Plasma-activated liquids
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
InventorsDavid RUZIC, Mohan SANKARAN, Christian WILLIAMS
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Abstract
Plasma-Activated liquids and methods of using the same are described. In one aspect, a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit includes activating a photolithography liquid with a plasma; and treating a device component with the activated photolithography liquid. In one example, the photolithography liquid is a photoresist. Activating the photoresist liquid may impart reactive species to the photoresist.
Claims54
A plasma-activated liquid comprising:
- a non-aqueous liquid medium;
- and
- at least one reactive species produced via contacting the surface of the non-aqueous liquid medium with a plasma.
The plasma-activated liquid of any of the preceding claims, wherein the plasma activated liquid comprises free radicals, solvated electrons, or both.
The plasma-activated liquid of any of the preceding claims, wherein the plasma activated liquid comprises a photolithography liquid.
The plasma-activated liquid of any of the preceding claims comprising a plurality of solvated molecules wherein each of the plurality of molecules comprises a carbon backbone.
The plasma-activated liquid of any of the preceding claims comprising or more ionic species to stabilize free radicals and/or solvated electrons in the plasma-activated liquid.
A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit, the method comprising:
- activating a photolithography liquid with a plasma;
- and
- treating a device component with the activated photolithography liquid.
A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit, the method comprising:
- coating at least a portion of a surface device component with a photoresist liquid;
- hardening the photoresist liquid into a solid layer of photoresist on the wafer;
- exposing the solid layer of photoresist to a pattern of electromagnetic radiation;
- contacting the photoresist with a developer liquid to develop a corresponding pattern in the photoresist;
- etching the wafer to transfer the pattern from the photoresist to the oxide layer;
- ashing the remaining photoresist;
- cleaning the wafer with a cleaning solution liquid to remove photoresist residue from the wafer;
- and
- performing at least one of the following steps:
- activating the photoresist liquid or a component of the photoresist liquid with a plasma;
- activating the developer liquid or a component of the developer liquid with a plasma;
- activating the cleaning solution liquid or a component of the cleaning solution liquid with a plasma.
A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit, the method comprising:
- coating at least a portion of a surface device component with a photoresist liquid;
- hardening the photoresist liquid into a solid layer on the wafer;
- exposing the photoresist to electromagnetic radiation;
- applying developer liquid to remove the exposed photoresist;
- prior to or concomitant with the applying step, activating the developer liquid via a plasma thereby introducing free radicals and/or solvated electrons into the developer liquid;
- etching the exposed parts of the wafer;
- ashing the remaining photoresist;
- and
- removing photoresist residue with a liquid cleaning solution.
A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit, the method comprising:
- coating at least a portion of a surface device component with a photoresist liquid;
- hardening the photoresist liquid into a solid layer on the wafer;
- exposing the photoresist to electromagnetic radiation;
- applying developer liquid to remove the exposed photoresist;
- etching the exposed parts of the wafer;
- ashing the remaining photoresist;
- removing photoresist residue with a liquid cleaning solution;
- and
- prior to or concomitant with the removing step, activating the liquid cleaning solution via a plasma thereby introducing free radicals and/or solvated electrons into the liquid cleaning solution.
A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit, the method comprising:
- coating at least a portion of a surface device component with a photoresist liquid;
- hardening the photoresist liquid into a solid layer on the wafer;
- exposing the photoresist to electromagnetic radiation;
- applying developer liquid to remove the exposed photoresist;
- etching the exposed parts of the wafer;
- ashing the remaining photoresist;
- removing photoresist residue with a liquid cleaning solution;
- and
- prior to or concomitant with the coating step, activating the photoresist liquid, or a component of the photoresist liquid via a plasma thereby introducing free radicals and/or solvated electrons into the photoresist liquid or a component of the photoresist liquid.
A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit, the method comprising:
- coating at least a portion of a surface device component with a photoresist liquid;
- hardening the photoresist liquid into a solid layer on the wafer;
- exposing the photoresist to electromagnetic radiation;
- applying developer liquid to remove the exposed photoresist;
- etching the exposed parts of the wafer;
- ashing the remaining photoresist;
- removing photoresist residue with a liquid cleaning solution;
- and
- prior to or concomitant with the applying step, activating the developer liquid or a component of the developer liquid via a plasma thereby introducing free radicals and/or solvated electrons into the developer liquid or a component of the developer liquid.
A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit, the method comprising:
- coating at least a portion of a surface device component with a photoresist liquid;
- hardening the photoresist liquid into a solid layer on the wafer;
- exposing the photoresist to electromagnetic radiation;
- applying developer liquid to remove the exposed photoresist;
- etching the exposed parts of the wafer;
- ashing the remaining photoresist;
- removing photoresist residue with a liquid cleaning solution;
- and
- prior to or concomitant with the removing step, activating the liquid cleaning solution or a component of the liquid cleaning solution via a plasma thereby introducing free radicals and/or solvated electrons into the liquid cleaning solution or a component of the liquid cleaning solution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.