公开(公告)号：US11880137B2

公开(公告)日：2024-01-23

申请号：US18188676

申请日：2023-03-23

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Huixiong Dai ,  Mangesh Ashok Bangar ,  Srinivas D. Nemani ,  Ellie Y. Yieh ,  Steven Hiloong Welch ,  Christopher S. Ngai

IPC: G03F7/09 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G03F7/16 ,  G03F7/11 ,  G03F7/004 ,  G03F7/039 ,  G03F7/40

CPC classification number: G03F7/094 ,  G03F7/0045 ,  G03F7/0392 ,  G03F7/11 ,  G03F7/168 ,  G03F7/203 ,  G03F7/2022 ,  G03F7/164 ,  G03F7/40

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for minimizing line edge/width roughness in lines formed by photolithography are provided. In one example, a method of processing a substrate includes applying a photoresist layer comprising a photoacid generator to on a multi-layer disposed on a substrate, wherein the multi-layer comprises an underlayer formed from an organic material, inorganic material, or a mixture of organic and inorganic materials, exposing a first portion of the photoresist layer unprotected by a photomask to a radiation light in a lithographic exposure process, and applying an electric field or a magnetic field to alter movement of photoacid generated from the photoacid generator substantially in a vertical direction.

公开(公告)号：US11762296B2

公开(公告)日：2023-09-19

申请号：US17815662

申请日：2022-07-28

Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

Inventor： An-Ren Zi ,  Ching-Yu Chang

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G03F7/038 ,  G03F7/32 ,  G03F7/095 ,  G03F7/039 ,  H01L21/027

CPC classification number: G03F7/2022 ,  G03F7/0382 ,  G03F7/0392 ,  G03F7/095 ,  G03F7/203 ,  G03F7/322 ,  G03F7/325 ,  H01L21/0271

Abstract: A method of forming a masking element is provided. The method includes forming a photoresist material having a polymer backbone over a substrate, where the polymer backbone includes a linking group that links a first polymer segment to a second polymer segment, each of the first and the second polymer segments having an ultraviolet (UV) curable group. The method includes exposing the photoresist material under a first UV radiation to break the link between the first polymer segment and the second polymer segment. The method includes exposing the photoresist material under a second UV radiation different from the first UV radiation to form a patterned resist layer. And the method includes developing the patterned resist layer to form a masking element.

公开(公告)号：US20230259035A1

公开(公告)日：2023-08-17

申请号：US18093121

申请日：2023-01-04

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Paola DE CECCO ,  Ruiying HAO ,  Regina Germanie FREED ,  Luisa BOZANO

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G03F7/16 ,  G03F7/004 ,  G03F7/40

CPC classification number: G03F7/203 ,  G03F7/2004 ,  G03F7/167 ,  G03F7/0043 ,  G03F7/40

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods for providing real-time characterization of photoresist properties. In some embodiments, a method of preparing a patterned photoresist on a substrate includes forming an unpatterned photoresist on the substrate, exposing the unpatterned photoresist to a first dose of EM radiation at a first location on the unpatterned photoresist with a first light source, and measuring an optical property of the unpatterned photoresist and exposing the unpatterned photoresist to a second dose of EM radiation at the first location on the unpatterned photoresist to create a patterned or partially patterned photoresist. The second dose of EM radiation has a greater wavelength, a greater number of pulses, or a longer exposure period than the first dose of EM radiation with a second light source. Also, at least one of the first light source and the second light source is an on-board metrology device.

