Nitride surface passivation for acid catalyzed chemically amplified resist processing
AssigneeAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc.
InventorChristopher F. Lyons
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of minimizing or preventing contamination of an acid catalyzed photoresist when using the acid catalyzed photoresist over a nitride containing film, involving contacting the nitride containing film with an oxidizing plasma comprising from about 1% to about 90% by volume of an oxygen containing gas and from about 10% to about 99% by volume of a forming gas prior to deposition of the acid catalyzed photoresist over the nitride containing film.
Claims17
A method of minimizing or preventing contamination of an acid catalyzed photoresist when using the acid catalyzed photoresist over a nitride containing film, comprising:
- contacting the nitride containing film with an oxidizing plasma comprising from about 1% to about 90% by volume of an oxygen containing gas and from about 10% to about 99% by volume of a forming gas prior to deposition of the acid catalyzed photoresist over the nitride containing film,
- wherein the nitride containing film comprises at least one of silicon nitride, nitrogen rich silicon oxynitride, titanium nitride, tantalum nitride, and tungsten nitride, and the forming gas comprises hydrogen and nitrogen.
A method of processing a semiconductor substrate having a nitride containing film over at least a portion thereof, comprising:
- providing the semiconductor substrate having the nitride containing film over at least a portion thereof;
- contacting the nitride containing film with an oxidizing plasma comprising an oxygen containing gas and a forming gas;
- and
- depositing an acid catalyzed photoresist over at least a portion of the nitride containing film,
- wherein the nitride containing film comprises at least one of silicon nitride, nitrogen rich silicon oxynitride, titanium nitride, tantalum nitride, and tungsten nitride, and the forming gas comprises hydrogen and nitrogen.
A method of forming a crisp, well defined developed photoresist pattern over a nitride containing film using an acid catalyzed photoresist, comprising:
- providing the nitride containing film;
- contacting the nitride containing film with an oxidizing plasma comprising from about 5% to about 70% by volume of an oxygen containing gas and from about 30% to about 95% by volume of a forming gas comprising hydrogen and nitrogen;
- depositing the acid catalyzed photoresist over at least a portion of the nitride containing film;
- irradiating the acid catalyzed photoresist with actinic radiation;
- and
- developing the irradiated acid catalyzed photoresist thereby providing the crisp, well defined developed photoresist pattern,
- wherein the nitride containing film comprises at least one of silicon nitride, nitrogen rich silicon oxynitride, titanium nitride, tantalum nitride, and tungsten nitride, and the forming gas comprises hydrogen and nitrogen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.