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US 10,256,096 B2Granted
Self-aligned double patterning
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsKuan-Wei Huang, Chia-Ying Lee, Ming-Chung Liang
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Abstract
A semiconductor device and a method of forming the same are provided. An embodiment comprises a target layer and masking layers over the target layer. First openings are formed in the uppermost layer of the masking layers. Spacers are formed along sidewalls of the first openings, remaining first openings having a first pattern. Second openings are formed in the uppermost layer of the masking layers, the second openings having a second pattern. The first pattern and the second pattern are partially transferred to the target layer.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- forming a first mask layer and a second mask layer over an underlying layer, the second mask layer being interposed between the first mask layer and the underlying layer;
- forming a first opening in the first mask layer;
- forming spacers along sidewalls of the first opening;
- after forming the spacers, forming a second opening in the first mask layer, the second opening being different from the first opening, the second opening exposing a sidewall of a first spacer of the spacers and a sidewall of a second spacer of the spacers, a sidewall of the second opening extending from the sidewall of the first spacer to the sidewall of the second spacer;
- masking a portion of the second opening using a third mask layer to form a patterning mask for the second mask layer, the patterning mask comprising the spacers, the first mask layer and the third mask layer;
- patterning the second mask layer using the patterning mask as a mask, thereby forming third openings in the second mask layer;
- and
- transferring the third openings to the underlying layer.
5 more elements
A method comprising:
- depositing a first layer over a second layer;
- performing a first patterning of the first layer, thereby forming a first patterned layer, the first patterned layer having a first opening;
- forming spacers along sidewalls of the first opening, thereby forming a narrowed first opening;
- after forming the spacers, performing a second patterning of the first patterned layer, thereby forming a second opening in the first patterned layer, a sidewall of the narrowed first opening and a first sidewall of the second opening exposing a same spacer of the spacers, a second sidewall of the second opening exposing a portion of the first patterned layer, the second sidewall of the second opening being in physical contact with a pair of the spacers;
- forming a cut mask over the first patterned layer, at least a portion of the cut mask being in the second opening;
- and
- patterning the second layer using the cut mask and the first patterned layer as a combined mask to form a patterned second layer.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- depositing a first mask layer over a target layer;
- forming a first opening and a second opening in the first mask layer;
- forming a first spacer element along a sidewall of the first opening;
- forming a second spacer element along a sidewall of the second opening;
- after forming the first spacer element and the second spacer element, forming a third opening in the first mask layer, a sidewall of the first spacer element being a first sidewall of the third opening, a sidewall of the second spacer element being a second sidewall of the third opening, a third sidewall of the third opening extending from the sidewall of the first spacer element to the sidewall of the second spacer element;
- forming a second mask layer over the first mask layer, the second mask layer protecting a portion of the third opening;
- and
- transferring the first opening, the second opening and an unprotected portion of the third opening to the target layer, wherein transferring the first opening, the second opening and the unprotected portion of the third opening to the target layer comprises patterning the target layer using the first spacer element, the second spacer element, the first mask layer and the second mask layer as a combined mask.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.