Etching to reduce line wiggling
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsKuan-Wei Huang, Cheng-Li Fan, Yu-Yu Chen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for reducing wiggling in a line includes forming a first patterning layer over a metal feature and depositing a first mask layer over the first patterning layer. The first mask layer is patterned to form a first set of one or more openings therein and then thinned. The pattern of the first mask layer is transferred to the first patterning layer to form a second set of one or more openings therein. The first patterning layer is etched to widen the second set of one or more openings. The first patterning layer may be comprised of silicon or an oxide material. The openings in the first patterning layer may be widened while a mask layer is over the first patterning layer.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- forming a first patterning layer over a metal feature;
- depositing a first mask layer over the first patterning layer;
- depositing a second mask layer interposed between the first patterning layer and the first mask layer;
- patterning the first mask layer to form a first set of one or more openings therein;
- thinning the first mask layer to form a pattern of thinned first mask layer;
- after thinning the first mask layer, transferring the pattern of the thinned first mask layer to the second mask layer to form a second set of one or more openings and to form a pattern of the second mask layer;
- transferring the pattern of the second mask layer to the first patterning layer to form a third set of one or more openings therein;
- and
- etching the first patterning layer to widen the third set of one or more openings without widening the second set of one or more openings, wherein the third set of one or more openings is widened while the second mask layer is over the first patterning layer.
A method, comprising:
- forming a dielectric layer over a substrate, wherein the substrate contains one or more active devices;
- forming a first patterning layer over the dielectric layer;
- forming a first tri-layer over the first patterning layer, the first tri-layer comprising a top layer of a first material, a middle layer of a second material, and a bottom layer of a third material;
- patterning the top layer to form a first set of openings and a first pattern of the top layer;
- thinning the top layer to decrease a height-to-width ratio of the first set of openings;
- transferring the first pattern of the top layer to the middle layer to form a second set of openings and a second pattern of the middle layer;
- transferring the second pattern of the middle layer to the bottom layer to form a third set of openings;
- etching the first patterning layer through the third set of openings to form a fourth set of openings;
- and
- while the bottom layer is over the first patterning layer, etching the first patterning layer through the third set of openings to widen the fourth set of openings without widening the third set of openings, wherein a layer directly underlying the first patterning layer prevents etching the dielectric layer while widening the fourth set of openings.
A method, comprising:
- patterning a first mask layer to form first openings therein;
- transferring a first pattern of the first openings to a second mask layer underlying the first mask layer to form second openings in the second mask layer;
- transferring a second pattern of the second openings to a mandrel layer underlying the second mask layer to form third openings in the mandrel layer;
- while the second mask layer is over the mandrel layer, etching the mandrel layer to widen the third openings without widening the second openings and without etching through any layers directly underlying the mandrel layer;
- removing the second mask layer;
- forming a spacer mask in the third openings of the mandrel layer;
- and
- etching a target layer underlying the spacer mask based on a third pattern of the spacer mask.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.