# US 12,183,604 B2 · Integrated dry processes for patterning radiation photoresist patterning > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,183,604 B2 - Document ID: US12183604B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/184,545 - Filed: 2023-03-15 - Published: 2023-09-14 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-07 - Assignees: Lam Research Corporation - Applicants: Lam Research Corporation - Inventors: Jengyi Yu; Samantha S. H. Tan; Mohammed Haroon Alvi; Richard Wise; Yang Pan; Richard Alan Gottscho; Adrien LaVoie; Sivananda Krishnan Kanakasabapathy; Timothy William Weidman; Qinghuang Lin; Jerome S. Hubacek - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12183604B2 ## CPC - H10P 72/0474: {comprising at least one lithography chamber} - G03F 7/0042: {with inorganic or organometallic light-sensitive compounds not otherwise provided for, e.g. inorganic resists (G03F7/075 takes precedence)} - G03F 7/11: having cover layers or intermediate layers, e.g. subbing layers {(G03F7/091 - G03F7/093, B41N3/03 take precedence)} - G03F 7/16: Coating processes; Apparatus therefor (applying coatings to base materials in general B05; applying photosensitive compositions to base for photographic purposes G03C1/74) - G03F 7/167: {from the gas phase, by plasma deposition (G03F7/2035 takes precedence)} - G03F 7/168: {Finishing the coated layer, e.g. drying, baking, soaking} - G03F 7/36: Imagewise removal not covered by groups G03F7/30 - G03F7/34, e.g. using gas streams, using plasma - G03F 7/38: Treatment before imagewise removal, e.g. prebaking {(G03F7/265 takes precedence)} - H10P 72/0448: {Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like} - H10P 72/0454: {surrounding a central transfer chamber} - H10P 72/0468: {comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) ## Abstract Methods for making thin-films on semiconductor substrates, which may be patterned using EUV, include: depositing the organometallic polymer-like material onto the surface of the semiconductor substrate, exposing the surface to EUV to form a pattern, and developing the pattern for later transfer to underlying layers. The depositing operations may be performed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and ALD with a CVD component, such as a discontinuous, ALD-like process in which metal precursors and counter-reactants are separated in either time or space. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An integrated lithography system, comprising: a plurality of reaction chambers within a cluster, the plurality of reaction chambers comprising: a photoresist (PR) deposition chamber; a post-exposure bake (PEB) chamber; a development chamber; and a substrate clean chamber; a controller that includes one or more processors and one or more memory devices, wherein the one or more memory devices store computer-executable instructions for controlling the one or more processors to: receive a substrate in the PR deposition chamber; deposit a PR on a surface of the substrate within the PR deposition chamber via a dry process comprising mixing a vapor stream of an organometallic precursor with a vapor stream of a counter-reactant; after depositing the PR, receive the substrate in the PEB chamber, wherein portions of the PR have been chemically altered by exposure to radiation to create a patterned PR; treat the patterned PR within the PEB chamber to modify material properties of the patterned PR; and dry develop the patterned PR within the development chamber by removing either an exposed portion or an unexposed portion of the patterned PR by a dry development process comprising exposure to a chemical compound to form a PR mask; wherein the computer-executable instructions further include instructions for controlling the one or more processors to, prior to the computer-executable instruction to receive the substrate in the PEB chamber: receive the substrate having the PR in the clean chamber; and perform a dry clean process to remove PR from a bevel edge and/or backside of the substrate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the PR is a metal-containing PR. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the PR is an EUV PR. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of reaction chambers further includes an underlayer deposition chamber, and the computer-executable instructions further include instructions for controlling the one or more processors to, prior to the computer-executable instruction to deposit a PR: deposit an underlayer on the surface of the substrate, wherein the underlayer increases adhesion of the PR to the substrate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the underlayer is deposited via a dry process. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of reaction chambers further includes a pre-treatment chamber, and the computer-executable instructions further include instructions for controlling the one or more processors to, prior to the computer-executable instruction to deposit the PR: treat the surface of the substrate via a dry process to cause more chemical functional groups on the surface of the substrate to improve PR adhesion to the substrate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of reaction chambers further includes a lithography scanner, and the computer-executable instructions further include instructions for controlling the one or more processors to, prior to the computer-executable instruction to receive the substrate in the PEB chamber: receive the substrate in the lithography scanner; and expose portions of the PR to radiation to create a patterned PR. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein a reaction chamber of the plurality of reaction chambers is configured to perform a wafer clean process, a post-application bake process, a post-exposure bake process, a dry development process, or any combinations thereof. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the development chamber and the PR deposition chamber, the PEB chamber, the substrate clean chamber, or any combinations thereof are the same chamber. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of reaction chambers are each below atmospheric pressure, and the PR is under below-atmospheric pressure until after the dry development process. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein dry developing the patterned PR is performed at a pressure between about 100 Torr and about 760 Torr. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein an ambient environment of the substrate is controlled to reduce exposure of the photoresist to moisture prior to dry developing the patterned PR. