# US 2023/0054940 A1 · Method of forming patterned features > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0054940 A1 - Document ID: US20230054940A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/815,499 - Filed: 2022-07-27 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2021-08-04 - Assignees: ASM IP Holding B.V. - Applicants: ASM IP Holding, B.V. - Inventors: Yoann Tomczak - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230054940A1 ## CPC - H10P 76/20: of masks comprising organic materials - H10P 95/00: Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass - G03F 7/0002: {Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping} - H10P 14/6336: {in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]} - H10P 14/6339: {deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE or pulsed CVD} - H10P 14/6682: {the compound being a silane, e.g. disilane, methylsilane or chlorosilane} - H10P 14/6686: {the compound being a molecule comprising at least one silicon-oxygen bond and the compound having hydrogen or an organic group attached to the silicon or oxygen, e.g. a siloxane} - 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 Methods of forming patterned features and structures including the patterned features are disclosed. Exemplary methods include selectively forming a surface energy modified surface on a sidewall of structures and/or forming a surface-energy tunable layer on a surface of the substrate. The surface energy modified surface can be formed by depositing material and/or by treating the sidewall surface and/or by treating a surface adjacent the sidewall surface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of forming patterned features, the method comprising the steps of: providing a substrate comprising an underlayer and patterned structures on a surface of the substrate; selectively forming a surface-energy modified layer on sidewalls of the patterned structures; and depositing directed self-assembly material onto the substrate, wherein the surface-energy modified layer facilitates orientation of one or more of first and second components of the directed self-assembly material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the self-assembly material comprises a block copolymer comprising a first block polymer and a second block polymer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the first block polymer corresponds to the first component and the second block polymer corresponds to the second component. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first component has a first sidewall surface energy and a first underlayer surface energy, the first sidewall surface energy being less than the first underlayer surface energy. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second component has a second sidewall surface energy and a second underlayer surface energy, the second sidewall surface energy being greater than the second underlayer surface energy. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the underlayer comprises silicon and carbon. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the surface-energy modified layer comprises one or more of silicon carbide, silicon oxycarbide, silicon oxynitride, and amorphous carbon. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selectively forming a surface-energy modified layer on sidewalls of the patterned structures comprises selective deposition of the surface-energy modified layer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the step of selectively forming a surface-energy modified layer comprises a cyclical deposition process. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the step of selectively forming a surface-energy modifying layer comprises an atomic layer deposition process. ### Claim 11 A method of forming patterned features, the method comprising the steps of: providing a substrate; forming a surface-energy tunable layer on a surface of the substrate; exposing a first portion of the surface-energy tunable layer to one or more of radiation and excited species to alter a surface energy of the first portion relative to a surface energy of a second portion of the surface-energy tunable layer; and depositing directed self-assembly material, comprising first components and second components, onto the substrate, wherein one or more of the first portion and the second portion facilitate orientation of one or more of first and second components of the directed self-assembly material. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the surface-energy tunable layer comprises one or more of silicon carbide, silicon oxycarbide, and a metal oxide. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the surface-energy tunable layer is formed using a cyclical deposition process. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the cyclical deposition process is a plasma-enhanced cyclical deposition method. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the substrate comprises patterned structures, and wherein the method further comprises selectively forming a surface-energy modified layer on sidewalls of the patterned structures. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the directed self-assembly material comprises a block copolymer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising a step of treating the surface-energy tunable layer prior to the step of exposing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising a step of manipulating one or more process parameters during the step of forming the surface-energy tunable layer to modify a surface energy of the surface-energy tunable layer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the step of manipulating facilitates alignment of a component of the directed self-assembly material. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A structure comprising patterned features formed according to the method of claim 1.