Method of patterning an anti-reflective coating by partial developing
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsSandra L. Hyland, Shannon W. Dunn
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Abstract
A method of patterning a thin film is described. The method comprises forming a thin film to be patterned on a substrate, forming a developable anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer on the thin film, and forming a mask layer on the developable ARC layer. Thereafter, the mask layer is patterned to form a pattern therein, and the pattern is partially transferred to the developable ARC layer using an imaging and developing process. Once the mask layer is removed, the pattern is completely transferred to the developable ARC layer using an etching process, and the pattern in the developable ARC layer is transferred to the underlying thin film using another etching process.
Claims17
A method of patterning a thin film on a substrate, comprising:
- preparing a film stack on said substrate, said film stack comprising said thin film formed on said substrate, a developable anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer formed on said thin film, and a layer of photo-resist formed on said developable ARC layer;
- imaging said layer of photo-resist with a pattern using a photo-lithography system;
- partially imaging said developable ARC layer with said pattern such that said imaging is to a depth less than the thickness of said ARC layer using said photo-lithography system;
- developing said layer of photo-resist to form said pattern in said layer of photo-resist;
- developing said developable ARC layer to partially form said pattern extending to said depth;
- removing said layer of photo-resist following said developing of said layer of photo-resist and said developing of said developable ARC layer;
- transferring said pattern in said developable ARC layer substantially through said developable ARC layer by etching said developable ARC layer;
- and
- transferring said pattern to said thin film while substantially consuming said developable ARC layer.
A computer readable medium containing program instructions for execution on a control system, which when executed by the control system, cause a patterning system to perform the steps of:
- preparing a film stack on a substrate, said film stack comprising a thin film formed on said substrate, a developable anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer formed on said thin film, and a layer of photo-resist formed on said developable ARC layer;
- imaging said layer of photo-resist with a pattern using a photo-lithography system;
- partially imaging said developable ARC layer with said pattern such that said imaging is to a depth less than the thickness of said ARC layer using said photo-lithography system;
- developing said layer of photo-resist to form said pattern in said layer of photo-resist;
- developing said developable ARC layer to partially form said pattern extending to said depth;
- removing said layer of photo-resist following said developing of said layer of photo-resist and said developing of said developable ARC layer;
- transferring said pattern in said developable ARC layer substantially through said developable ARC layer by etching said developable ARC layer;
- and
- transferring said pattern to said thin film while substantially consuming said developable ARC layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.