Line edge roughness reduction
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorKrupakar M. Subramanian
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for reducing line edge roughness comprises forming a masking structure on a substrate assembly, wherein the substrate assembly includes a number of layers. The method includes forming a layered masking structure by depositing a layer of material on the masking structure in order to reduce a line edge roughness (LER) of the masking structure, and etching a pattern of the layered masking structure into one or more of the number of layers of the substrate assembly before trimming the layered masking structure.
Claims20
A method for reducing line edge roughness, comprising:
- forming a masking structure on a substrate assembly, the substrate assembly including a number of layers;
- forming a layered masking structure by depositing a layer of material on the masking structure in order to reduce a line edge roughness (LER) of the masking structure;
- and
- etching a pattern of the layered masking structure into one or more of the number of layers of the substrate assembly before trimming the layered masking structure;
- and
- trimming at least one wall of the pattern etched into the one or more of the number of layers of the substrate assembly, alter the etching, to reduce a LER of the etched pattern.
A method of etching a substrate assembly, comprising:
- forming a photoresist masking structure on the substrate assembly, the substrate assembly including a substrate layer and one or more target layers;
- depositing a layer of material on the photoresist masking structure using a deposition flow rate of at least 60 sccm and thereby forming a layered masking structure having a reduced LER;
- and
- transferring a pattern of the layered masking structure into the one or more target layers of the substrate assembly without trimming a wall of the layered masking structure before the pattern is transferred.
A method for reducing the LER of an etched feature, comprising:
- forming a photoresist masking structure on a substrate assembly, the substrate assembly including a substrate layer and at least two target layers;
- forming a layered masking structure by depositing a layer of polymer on the photoresist masking structure in order to reduce a LER of the photoresist masking structure;
- etching a pattern of the layered masking structure into the at least two target layers before trimming the layered masking structure;
- and
- selectively etching to create a lateral recess in at least one of the at least two target layers after the etching of the pattern into the at least two target layers.
A method of forming a feature in a substrate assembly, comprising:
- forming a photoresist mask feature on a substrate assembly, wherein the photoresist mask feature has walls with an associated line edge roughness (LER);
- depositing a layer of polymer on the photoresist mask feature to form a polymerized photoresist mask feature that has walls with an associated LER that is less than the LER associated with the walls of the photoresist mask feature;
- etching the substrate assembly to form a feature in a target layer of the substrate assembly, wherein the walls of the polymerized photoresist mask feature are untrimmed prior to etching;
- and
- subsequently trimming a wall of the target layer feature to reduce a LER of the target layer feature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.