Methods for controlling an end-to-end distance in semiconductor device
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsYu-Lien Huang, Tsai-Chun Li, Huan-Just Lin, Huang-Ming Chen, Yang-Cheng Wu, Cheng-Hua Yang
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure may be used for patterning a layer in a 5 nm node or beyond fabrication to achieve an end-to-end distance below 35 nm. Compared to the state of the art technology, embodiments of the present disclosure reduce cycle time and cost of production from three lithographic processes and four etching processes to one lithographic process and three etch processes.
Claims20
A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
- forming a first layer over a substrate;
- forming a first mask layer over the first layer;
- patterning the first mask layer to form a first opening in the first mask layer, the first opening having a first dimension along a first axis and a second dimension along a second axis, the first axis being perpendicular to the second axis;
- etching the first mask layer to increase the first opening to have a third dimension along the first axis and a fourth dimension along the second axis, wherein a difference between the first dimension and the third dimension is greater than a difference between the second dimension and the fourth dimension;
- and
- etching the first layer using the first mask layer as a mask.
A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
- forming a first layer over a substrate;
- forming a first mask layer over the first layer;
- patterning the first mask layer to form a first opening, the first opening having a first dimension along a first line and a second dimension along a second line, the first line being perpendicular to the second line;
- performing a directional etch along the first line, the directional etch increasing the first dimension of the first opening to a third dimension;
- and
- etching the first layer using the first mask layer as a mask.
A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
- forming a first layer over a substrate;
- forming a first mask layer over the first layer;
- forming a first opening in the first mask layer, the first opening having a first dimension along a first line and a second dimension along a second line;
- performing a first directional etch to increase the first opening in a first direction of the first line;
- performing a second directional etch to increase the first opening in a second direction of the first line, the first direction being opposite the second direction;
- and
- prior to performing any additional etchings, etching the first layer using the first layer using the first mask layer as a mask to form a second opening in the first layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.