# US 7,465,530 B1 · Inorganic resist material and nano-fabrication method by utilizing the same

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- Number: US 7,465,530 B1
- Document ID: US7465530B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 12/006,708
- Filed: 2008-01-04
- Granted: 2008-12-16
- Earliest claimed: 2007-08-16
- Assignees: Industrial Technology Research Institute
- Inventors: Jung-Po Chen; Ming-Fang Hsu; An-Tse Lee; Chung-Ta Cheng; Chin-Tien Yang; Sheng-Li Chang; Kuo-Chi Chiu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7465530B1

## CPC

- G03F 7/0043: {Chalcogenides; Silicon, germanium, arsenic or derivatives thereof; Metals, oxides or alloys thereof (G03F7/0044 takes precedence)}
- 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
- G03F 7/0002: {Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping}
- G11B 7/261: {Preparing a master, e.g. exposing photoresist, electroforming}
- 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
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)

## Abstract

An inorganic resist material is provided, which is an incomplete oxide of a phase-change material. The oxygen content in the inorganic resist material is lower than the stoichiometric oxygen content of a complete oxide of the phase-change material, and a general formula of the inorganic resist material is A1-xOx, in which A represents the phase-change material, and x is between 5 at. % and 65 at. %. The inorganic resist material can be used to form line patterns or recording pits with size smaller than the exposure light spot by using the laser of conventional lithography process as an exposure source.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An inorganic resist material is characterized in that
the inorganic resist material is an incomplete oxide of a phase-change material, and the general formula of the inorganic resist material is A1-xOx, wherein A represents the phase-change material, and x is between 5 at. % and 65 at. %.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The inorganic resist material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the phase-change material is an alloy consisting of elements selected from Se, Te, Sb, As, Sn, Ge, or In.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The inorganic resist material as claimed in claim 2, wherein the phase-change material comprises Ge—Sb—Te, Ge—Sb—Sn, or In—Ge—Sb—Te alloy.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The inorganic resist material as claimed in claim 3, wherein the phase-change material is Ge—Sb—Sn alloy.

### Claim 5

A nano-fabrication method, comprising:
coating an inorganic resist film on a substrate, wherein the material of the inorganic resist film is an incomplete oxide of a phase-change material, and the general formula of the incomplete oxide is A1-xOx, wherein A represents the phase-change material, and x is between 5 at. % and 65 at. %;
irradiating the inorganic resist film with focused laser by using a laser exposure device, such that the inorganic resist film of the exposed region perform a phase transition; and
removing the inorganic resist film of the exposed region to form a nano-pattern on the inorganic resist film.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the width of the nano-pattern is adjusted by adjusting the power of the laser irradiating the inorganic resist film and the exposure time.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the wavelength of the laser exposure device comprises visible band or UV-band.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the wavelength of the laser exposure device comprises blue band.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the method of removing the inorganic resist film of exposed region comprises dissolving the inorganic resist film in crystalline state by using an alkali solution.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the alkali solution comprises a KOH or NaOH solution.

### Claim 11 (depends on 5)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the substrate comprises a silicon substrate, a glass substrate, a single crystal alumina (Al2O3) substrate, a plastic substrate, or a metal substrate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 5)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 5, wherein after forming the nano-pattern, the method further comprises:
plating a metal layer on a surface of the inorganic resist film; and
separating the metal layer and the inorganic resist film, so as to get an optical disc master plate.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 12, wherein method of plating the metal layer on the surface of the inorganic resist film comprises vacuum sputtering or electroplating.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the material of the metal layer is selected from metals comprising Ni, Ag, Pt, Pd, or an alloy thereof.

### Claim 15 (depends on 5)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 5, wherein before coating the inorganic resist film on the substrate, the method further comprises forming an intermediate layer on the substrate.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the intermediate layer is a thermal barrier layer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the intermediate layer is a dry-etchable layer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 15, wherein after forming the nano-pattern, the method further comprises:
etching the intermediate layer by using a dry etching process with the inorganic resist film as a mask;
removing the inorganic resist film to transfer the nano-pattern to the intermediate layer.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the dry etching process comprises reactive ion etching (RIE) or inductive coupling plasma (ICP) etching.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 18, wherein after transferring the nano-pattern to the intermediate layer, the method further comprises:
plating a metal layer on a surface of the intermediate layer; and
separating the metal layer and the intermediate layer, so as to get an optical disc master plate.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the method of plating the metal layer on the surface of the intermediate layer comprises vacuum sputtering or electroplating.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the material of the metal layer is selected from metals comprising Ni, Ag, Pt, Pd, or an alloy thereof.

### Claim 23 (depends on 5)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 5, wherein after forming the nano-pattern, the method further comprises:
etching the substrate by using a dry etching process with the inorganic resist film as a mask; and
removing the inorganic resist film, so as to transfer the nano-pattern to the surface of the substrate.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the dry etching process comprises RIE or ICP etching.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 23, wherein after transferring the nano-pattern to the surface of the substrate, the method further comprises:
plating a metal layer on the surface of the substrate; and
separating the metal layer and the substrate, so as to get an optical disc master plate.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the method of plating the metal layer on the surface of the substrate comprises vacuum sputtering or electroplating.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the material of the metal layer is selected from metals comprising Ni, Ag, Pt, Pd, or an alloy thereof.

### Claim 28 (depends on 5)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the phase-change material is an alloy of elements selected from Se, Te, Sb, As, Sn, Ge, or In.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the phase-change material comprises Ge—Sb—Te, Ge—Sb—Sn, or In—Ge—Sb—Te alloy.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The nano-fabrication method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the phase-change material is Ge—Sb—Sn alloy.