公开(公告)号：US11650506B2

公开(公告)日：2023-05-16

申请号：US16600101

申请日：2019-10-11

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Huixiong Dai ,  Mangesh Bangar ,  Christopher S. Ngai ,  Srinivas D. Nemani ,  Ellie Y. Yieh ,  Steven Hiloong Welch

IPC: G03F7/11 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G03F7/09 ,  G03F7/16 ,  G03F7/40

CPC classification number: G03F7/2022 ,  G03F7/094 ,  G03F7/11 ,  G03F7/168 ,  G03F7/203 ,  G03F7/164 ,  G03F7/40

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for minimizing line edge/width roughness in lines formed by photolithography are provided. In one example, a method of processing a substrate includes applying a photoresist layer comprising a photoacid generator to on a multi-layer disposed on a substrate, wherein the multi-layer comprises an underlayer formed from an organic material, inorganic material, or a mixture of organic and inorganic materials, exposing a first portion of the photoresist layer unprotected by a photomask to a radiation light in a lithographic exposure process, and applying an electric field or a magnetic field to alter movement of photoacid generated from the photoacid generator substantially in a vertical direction.

公开(公告)号：US10073348B2

公开(公告)日：2018-09-11

申请号：US15241274

申请日：2016-08-19

Applicant: OSAKA UNIVERSITY ,  TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED ,  JSR CORPORATION

Inventor： Hisashi Nakagawa ,  Takehiko Naruoka ,  Tomoki Nagai ,  Seiichi Tagawa ,  Akihiro Oshima ,  Seiji Nagahara

IPC: G03F7/004 ,  G03F7/20 ,  H01L21/027 ,  C07C309/07 ,  C07C381/12 ,  C08F220/38 ,  C07D409/14 ,  C07C303/32 ,  C08F220/22 ,  C08F220/28 ,  C08F220/26 ,  C08F220/14 ,  G03F7/039 ,  G03F7/32 ,  G03F7/38

CPC classification number: G03F7/203 ,  C07C303/32 ,  C07C309/07 ,  C07C381/12 ,  C07D409/14 ,  C08F220/14 ,  C08F220/22 ,  C08F220/26 ,  C08F220/28 ,  C08F220/38 ,  G03F7/0045 ,  G03F7/0046 ,  G03F7/0397 ,  G03F7/2002 ,  G03F7/2022 ,  G03F7/322 ,  G03F7/38 ,  H01L21/0274

Abstract: A resist-pattern-forming method comprises: patternwise exposing a predetermined region of a resist material film to a first radioactive ray that is ionizing radiation or nonionizing radiation; floodwise exposing the resist material film to a second radioactive ray that is nonionizing radiation; baking the resist material film; and developing the resist material film to form a resist pattern. The resist material film is made from a photosensitive resin composition comprising a chemically amplified resist material. The chemically amplified resist material comprises a base component that is capable of being made soluble or insoluble in a developer solution by an action of an acid and a generative component that is capable of generating a radiation-sensitive sensitizer and an acid upon an exposure. A van der Waals volume of the acid generated from the generative component is no less than 3.0×10−28 m3.

公开(公告)号：US09996006B2

公开(公告)日：2018-06-12

申请号：US15294348

申请日：2016-10-14

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Christine Y. Ouyang ,  Sang Ki Nam ,  Ludovic Godet

IPC: G03F7/38 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G03F7/004 ,  G03F7/32

CPC classification number: G03F7/203 ,  G03F7/0045 ,  G03F7/2004 ,  G03F7/325

Abstract: Methods disclosed herein provide apparatus and methods for applying an electric field and/or a magnetic field to a photoresist layer without air gap intervention during photolithography processes. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a processing chamber configured to apply an electric field to a substrate via a non-gas phase intermediate medium. Methods described herein include dissociation of a photoacid generator to generate anions and cations. The anions may be moved within the photoresist layer by the electric field to more precisely control the speed and location of acid generation and regeneration processes.

