Anti-reflective coatings and methods regarding same

A method for use in the fabrication of integrated circuits, the method comprising:

• providing a substrate assembly having a surface;
• providing an inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer on the substrate assembly surface, wherein the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer has an associated first etch rate when exposed to an etchant, and further wherein the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer comprises silicon oxynitride;
• providing a layer of resist material over the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer;
• patterning the layer of resist material resulting in exposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer and unexposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer;
• removing the exposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer;
• removing the patterned layer of resist material;
• and
• thermally treating the unexposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer after removing the patterned layer of resist material, wherein the thermally treated unexposed regions of the anti-reflective coating material layer have an associated second etch rate less than the first etch rate.

A method for use in the fabrication of integrated circuits, the method comprising:

• providing a substrate assembly having a surface;
• providing an inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer on the substrate assembly surface;
• annealing the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer to alter the optical properties thereof;
• providing a layer of resist material over the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer;
• patterning the layer of resist material resulting in exposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer and unexposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer;
• removing the exposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer and at least a portion of the substrate assembly thereunder;
• removing the patterned layer of resist material;
• and
• thermally treating the unexposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer to alter the etch rate of the unexposed regions of the anti-reflective coating material layer.

A method for use in the fabrication of integrated circuits, the method comprising:

• providing a substrate assembly having a surface;
• providing an inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer on the substrate assembly surface, wherein the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer has an associated first etch rate when exposed to an etchant;
• providing a layer of resist material over the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer;
• patterning the layer of resist material resulting in exposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer defining at least one opening in the substrate assembly;
• removing the exposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer;
• etching the substrate assembly resulting in the at least one opening therein;
• removing the patterned layer of resist material;
• thermally treating the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer remaining after the exposed regions are removed, wherein the thermally treated remaining anti-reflective coating material layer has an associated second etch rate less than the first etch rate;
• further etching the substrate assembly such that regions of the substrate assembly underlying the remaining anti-reflective coating material layer are removed;
• and
• filling the opening with a material such that a void is formed in the opening.

A method for use in the fabrication of integrated circuits, the method comprising:

• providing a substrate assembly having a surface;
• providing an inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer on the substrate assembly surface, wherein the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer has an associated first etch rate when exposed to an etchant, and further wherein the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer includes regions thereof removed such that one or more openings are formed in the substrate assembly;
• thermally treating the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer remaining after the regions are removed, wherein the thermally treated remaining anti-reflective coating material layer has an associated second etch rate less than the first etch rate;
• etching the substrate assembly such that regions of the substrate assembly underlying the thermally treated anti-reflective coating material layer are removed;
• and
• filling the opening with a material such that a void is formed in the opening.

A method of forming an anti-reflective coating material layer in the fabrication of integrated circuits, the method comprising:

• providing a substrate assembly having a surface;
• providing an inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer on the substrate assembly surface, wherein the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer has an associated etch rate when exposed to an etchant;
• and
• thermally treating the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer at a temperature in the range of about 400° C. to about 1100° C., wherein an associated etch rate for the thermally treated anti-reflective coating material layer is less than about 20% of the associated etch rate for the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer prior to being thermally treated, and further wherein the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer is SixOyNz:H, where x is in the range of about 0.39 to about 0.65, y is in the range of 0.25 to about 0.56, and z is in the range of about 0.05 to about 0.14.

A method of etching in the fabrication of integrated circuits, the method comprising:

• providing a substrate assembly having a surface, wherein the substrate assembly surface includes BPSG, and further wherein the BPSG has an associated etch rate when exposed to an etchant;
• providing an inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer relative to the substrate assembly surface;
• and
• thermally treating the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer at a temperature in the range of about 400° C. to about 1100° C., wherein the thermally treated anti-reflective coating material layer has an associated etch rate when exposed to the etchant, and further wherein the ratio of etch rates between BPSG:anti-reflective coating material layer when exposed to the etchant is at least about 3:1.

A method of etching in the fabrication of integrated circuits, the method comprising:

• providing a substrate assembly having a surface, wherein the substrate assembly surface includes TEOS, and further wherein the TEOS has an associated etch rate when exposed to an etchant;
• providing an inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer relative to the substrate assembly surface;
• and
• thermally treating the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer at a temperature in the range of about 400° C. to about 1100° C., wherein the thermally treated anti-reflective coating material layer has an associated etch rate when exposed to the etchant, and further wherein the ratio of etch rates between TEOS:anti-reflective coating material layer when exposed to the etchant is at least about 3:1.

A method of forming an anti-reflective coating material layer in the fabrication of integrated circuits, the method comprising:

• providing a substrate assembly having a surface;
• providing an inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer on the substrate assembly surface, wherein the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer has an associated etch rate when exposed to an etchant, and further wherein the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer is SixOyNz:H, where x is in the range of about 0.39 to about 0.65, y is in the range of 0.25 to about 0.56, and z is in the range of about 0.05 to about 0.14;
• and
• thermally treating the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer formed thereon at a temperature in the range of about 400° C. to about 1100°C., wherein the thermally treated anti-reflective coating material layer has an associated etch rate of less than about 10 Å per minute when exposed to the etchant.

A method for use in the fabrication of integrated circuits, the method comprising:

• providing a substrate assembly having a surface;
• providing an inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer comprising silicon oxynitride on the substrate assembly surface, wherein the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer has an associated first etch rate when exposed to an etchant;
• providing a layer of resist material over the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer;
• patterning the layer of resist material resulting in exposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer and unexposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer;
• removing the exposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer;
• removing the patterned layer of resist material;
• and
• thermally treating the unexposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer, wherein the thermally treated unexposed regions of the anti-reflective coating material layer has an associated second etch rate less than the first etch rate.

A method for use in the fabrication of integrated circuits, the method comprising:

• providing a substrate assembly having a surface;
• providing an inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer on the substrate assembly surface, wherein the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer is SixOyNz:H, where x is in the range of about 0.39 to about 0.65, y is in the range of 0.25 to about 0.56, and z is in the range of about 0.05 to about 0.14;
• providing a layer of resist material over the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer;
• patterning the layer of resist material resulting in exposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer and unexposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer;
• removing the exposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer and at least a portion of the substrate assembly thereunder;
• removing the patterned layer of resist material;
• and
• thermally treating the unexposed regions of the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer at a temperature in the range of about 400° C. to about 1100° C., wherein an associated etch rate for the thermally treated anti-reflective coating material layer is less than about 20% of the associated etch rate for the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer prior to being thermally treated.

A method of forming an anti-reflective coating material layer int eh fabrication of integrated circuits, the method comprising:

• providing a substrate assembly having a surface;
• providing an inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer on the substrate assembly surface, wherein the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer has an associated etch rate when exposed to an etchant;
• and
• thermally treating the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer, wherein thermally treating the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer includes subjecting the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer to a rapid thermal nitridation anneal at a temperature in the range of about 800° C. to about 1050° C. for a time period in the range of about 1 second to about 60 seconds in a nitrogen containing atmosphere, and further wherein an associated etch rate for the thermally treated anti-reflective coating material layer is less than about 20% of the associated etch rate for the inorganic anti-reflective coating material layer prior to being thermally treated.