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US 11,378,882 B2Granted
Chemical composition for tri-layer removal
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsLi-Min Chen, Kuo Bin Huang, Neng-Jye Yang, Chia-Wei Wu, Jian-Jou Lian
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Abstract
A method includes forming a tri-layer. The tri-layer includes a bottom layer; a middle layer over the bottom layer; and a top layer over the middle layer. The top layer includes a photo resist. The method further includes removing the top layer; and removing the middle layer using a chemical solution. The chemical solution is free from potassium hydroxide (KOH), and includes at least one of a quaternary ammonium hydroxide and a quaternary ammonium fluoride.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- forming a tri-layer, the tri-layer comprising:
- a bottom layer, wherein the bottom layer is formed of a cross-linked material;
- a first middle layer over the bottom layer;
- and
- a first top layer over and in physical contact with the first middle layer, wherein the first top layer comprises a photoresist;
- performing a light-exposure process on the first top layer using a first photo lithography mask;
- after the light-exposure process, removing the first top layer;
- after the first top layer is removed, removing the first middle layer using a chemical solution;
- forming a second middle layer over and in physical contact with the bottom layer;
- and
- forming a second top layer over the second middle layer, wherein the second top layer comprises an additional photoresist.
8 more elements
A method comprising:
- forming a first middle layer over a bottom layer;
- forming a first photoresist over the first middle layer;
- patterning the first photoresist using a first photo lithography mask;
- performing an inspection on the first photoresist;
- after the inspection, removing entireties of the first photoresist and the first middle layer through wet etching processes, wherein at least a portion of the bottom layer remains;
- forming a second middle layer comprising siloxane over the portion of the bottom layer;
- forming a second photoresist over the second middle layer;
- patterning the second photoresist using a second photo lithography mask, wherein the second photo lithography mask has an identical pattern as the first photo lithography mask;
- transferring patterns in the second photoresist into the second middle layer and the bottom layer;
- and
- transferring the patterns into a target layer underlying the bottom layer.
8 more elements
A method comprising:
- forming a bottom layer, wherein the bottom layer is formed of a cross-linked organic material;
- forming a first middle layer over the bottom layer;
- forming a first top layer over the first middle layer;
- performing a first light-exposure process and a first development process on the first top layer;
- removing the first top layer without transferring patterns in the first top layer into the first middle layer;
- removing an entirety of the first middle layer using a chemical solution comprising quaternary ammonium hydroxide and a quaternary ammonium fluoride, wherein after the first middle layer is removed, the bottom layer is exposed to the chemical solution;
- forming a second middle layer over and contacting the bottom layer;
- forming a second top layer;
- and
- performing a second light-exposure process and a second development process on the second top layer.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.