公开(公告)号：US09989857B2

公开(公告)日：2018-06-05

申请号：US14849006

申请日：2015-09-09

Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Inventor： Il-yong Jang ,  Hyung-ho Ko ,  Jin-sang Yoon

IPC: G03F7/22 ,  G03F1/32 ,  G03F1/42 ,  G03F7/20

CPC classification number: G03F7/22 ,  G03F1/32 ,  G03F1/42 ,  G03F7/203

Abstract: A phase shift mask includes a substrate, a second phase shift pattern on the substrate, the second phase shift pattern extending to an outermost perimeter of the substrate, the second phase shift pattern being formed of a material that is semi-transmissive to light of a first wavelength and the substrate being substantially transparent to the light of the first wavelength such that the mask transmits about 2 to about 10% of the light of the first wavelength at the second phase shift pattern, and a first phase shift pattern on the substrate, the second phase shift pattern being disposed between the outermost perimeter of the substrate and the first phase shift pattern.

公开(公告)号：US20180149978A1

公开(公告)日：2018-05-31

申请号：US15361085

申请日：2016-11-25

Applicant: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.

Inventor： En-Chiuan Liou ,  Yu-Cheng Tung

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  H01L21/027 ,  H01L21/308 ,  G03F7/40

CPC classification number: H01L21/0274 ,  G03F7/0035 ,  G03F7/203

Abstract: A method for forming a patterned structure includes following steps. First lines elongated in a first direction and second lines elongated in a second direction in a layout pattern are decomposed into two masks. A first mask includes first line patterns and a first block pattern. A second mask includes second line patterns and a second block pattern. Two photolithography processes with the first mask and the second mask are performed for forming a patterned structure including first line structures and second line structures. Each first line structure is elongated in the first direction. The first line structures are defined by a region where the first line patterns and the second block pattern overlap with one another. Each second line structure is elongated in the second direction. The second line structures are defined by a region where the second line patterns and the first block pattern overlap with one another.

公开(公告)号：US09897908B2

公开(公告)日：2018-02-20

申请号：US15122400

申请日：2014-12-19

Applicant: Intel Corporation

Inventor： Yan A. Borodovsky ,  Donald W. Nelson ,  Mark C. Phillips

IPC: G03F1/20 ,  G03F7/20 ,  H01J37/30 ,  H01J37/04 ,  H01J37/317 ,  H01J37/302 ,  H01L21/768

CPC classification number: G03F1/20 ,  G03F7/203 ,  H01J37/045 ,  H01J37/3026 ,  H01J37/3177 ,  H01J2237/0435 ,  H01J2237/0453 ,  H01J2237/303 ,  H01J2237/30422 ,  H01J2237/30438 ,  H01J2237/31762 ,  H01J2237/31764 ,  H01L21/76802

Abstract: Lithographic apparatuses suitable for, and methodologies involving, complementary e-beam lithography (CEBL) are described. In an example, a blanker aperture array (BAA) for an e-beam tool is described. The BAA includes three distinct aperture arrays of different pitch.

公开(公告)号：US09853070B2

公开(公告)日：2017-12-26

申请号：US15513173

申请日：2015-12-02

Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha

Inventor： Shinya Kadowaki ,  Hidefumi Yoshida

IPC: H01L29/16 ,  H01L27/00 ,  H01L27/12

CPC classification number: H01L27/1288 ,  G02F1/1362 ,  G02F2001/136231 ,  G02F2201/56 ,  G03F7/0007 ,  G03F7/203 ,  G09F9/00 ,  H01L27/127 ,  H01L51/50 ,  H05B33/08 ,  H05B33/10

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a display panel substrate having a semiconductor element includes a film forming step of forming a thin film, a resist film forming step of forming a positive resist film on the thin film, a first exposure step of selectively exposing a resist film via a photomask including a pattern of the semiconductor element, a second exposure step of selectively exposing the resist film by scanning and irradiating the resist film with light along an outline shape of the display panel substrate, a developing step of developing the resist film to remove the resist film exposed in the first and second exposure steps and form a resist pattern on the thin film, an etching step of etching the thin film using the resist pattern as a mask, and forming a thin-film pattern by selectively removing the thin film, and a peeling step of peeling the resist pattern.