Pitch multiplication using self-assembling materials
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorGurtej Sandhu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Self-assembling materials, such as block copolymers, are used as mandrels for pitch multiplication. The copolymers are deposited over a substrate and directed to self-assemble into a desired pattern. One of the blocks forming the block copolymers is selectively removed. The remaining blocks are used as mandrels for pitch multiplication. Spacer material is blanket deposited over the blocks. The spacer material is subjected to a spacer etch to form spacers on sidewalls of the mandrels. The mandrels are selectively removed to leave free-standing spacers. The spacers may be used as pitch-multiplied mask features to define a pattern in an underlying substrate.
Claims36
A method for patterning a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- providing a layer comprising block copolymers;
- selectively removing one block of the block copolymers to leave laterally-separated mandrels comprising an other block of the block copolymers;
- blanket depositing spacer material on the mandrels;
- etching the spacer material to form spacers on sidewalls of the mandrels;
- and
- transferring a pattern defined by the spacers to the substrate.
A method for forming a mask for patterning a substrate, comprising:
- providing a layer of a self-organizing material;
- aggregating like chemical species of the self-organizing material to form a repeating pattern having domains defined by the chemical species;
- preferentially removing one of the chemical species to form spaced apart mandrels;
- and
- forming spacers on sidewalls of the mandrels.
A method for integrated circuit fabrication, comprising:
- exposing a block copolymer layer to a wet etch to define free-standing, regularly-spaced, spaced-apart placeholders in the block copolymer layer;
- forming spacers on sidewalls of the placeholders;
- and
- transferring a pattern derived from the spacers to an underlying substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.