Process for reducing edge roughness in patterned photoresist
AssigneeAxcelis Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJohn S. Hallock, Robert D. Mohondro
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for reducing roughness from a surface of a patterned photoresist. The process includes exposing a substrate having the patterned photoresist thereon to a vapor, wherein the vapor penetrates into and/or reacts with the surface of the photoresist. The substrate having the patterned photoresist thereon is then heated to a temperature and for a time sufficient to cause the surface of the photoresist to flow and/or react with the vapor wherein the surface roughness decreases. Optionally, the substrate is exposed to radiation during the process to increase the etch resistance of the photoresist and/or facilitate the reaction of the vapor with the surface of the photoresist.
Claims21
A process for reducing roughness from a surface of a patterned photoresist, the process comprising:
- a) exposing a substrate having patterned photoresist resulting from imaging and developing processing thereon to a vapor, wherein the vapor penetrates into the surface of the patterned photoresist;
- and
- b) heating the substrate to a temperature and for a time sufficient to cause the surface of the patterned photoresist to flow wherein the surface roughness decreases.
A process for reducing roughness from a surface of a chemically amplified photoresist patterned on a semiconductor wafer, wherein the photoresist comprises a polymer binder and a photoacid generator;
- the process comprising:
- a) placing the semiconductor wafer having patterned photoresist resulting from imaging and developing processing thereon into a vapor chamber;
- b) generating a vapor by subjecting a chemical to a temperature and a pressure sufficient to vaporize the chemical, wherein the chemical is miscible with at least one component of the photoresist;
- c) introducing the vapor into the chamber and exposing the semiconductor wafer to the vapor for a time sufficient to penetrate into a depth of the surface of the patterned photoresist;
- and
- d) heating the wafer to selectively flow the surface of the patterned photoresist whereby the roughness of the surface of the patterned photoresist is decreased.
A process for manufacturing an integrated circuit, the process comprising:
- a) depositing an imaging layer wherein the imaging layer comprises a polymeric photoresist material on a substrate;
- b) exposing a portion of the imaging layer to radiation thereby forming a solubility differential between an exposed region and an unexposed region that together define an image of a pattern in the imaging layer;
- c) removing a selected one of the regions from the imaging layer with a developer;
- d) exposing the imaging layer to a vapor for a time sufficient to diffuse the vapor into a surface of the imaging layer;
- and
- e) heating the imaging layer to a temperature and for a time sufficient to cause the surface of the imaging layer to flow wherein a roughness of the surface decreases.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.