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the cluster comprises multiple PR deposition chambers. ### Claim 14 An integrated lithography system, comprising: a plurality of reaction chambers within a cluster, the plurality of reaction chambers comprising: a photoresist (PR) deposition chamber; a post-exposure bake (PEB) chamber; a development chamber; and an underlayer deposition chamber; a controller that includes one or more processors and one or more memory devices, wherein the one or more memory devices store computer-executable instructions for controlling the one or more processors to: receive a substrate in the PR deposition chamber; deposit a PR on a surface of the substrate within the PR deposition chamber via a dry process comprising mixing a vapor stream of an organometallic precursor with a vapor stream of a counter-reactant; after depositing the PR, receive the substrate in the PEB chamber, wherein portions of the PR have been chemically altered by exposure to radiation to create a patterned PR; treat the patterned PR within the PEB chamber to modify material properties of the patterned PR; and dry develop the patterned PR within the development chamber by removing either an exposed portion or an unexposed portion of the patterned PR by a dry development process comprising exposure to a chemical compound to form a PR mask; wherein the computer-executable instructions further include instructions for controlling the one or more processors to, prior to the computer-executable instruction to deposit a PR, deposit an underlayer on the surface of the substrate via a dry process, wherein the underlayer increases adhesion of the PR to the substrate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the PR is a metal-containing PR. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the PR is an EUV PR. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the underlayer is deposited by a dry process. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of reaction chambers further includes a pre-treatment chamber, and the computer-executable instructions further include instructions for controlling the one or more processors to, prior to the computer-executable instruction to deposit the PR: treat the surface of the substrate via a dry process to cause more chemical functional groups on the surface of the substrate to improve PR adhesion to the substrate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of reaction chambers further includes a lithography scanner, and the computer-executable instructions further include instructions for controlling the one or more processors to, prior to the computer-executable instruction to receive the substrate in the PEB chamber: receive the substrate in the lithography scanner; and expose portions of the PR to radiation to create a patterned PR. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein a reaction chamber of the plurality of reaction chambers is configured to perform a wafer clean process, a post-application bake process, a post-exposure bake process, a dry development process, or any combinations thereof. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the development chamber and the PR deposition chamber, the PEB chamber, the underlay deposition chamber, or any combinations thereof are the same chamber. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of reaction chambers are each below atmospheric pressure, and the PR is under below-atmospheric pressure until after the dry development process. ### Claim 23 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein dry developing the patterned PR is performed at a pressure between about 100 Torr and about 760 Torr. ### Claim 24 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein an ambient environment of the substrate is controlled to reduce exposure of the photoresist to moisture prior to dry developing the patterned PR. ### Claim 25 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the processes performed in the plurality of reaction chambers include wet and dry processes. ### Claim 26 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the cluster comprises multiple PR deposition chambers. ### Claim 27 An integrated lithography system, comprising: a plurality of reaction chambers within a cluster, the plurality of reaction chambers comprising: a photoresist (PR) deposition chamber; a post-exposure bake (PEB) chamber; a development chamber; and a pre-treatment chamber; a controller that includes one or more processors and one or more memory devices, wherein the one or more memory devices store computer-executable instructions for controlling the one or more processors to: receive a substrate in the PR deposition chamber; deposit a PR on a surface of the substrate within the PR deposition chamber via a dry process comprising mixing a vapor stream of an organometallic precursor with a vapor stream of a counter-reactant; after depositing the PR, receive the substrate in the PEB chamber, wherein portions of the PR have been chemically altered by exposure to radiation to create a patterned PR; treat the patterned PR within the PEB chamber to modify material properties of the patterned PR; and dry develop the patterned PR within the development chamber by removing either an exposed portion or an unexposed portion of the patterned PR by a dry development process comprising exposure to a chemical compound to form a PR mask; wherein the computer-executable instructions further include instructions for controlling the one or more processors to, prior to the computer-executable instruction to deposit the PR, treat the surface of the substrate via a dry process to cause more chemical functional groups on the surface of the substrate to improve PR adhesion to the substrate. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the PR is a metal-containing PR. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the PR is an EUV PR. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the plurality of reaction chambers further includes a lithography scanner, and the computer-executable instructions further include instructions for controlling the one or more processors to, prior to the computer-executable instruction to receive the substrate in the PEB chamber: receive the substrate in the lithography scanner; and expose portions of the PR to radiation to create a patterned PR. ### Claim 31 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein a reaction chamber of the plurality of reaction chambers is configured to perform a wafer clean process, a post-application bake process, a post-exposure bake process, a dry development process, or any combinations thereof. ### Claim 32 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the development chamber and the PR deposition chamber, the PEB chamber, the pre-treatment chamber, or any combinations thereof are the same chamber. ### Claim 33 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the plurality of reaction chambers are each below atmospheric pressure, and the PR is under below-atmospheric pressure until after the dry development process. ### Claim 34 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein dry developing the patterned PR is performed at a pressure between about 100 Torr and about 760 Torr. ### Claim 35 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein an ambient environment of the substrate is controlled to reduce exposure of the photoresist to moisture prior to dry developing the patterned PR. ### Claim 36 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the processes performed in the plurality of reaction chambers include wet and dry processes. ### Claim 37 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the cluster comprises multiple PR deposition chambers.