# US 2019/0378718 A1 · Multiple patterning scheme integration with planarized cut patterning

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- Number: US 2019/0378718 A1
- Document ID: US20190378718A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/006,270
- Filed: 2018-06-12
- Published: 2019-12-12
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-12
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Hsueh-Chung Chen; Yongan Xu; Lawrence A. Clevenger; Yann Mignot; Cornelius Brown Peethala
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190378718A1

## CPC

- H10P 50/73: {using masks for insulating materials}
- H10P 76/4088: {Processes for improving the resolution of the masks}
- G03F 7/0035: {Multiple processes, e.g. applying a further resist layer on an already in a previously step, processed pattern or textured surface}
- G03F 7/091: {characterised by antireflection means or light filtering or absorbing means, e.g. anti-halation, contrast enhancement}
- G03F 7/16: Coating processes; Apparatus therefor (applying coatings to base materials in general B05; applying photosensitive compositions to base for photographic purposes G03C1/74)
- G03F 7/2004: {characterised by the use of a particular light source, e.g. fluorescent lamps or deep UV light}
- G03F 7/2022: {Multi-step exposure, e.g. hybrid; backside exposure; blanket exposure, e.g. for image reversal; edge exposure, e.g. for edge bead removal; corrective exposure}
- H10P 14/6329: {using physical ablation of a target, e.g. physical vapour deposition or pulsed laser deposition}
- H10P 14/6902: {composed of carbon, e.g. alpha-C, diamond or hydrogen doped carbon}
- H10P 14/6903: {containing silicon}
- H10P 14/69433: {the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz}
- H10P 76/2043: {using an anti-reflective coating}
- H10P 76/405: {characterised by their composition, e.g. multilayer masks}
- H10P 76/4085: {characterised by the processes involved to create the masks}
- H10P 95/06: {Planarisation of inorganic insulating materials}
- G03F 7/203: {comprising an imagewise exposure to electromagnetic radiation or corpuscular radiation}
- H10P 14/6922: {the material containing Si, O and at least one of H, N, C, F or other non-metal elements, e.g. SiOC, SiOC:H or SiONC}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)

## Abstract

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device integrating a multiple patterning scheme includes forming a plurality of mandrels from a base structure, forming a plurality of non-mandrels including a hard mask material having an etch property substantially similar to that of the plurality of mandrels, forming photo-sensitive material or a memorization layer over the plurality of mandrels and the plurality of non-mandrels, and applying an exposure scheme to the photo-sensitive material or the memorization layer to create at least one mandrel cut pattern and at least one non-mandrel cut pattern.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device integrating a multiple patterning scheme, comprising:
forming a plurality of mandrels from a base structure;
forming a plurality of non-mandrels, including:
etching back a spacer layer to form gaps between the plurality of mandrels;
forming hard mask material in the gaps having an etch property substantially similar to that of the plurality of mandrels; and
etching back the hard mask material to form the plurality of non-mandrels:
forming photo-sensitive material over the plurality of mandrels and the plurality of non-mandrels; and
applying an exposure scheme to the photo-sensitive material to create at least one mandrel cut pattern and at least one non-mandrel cut pattern.

### Claim 2

(canceled)

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the hard mask material includes spin-on-glass (SOG) or spin-on-carbon (SOC).

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the SOG includes a silicon-based SOG material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the exposure scheme is a single exposure scheme to simultaneously create the mandrel and non-mandrel cut patterns.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the exposure scheme is a double exposure scheme.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein applying the double exposure scheme to the photo-sensitive material further includes:
performing a first lithography exposure to create the at least one mandrel cut pattern; and
performing a second lithography exposure to create the at least one non-mandrel cut pattern.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the base structure includes a metal cap layer, a first dielectric layer formed on the metal cap layer, a hard mask layer formed on the IMD layer, and a second dielectric layer formed on the hard mask layer, and wherein the plurality of mandrels include material from the second dielectric layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
removing mandrels and non-mandrels not covered by the mandrel and non-mandrel cut patterns;
removing the mandrel and non-mandrel cut pattern;
removing exposed portions of the hard mask layer; and
removing exposed portions of the first dielectric layer.

### Claim at position 10

10-20. (canceled)

### Claim 21

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device integrating a multiple patterning scheme, comprising:
forming a plurality of mandrels from a base structure;
forming a plurality of non-mandrels including hard mask material having an etch property substantially similar to that of the plurality of mandrels;
forming photo-sensitive material over the plurality of mandrels and the plurality of non-mandrels; and
applying a double exposure scheme to the photo-sensitive material to create at least one mandrel cut pattern and at least one non-mandrel cut pattern, including performing a first lithography exposure to create the at least one mandrel cut pattern, and performing a second lithography exposure to create the at least one non-mandrel cut pattern.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, further comprising:
forming a spacer layer;
performing an etch back of the spacer layer to create gaps between the mandrels;
forming the hard mask material in the gaps; and
performing an etch back to form the plurality of non-mandrels.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the hard mask material includes spin-on-glass (SOG) or spin-on-carbon (SOC).

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the exposure scheme is a single exposure scheme to simultaneously create the mandrel and non-mandrel cut patterns.

### Claim 25 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the base structure includes a metal cap layer, a first dielectric layer formed on the metal cap layer, a hard mask layer formed on the IMD layer, and a second dielectric layer is formed on the hard mask layer, and wherein the mandrels include material from the second dielectric layer.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The method of claim 25, further comprising:
removing mandrels and non-mandrels not covered by the mandrel and non-mandrel cut patterns;
removing the mandrel and non-mandrel cut pattern;
removing exposed portions of the hard mask layer; and
removing exposed portions of the first dielectric layer.

### Claim 27

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device integrating a multiple patterning scheme, comprising:
forming a plurality of mandrels from a base structure, the base structure including a metal cap layer, a first dielectric layer formed on the metal cap layer, a hard mask layer formed on the IMD layer, and a second dielectric layer is formed on the hard mask layer, and wherein the mandrels include material from the second dielectric layer;
forming a plurality of non-mandrels including hard mask material having an etch property substantially similar to that of the plurality of mandrels;
forming photo-sensitive material over the plurality of mandrels and the plurality of non-mandrels; and
applying an exposure scheme to the photo-sensitive material to create at least one mandrel cut pattern and at least one non-mandrel cut pattern.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, further comprising:
forming a spacer layer;
performing an etch back of the spacer layer to create gaps between the mandrels;
forming the hard mask material in the gaps; and
performing an etch back to form the plurality of non-mandrels.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein the hard mask material includes spin-on-glass (SOCK) or spin-on-carbon (SOC).

### Claim 30 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein the exposure scheme is a single exposure scheme to simultaneously create the mandrel and non-mandrel cut patterns.

### Claim 31 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein the exposure scheme is a double exposure scheme, and wherein applying the double exposure scheme to the photo-sensitive material further includes:
performing a first lithography exposure to create the at least one mandrel cut pattern; and
performing a second lithography exposure to create the at least one non-mandrel cut pattern.

### Claim 32 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, further comprising:
removing mandrels and non-mandrels not covered by the mandrel and non-mandrel cut patterns;
removing the mandrel and non-mandrel cut pattern;
removing exposed portions of the hard mask layer; and
removing exposed portions of the first dielectric layer.