Process Solutions Containing Surfactants
AssigneeAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.
InventorsPeng Zhang, Danielle Megan King Curzi, Eugene Joseph Karwacki, JR., Leslie Cox Barber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Process solutions comprising one or more surfactants are used to reduce the number of defects in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. In certain preferred embodiments, the process solution of the present invention may reduce post-development defects such as pattern collapse when employed as a rinse solution either during or after the development of the patterned photoresist layer. Also disclosed is a method for reducing the number of pattern collapse defects on a plurality of photoresist coated substrates employing the process solution of the present invention.
Claims20
A process rinse solution to reduce pattern collapse defects on the surface of a substrate that has been patterned and developed, the solution consisting of at least one carrier medium selected from the group consisting of an aqueous solvent or a non-aqueous solvent and at least one surfactant selected from the group of surfactants having the formula (III), (IVa), (IVb), (V), (VI), (VII), or (VIII):
- wherein R1 and R4 are each independently a straight or a branched alkyl group having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms;
- R2 and R3 are each independently a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms;
- R5 is a straight or a branched alkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms;
- R6 is a straight or a branched alkyl group having from 4 to 16 carbon atoms;
- R7, R8, and R9 are each independently a straight or a branched alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms;
- R10 is a hydrogen atom or a group represented by the formula
- R11 is a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 4 to 22 carbon atoms;
- W is a hydrogen atom or an alkynyl group;
- X and Y are each independently a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyl group;
- Z is a halide atom, a hydroxyl group, an acetate group, or a carboxylate group;
- m and n are each independently a number that ranges from 0 to 20;
- r and s are each independently 2 or 3;
- t is a number that ranges from 0 to 2;
- j is a number that ranges from 1 to 5;
- and x is a number that ranges from 1 to 6.
A process solution, the solution consisting of:
- about 10 to about 10,000 ppm of at least one surfactant having the formula (I) or (II):
- wherein R1 and R4 are a straight or a branched alkyl chain having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms;
- R2 and R3 are either H or an alkyl chain having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms;
- and m, n, p, and q are numbers that range from 0 to 20, optionally further consisting of about 10 to about 10,000 ppm of at least one dispersant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.