Environment exchange control for material on a wafer surface

#1. Field of the Invention

#The invention relates generally to the field of microelectronic fabrication. More particularly, the invention relates to the fabrication of polymeric microelectronic structures, such as photoresist masks and low dielectric constant materials.

#2. Discussion of the Related Art

#A clear conception of the advantages and features constituting the invention, and of the components and operation of model systems provided with the invention, will become more readily apparent by referring to the exemplary, and therefore nonlimiting, embodiments illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, wherein like reference characters (if they occur in more than one view) designate the same parts. It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an environmental exchange control system incorporating a water-filled canister with a bubbler, representing an embodiment of the invention.

#FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of an environmental exchange control system incorporating a mixing chamber with an atomizer, representing an embodiment of the invention.

#The invention and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the nonlimiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description of preferred embodiments. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the invention in detail.

#The context of the invention includes fabrication of microelectronic structures with photoresist and coating microelectronic structures with spin-on materials. The invention can also utilize data processing methods that transform process monitoring signals so as to actuate interconnected discrete hardware elements; for example, to change the partial pressure of an environmental species or change the environmental and/or wafer temperature.

#The concept of the invention provides a structure or assembly for providing a control environment to affect the exchange of chemical species between a liquid polymer on a semiconductor wafer. In particular, the invention may include a wafer processing chamber as part of a lithography track tool for fabricating wafers. A wafer processing chamber can be an environmentally controlled structure into which solvent, moisture and other chemicals can be introduced, monitored and controlled; and out of which solvent, moisture and other chemicals can be extracted. The wafer processing chamber allows for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, pressure, and/or species partial pressure humidity (e.g., to affect development of a film on a surface of the wafer, such as polymer films for photoresist processes, and low dielectric constant liquid polymers). A heater may be coupled to the chamber to control the temperature of the environment. The wafer processing chamber may be coupled to inlet manifolds for providing gaseous and/or liquid mixtures that form a suitable environment within the chamber to control the development of films on the wafers. The structure or assembly of this invention may also be coupled to wafer manufacturing tools such as steppers. The term coupled, as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.