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US 5,962,196 AGranted
Deep ultraviolet light photoresist processing
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsSiddhartha Das, Harry H. Fujimoto, Henry Gaw
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Process for post exposure treatment of a latent image on a semiconductor wafer. After a deep ultraviolet (UV) photoresist has been exposed, the wafer, including the latent image in the attached photoresist, is maintained in an inert gas to protect the resist from the air atmosphere. Then the latent image is baked to stabilize the image.
Claims9
In a semiconductor fabrication process comprising the steps of:
- coating a wafer with photoresist, said photoresist producing a photoacid when irradiated with radiation of a predetermined range of wavelengths, said photoacid catalyzing a chemical reaction when said photoresist is baked to increase the solubility said photoresist in the non irradiated areas with respect to the a solubility of said photoresist in the non irradiated areas;
- irradiating said photoresist on said wafer with said radiation of a predetermined wavelength to generate said photoacid defining a latent image in said photoresist on said wafer, said irradiating step following said coating step;
- preventing said photoacid from being neutralized by maintaining said wafer coated with said photoresist containing said latent image in water;
- and
- baking said latent image in photoresist on said wafer, said baking step following said preventing step.
2 more elements
A process for forming a photoresist pattern comprising the steps of:
- coating a wafer with a photoresist, said photoresist producing a photoacid when irradiated with radiation of a predetermined range of wavelengths, said photoacid catalyzing a chemical reaction when said photoresist is baked to increase the solubility of said photoresist in the irradiated areas with respect to the solubility of said photoresist in the non irradiated areas;
- irradiating said photoresist on said wafer with said radiation of a predetermined wavelength to generate said photoacid defining a latent image in said photoresist on said wafer, said irradiating step following said coating step;
- preventing said photoacid from being neutralized by maintaining said wafer coated with said photoresist in a nitrogen atmosphere, said preventing step following said irradiating step;
- and
- baking said latent image in said photoresist on said wafer, said baking step following said maintaining step.
2 more elements
A process for forming a photoresist pattern comprising the steps of:
- coating a wafer with photoresist, said photoresist producing a photoacid when irradiated with radiation of a predetermined range of wavelengths, said photoacid catalyzing a chemical reaction when said photoresist is baked to increase the solubility of said photoresist in the non irradiated areas;
- maintaining said wafer coated with said photoresist in a nitrogen atmosphere, said maintaining step following said coating step;
- irradiating said photoresist on said wafer with said radiation of a predetermined wavelength to generate said photoacid defining a latent image in said photoresist on said wafer, wherein said irradiation occurs in said nitrogen atmosphere, said irradiating step following said coating step;
- preventing said photoacid from being neutralized by maintaining said latent image in said photoresist on said wafer in said nitrogen atmosphere, said preventing step following said irradiating step;
- and
- baking said latent image in said photoresist on said wafer, said baking step following said second maintaining step.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.