width and first recesses having a second width less than the first width and greater than a target width; forming, via anti-spacer patterning processing, second PFs including second PRSs having a third width less than the first width, first overcoat structures (OCSs) of the second width interspersed between second PRSs, and second recesses having a fourth width less than the target width; and forming, via acid diffusion processing, third PFs including third PRSs having a fifth width, second OCSs of the target width interspersed between third PRSs, and third recesses defined by third PRSs and second OCSs and having a sixth width greater than the fourth width, portions of first OCSs having been selectively removed using the acid diffusion processing to form second OCSs.

公开(公告)号：US20240030029A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-25

申请号：US18150099

申请日：2023-01-04

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Charlotte Cutler ,  David Conklin

IPC: H01L21/027 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/3065

CPC classification number: H01L21/0274 ,  H01L21/31144 ,  H01L21/02274 ,  H01L21/3065

Abstract: A method of patterning a substrate includes exposing a photoresist layer on the substrate with a pattern of actinic radiation to form a chemically reactive surface pattern, and coating, at the track system, a spin-on-material to convert the chemically reactive surface pattern to a photoresist surface mask pattern. The method further includes etching the photoresist layer using the photoresist surface mask pattern as a first etch mask to form a photoresist mask pattern, and etching a layer to be etched with the photoresist mask pattern as a second etch mask.