In-situ deposition and densification treatment for metal-comprising resist layer

A method comprising:

• receiving a workpiece in a process chamber;
• performing, in the process chamber, at least two deposition processes to form a metal oxide resist layer over the workpiece;
• and
• performing, in the process chamber, a plasma densification treatment process to modify a density profile of the metal oxide resist layer, wherein the plasma densification treatment process is separate from the at least two deposition processes and the plasma densification treatment process exposes the metal oxide resist layer to a plasma generated from at least a metal-containing precursor.

A method comprising:

• depositing a first metal oxide resist sublayer of a metal oxide resist layer over a workpiece, wherein the as-deposited first metal oxide resist sublayer has a first density;
• depositing a second metal oxide resist sublayer of the metal oxide resist layer, wherein the as-deposited second metal oxide resist sublayer is deposited over the first metal oxide resist sublayer and the as-deposited second metal oxide resist sublayer has the first density;
• depositing a third metal oxide resist sublayer of the metal oxide resist layer, wherein the third metal oxide resist sublayer is deposited over the second metal oxide resist sublayer and the as-deposited third metal oxide resist sublayer has the first density;
• performing a densification treatment on at least the as-deposited second metal oxide resist sublayer before depositing the third metal oxide resist sublayer, wherein the as-deposited second metal oxide resist sublayer has a second density after the densification treatment that is different than the first density, and further wherein the metal oxide resist layer has a first density profile and the first density without performing the densification treatment, the metal oxide resist layer has a second density profile and includes the first density and the second density after performing the densification treatment, and the second density profile is different than the first density profile;
• and
• after performing the densification treatment and using the metal oxide resist layer having the second density profile to pattern an underlying layer of the workpiece, removing the metal oxide resist layer from over the workpiece.