US 6,673,525 B1 · Thin layer imaging process for microlithography using radiation at strongly attenuated wavelengths

Abstract

A method for patterning of resist surfaces which is particularly advantageous for systems having low photon flux and highly energetic, strongly attenuated radiation. A thin imaging layer is created with uniform silicon distribution in a bilayer format. An image is formed by exposing selected regions of the silylated imaging layer to radiation. The radiation incident upon the silyliated resist material results in acid generation which either catalyzes cleavage of Si—O bonds to produce moieties that are volatile enough to be driven off in a post exposure bake step or produces a resist material where the exposed portions of the imaging layer are soluble in a basic solution, thereby desilylating the exposed areas of the imaging layer. The process is self limiting due to the limited quantity of silyl groups within each region of the pattern. Following the post exposure bake step, an etching step, generally an oxygen plasma etch, removes the resist material from the de-silylated areas of the imaging layer.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method for forming a circuit pattern on a substrate, comprising the steps of:

a) depositing a layer of a polymer resist material onto a substrate, wherein the polymer resist material comprises a compound having the structural formula
wherein X is an acid group including carboxylic acid or sulphonic acid, and Q is a group that reacts selectively with an organosilicon compound and m and n are greater than 1;
b) soft baking the polymer resist material;
c) exposing the polymer resist material to a silylating reagent to form a silicon containing compound in a single step;
d) exposing the silylated polymer resist material to radiation having a wavelength below 248 nm to form an exposed region and an unexposed region on the silylated polymer resist material that together form a circuit pattern;
e) removing the exposed regions of the silylated polymer resist material by baking the exposed silylated resist material in a vacuum;
and
f) etching the resulting polymer resist material with an oxygen plasma to remove the unsilylated resist material and to convert the remaining silylated resist material to silicon dioxide.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Thin layer imaging process for microlithography using radiation at strongly attenuated wavelengths

Life of this patent

Thin layer imaging process for microlithography using radiation at strongly attenuated wavelengths

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14