US 2002/0119403 A1 · Method of forming a pattern using a photoresist without exposing the photoresist and silicidation method incorporating the same

Abstract

A photoresist pattern is formed, without being exposed, by using photoresist having a residual layer proportion characteristic by which the photoresist dissolves at a suitable rate in a developing solution. First, a target layer to be patterned and a photoresist layer are sequentially formed on a substrate having a pattern that defines a step on the substrate. Some of the photoresist layer is treated with the developing solution, to thereby form a photoresist pattern whose upper surface is situated beneath the step and hence, exposes part of the target layer. Next, the exposed part of the target layer, and the photoresist pattern are removed. A silicidation process may be carried out thereafter on the area(s) from which the target layer has been removed. The method is relatively simple because it does not involve an exposure process. Furthermore, the method can be used to manufacture devices having very fine linewidths, i.e., a small design rule, because it is not subject to the misalignment errors which can occur during a conventional exposure process.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method of forming a pattern in the manufacturing of a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:

forming a target layer on a pattern defining a step on a substrate such that the target layer conforms to said pattern;
forming a photoresist layer on the target layer, whereby the photoresist layer has an upper surface situated above the target layer;
dissolving a portion of the photoresist layer over a first area, without having exposed the photoresist layer in said first area, by soaking the photoresist layer in a developing solution until the upper surface thereof is situated below the upper surface of the step, and thereby leaving a portion of the photoresist layer undissolved over the entire said first area to form a photoresist pattern that exposes part of the target layer;
removing the exposed part of the target layer to form a pattern;
and
subsequently removing the photoresist pattern.

3 more elements

A silicidation method in the manufacturing of a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate having a memory portion and a peripheral circuit and logic portion at the periphery of the memory portion, each of the memory portion and the peripheral circuit and logic portion comprising a gate pattern;
forming a target layer on the gate patterns of the peripheral circuit and logic portion and the memory portion of the substrate such that the target layer conforms to the gate patterns;
forming a photoresist layer on the target layer at both the memory portion and peripheral circuit and logic portion of the substrate, whereby the photoresist layer has an upper surface situated above the target layer;
with respect to the photoresist layer formed at the memory portion and peripheral circuit and logic portion of the substrate, exposing only at least some of the photoresist layer that is located at the peripheral circuit and logic portion;
dissolving a portion of the photoresist layer over a first area at the memory portion of the substrate and dissolving all of the photoresist layer that has been exposed at the peripheral circuit and logic region, by soaking the photoresist layer in a developing solution until the upper surface thereof at the memory portion is situated below the upper surface of the gate patten of the memory portion, and thereby leaving a portion of the photoresist layer undissolved over the entire said first area, whereby a photoresist pattern is formed that exposes part of the target layer at the memory portion of the substrate and that exposes at least part of the target layer on both the gate pattern and an active area of the peripheral circuit and logic portion of the substrate;
removing the exposed parts of the target layer at both the memory portion and peripheral circuit and logic portion of the substrate;
subsequently removing the photoresist pattern;
and
subsequently forming a silicide layer on the upper portion of the gate pattern of the memory portion, and in said active area and on the upper portion of the gate pattern of the peripheral circuit and logic portion.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of forming a pattern using a photoresist without exposing the photoresist and silicidation method incorporating the same

Life of this patent

Method of forming a pattern using a photoresist without exposing the photoresist and silicidation method incorporating the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27