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US 8,008,206 B2Granted
Double patterning strategy for contact hole and trench in photolithography
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsMing-Chung Liang, Chih-Hao Chen, Yu-Yu Chen, Hsin-Yi Tsai
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Abstract
A method of lithography patterning includes forming a hard mask layer on a material layer and forming a capping layer on the hard mask layer. The capping layer does not react with oxygen gas during a photoresist ashing process. The capping layer is patterned by using a first resist pattern and a second resist pattern as etch masks. After the capping layer is patterned, the hard mask layer is patterned by using the patterned capping layer as an etch mask.
Claims17
A method comprising:
- forming a hard mask layer overlying a substrate, the hard mask layer comprising a metal layer;
- forming a capping layer overlying the hard mask layer;
- forming a first resist pattern overlying the capping layer;
- etching the capping layer using the first resist pattern as an etch mask to form a first patterned capping layer having a plurality of openings therein;
- removing the first resist pattern;
- forming a second resist pattern overlying the first patterned capping layer;
- etching the first patterned capping layer using the second resist pattern as an etch mask to form a second patterned capping layer having at least one opening therein, wherein the at least one opening positioned between two of the plurality of openings;
- removing the second resist pattern;
- and
- etching the hard mask layer using the second patterned capping layer as an etch mask.
7 more elements
A method of double patterning, comprising:
- forming a material layer overlying a substrate;
- forming a hard mask layer overlying the material layer, the hard mask layer comprising a metal layer;
- forming a capping layer overlying the hard mask layer;
- forming a first resist pattern overlying the capping layer;
- etching the capping layer using the first resist pattern as an etch mask to form a plurality of intermediate capping features;
- removing the first resist pattern by a first ashing process;
- forming a second resist pattern overlying the intermediate capping features;
- etching the intermediate capping features using the second resist pattern as an etch mask to form a plurality of final capping features;
- removing the second resist pattern by a second ashing process;
- and
- etching the hard mask layer using the final capping features as an etch mask to form a patterned hard mask layer.
8 more elements
A method of double patterning, comprising:
- forming a dielectric layer overlying a substrate;
- forming a metal hard mask layer overlying the dielectric layer;
- forming an oxide capping layer overlying the metal hard mask layer;
- forming a first resist pattern overlying the capping layer, the first resist pattern is formed by a first positive resist layer having a first plurality of openings therein;
- etching the capping layer using the first resist pattern as an etch mask to form a first patterned capping layer having the first plurality of openings therein;
- removing the first resist pattern;
- forming a second resist pattern overlying the first patterned capping layer, the second resist pattern is formed by a second positive resist layer having a second plurality of openings therein;
- etching the first patterned capping layer using the second resist pattern as an etch mask to form a second patterned capping layer having the second plurality of openings therein, wherein at least one of the second plurality of openings positioned between two of the first plurality of openings;
- removing the second resist pattern;
- etching the metal hard mask layer using the second patterned capping layer as an etch mask to form a patterned metal hard mask layer;
- and
- etching the dielectric layer using the patterned metal hard mask layer as an etch mask to form a patterned dielectric layer.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.