Method of controlling the critical dimension of structures formed on a substrate
AssigneeMolecular Imprints, Inc.
InventorDwayne L. LaBrake
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method of patterning a substrate, the method including, inter alia, forming a multi-layered structure on the substrate formed from first, second and third materials. The first, second and third materials are exposed to an etch chemistry, with the first and second materials having a common etch rate along a first direction, defining a first etch rate, and the first and third materials having a similar etch rate along a second direction, transversely extending to the first direction, defining a second etch rate. Typically, the etch rate is selected to be different in furtherance of facilitating control of the dimensions of features formed during the etching process.
Claims23
A method of patterning a substrate, said method comprising:
- forming a multi-layered structure on said substrate by positioning on said substrate, a patterned layer having a coating disposed thereon, said patterned layer having a plurality of protrusions and recessions, and forming upon said coating, a planarization layer, with said multi-layered structure having a crown surface facing away from said substrate;
- and
- selectively removing portions of said multi-layered structure in superimposition with said protrusions to form a plurality of projections on said substrate with portions of said planarization layer forming a mask in areas of said crown surface in superimposition with said recessions, said projections comprising a first layer having a first width associated therewith and a second layer having a second width associated therewith, said first layer comprising portions of said coating defining a pair of spaced-apart sidewalls and a nadir portion extending therebetween having portions of said planarization layer in superimposition with said nadir portion and positioned between said sidewalls, with said sidewalls defining said first width such that said first width is substantially the same as said second width.
A method of patterning a substrate, said method comprising:
- disposing upon said substrate a patterned layer formed from a first material and having a pair of spaced-apart protrusions with a recession formed therebetween, said recession having a width;
- forming upon said patterned layer, a liner layer formed from a second material, a portion of which covers said recession;
- forming upon said liner layer, a planarization layer, formed from a third material, with said substrate, patterned layer, liner layer, and planarization layer defining a multi-layered structure having a crown surface facing away from said substrate;
- and
- exposing said first, second and third materials to multiple etching processes to remove, selectively, portions of said first, second and third materials in superimposition with said protrusions to generate a projection on said substrate with portions of said planarization layer forming a mask in areas of said crown surface in superimposition with said recession, with said projection having a layer comprising portions of said coating defining a pair of spaced-apart sidewalls and a nadir portion extending therebetween having portions of said planarization layer in superimposition with said nadir portion and positioned between said sidewalls, with said sidewalls defining a width of said projection to be substantially the same as said width of said recession.
A method of patterning a substrate, said method comprising:
- creating a multi-layered structure by forming on said substrate, a patterned layer having a coating disposed thereon, said patterned layer having a plurality of protrusions and recessions, and forming up on said coating, a planarization layer, with said multi-layered structure having a crown surface facing away from said substrate;
- and
- selectively removing portions of said multi-layered structure in superimposition with said protrusions to form a plurality of projections on said substrate with portions of said planarization layer forming a mask in areas of said crown surface in superimposition with said recessions, said projections comprising a first layer having a first width associated therewith and a second layer having a second width associated therewith, said first layer comprising a pair of spaced-apart sidewalls having portions of said planarization layer disposed therebetween, with said sidewalls establishing said first width such that said first width is substantially the same as said second width.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.