Treatment for film surface to reduce photo footing
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsZhiping Yin, Gurtej S. Sandhu
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Abstract
An improved photolithography technique is provided whereby the beneficial effects of using an anti-reflective coating may be realized while maintaining critical dimensions in each subsequent step. This improvement is realized by the treatment of the anti-reflective coating with a gaseous plasma or a solution of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide. By treating the anti-reflective coating with gaseous plasma or solution of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, no “footing” results and the critical dimensions as set by the photoresist mask are preserved to provide an accurately patterned mask for subsequent steps.
Claims8
A film upon which a photoresist layer is placed within a semiconductor comprising at least one layer of an anti-reflective coating which has been treated with a gaseous plasma, wherein said gaseous plasma is N2O or N2O/He, wherein said photoresist layer is placed over and in direct contact with said anti-reflective coating.
A film upon which a photoresist layer is placed within a semiconductor device comprising at least one layer of an anti-reflective coating which has been treated with a gaseous plasma, wherein the anti-reflective coating is selected from the group consisting of silicon-rich oxides defined by the formulas SixOy and SixOy:Hn, and silicon-rich oxynitrides, defined by the formulas SixOyNz and SixOyNz:Hn, and silicon nitrides defined by the formulas SixNz and SixNz:Hn, wherein in all formulas, x, y, z, and n represent the atomic percentage of silicon, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen, respectively;
- wherein the anti-reflective coating is deposited to a thickness range of from about 100 Å to about 1000 Å;
- wherein said photoresist layer is placed over and in direct contact with said anti-reflective coating;
- and
- wherein said gaseous plasma is N2O/He.
A patterned silicon structure comprising a silicon substrate;
- an anti-reflective coating on an upper surface of said silicon substrate, said anti-reflective coating having been treated with a gas plasma, wherein said gas plasma is N2O or N2O/He;
- a patterned photoresist layer placed over and in direct contact with said plasma-treated anti-reflective coating having at least one opening therein, the interface between said photoresist layer and said anti-reflective layer having no footings from said photoresist layer.
A semiconductor device comprising:
- at least one layer of an anti-reflective coating which has been treated with a gaseous plasma, wherein said gaseous plasma is N2O or N2O/He;
- and
- a photoresist placed over and in direct contact with said anti-reflective coating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.