# US 7,410,903 B2 · Methods of patterning substrates

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- Number: US 7,410,903 B2
- Document ID: US7410903B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/197,877
- Filed: 2005-08-05
- Published: 2007-02-08
- Granted: 2008-08-12
- Earliest claimed: 2005-08-05
- Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc.
- Inventors: Krupakar M. Subramanian
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7410903B2

## CPC

- G03F 7/0002: {Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping}
- B82Y 10/00: Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
- B82Y 40/00: Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
- H10P 50/692: {characterised by their composition, e.g. multilayer masks or materials}
- H10P 50/695: {characterised by the process involved to create the mask, e.g. lift-off masks or sidewalls or to modify the mask}
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

The invention includes a template comprising one or both of CdS and CdSe adhered to a base in a desired pattern. The base can be any transparent or translucent material, and the desired pattern can include two or more separated segments. The template can be utilized for patterning a plurality of substrates. For instance, the substrates can be provided to have masking layers thereover, and the CdS and/or CdSe can be utilized as catalytic material to sequentially impart patterns in the masking layers. The imparting of the patterns can modify some regions of the masking layers relative to others, and either the modified or unmodified regions can be selectively removed to form patterned masks from the masking layers. Patterns from the patterned masks can then be transferred into the substrates.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of patterning a first substrate, comprising:
providing a masking layer over the first substrate;
providing a template comprising patterned catalytic material bonded to a second substrate, the catalytic material comprising one or both of CdS and CdSe;
utilizing the catalytic material to modify some regions of the masking layer while leaving other regions unmodified, the modified regions being substantially in the pattern of the patterned catalytic material;
selectively removing one of the modified and unmodified regions relative to the other of the modified and unmodified regions to form a patterned mask from the masking layer; and
transferring a pattern from the patterned mask into the first substrate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the first substrate is a semiconductor substrate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the pattern from the patterned mask is transferred into a semiconductor material of the semiconductor substrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein the semiconductor material comprises silicon.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein the semiconductor material comprises monocrystalline silicon.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the second substrate comprises quartz and wherein the catalytic material is adhered to the second substrate primarily through van der Waals forces.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the second substrate comprises quartz and wherein the catalytic material is adhered to the second substrate with an adhesive that is bonded to both the quartz and the catalytic material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the second substrate comprises quartz and wherein the catalytic material is retained within openings in the quartz of the second substrate.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the utilizing the catalytic material to modify some regions of the masking layer while leaving other regions unmodified comprises passing light through the second substrate and utilizing the light and the catalytic material for photocatalysis to modify said regions of the masking layer.

### Claim 10

A method of patterning a plurality of substrates, comprising:
forming a template comprising patterned catalytic material bonded to a base, the catalytic material comprising one or both of CdS and CdSe;
providing a plurality of substrates having masking layers thereover;
utilizing the catalytic material to sequentially impart patterns in the masking layers of the substrates; the imparting of the patterns comprising modifying some regions of the masking layers while leaving other regions unmodified;
selectively removing either the modified or unmodified regions relative to the other of the modified and unmodified regions to form patterned masks from the masking layers; and
transferring the patterns from the patterned masks into the substrates.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein the base comprises quartz and wherein the patterned catalytic material is formed into the pattern by electrostatically moving the catalytic material to desired regions associated with the base, and then fixing the catalytic material to the desired regions.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein the base comprises quartz and wherein the catalytic material is adhered to the base primarily through van der Waals forces.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein the base comprises quartz and wherein the catalytic material is adhered to the base with an adhesive that is bonded to both the quartz and the catalytic material.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein the base comprises quartz and wherein the catalytic material is retained within openings in the quartz of the base.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein the utilizing the catalytic material to modify some regions of the masking layers while leaving other regions unmodified comprises passing light through the base and utilizing the light and the catalytic material for photocatalysis to modify said regions of the masking layers.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein the substrates are semiconductor substrates.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 wherein the patterns from the patterned masks are transferred into semiconductor material of the semiconductor substrates.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17 wherein the semiconductor material comprises silicon.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17 wherein the semiconductor material comprises monocrystalline silicon.

### Claim 20

A method of forming a template comprising adhering one or both of CdS and CdSe to a quartz base in a desired pattern; wherein the desired pattern is formed by electrostatically moving the one or both of the CdS and CdSe to desired regions associated with the base, and then fixing the one or both of the CdS and CdSe to the desired regions.

### Claim 21

A method of forming a template comprising adhering one or both of CdS and CdSe to a quartz base in a desired pattern, wherein the one or both of the CdS and CdSe is adhered to the base primarily through van der Waals forces.

### Claim 22

A method of forming a template comprising adhering one or both of CdS and CdSe to a quartz base in a desired pattern, wherein the one or both of the CdS and CdSe is adhered to the base with an adhesive that is bonded to both the quartz and the one or both of the CdS and CdSe.
