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US 8,083,953 B2Granted
Registered structure formation via the application of directed thermal energy to diblock copolymer films
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsDan B. Millward, Eugene P. Marsh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods for fabricating sublithographic, nanoscale linear microchannel arrays over surfaces without defined features utilizing self-assembling block copolymers, and films and devices formed from these methods are provided. Embodiments of the methods use a multilayer induced ordering approach to align lamellar films to an underlying base film within trenches, and localized heating to anneal the lamellar-phase block copolymer film overlying the trenches and outwardly over the remaining surface.
Claims37
A method for fabricating nanoscale microstructures, comprising:
- forming a first film comprising a self-assembling block copolymer within a trench in a substrate, the trench having sidewalls, a width and a length;
- forming a base layer by annealing the first film to form self-assembled polymer domains spanning the width and extending the length of the trench in a substantially parallel orientation to the sidewalls;
- forming a second film comprising a self-assembling lamellar-phase block copolymer over the annealed base layer and the substrate;
- and
- annealing a portion of the second film overlying the base layer within the trench such that self-assembled lamellar domains are formed only within said portion of the second film with said lamellar domains registered to corresponding polymer domains of the annealed base layer.
2 more elements
A method for fabricating nanoscale microstructures, comprising:
- forming a first film comprising a self-assembling block copolymer within a trench in a substrate, the block copolymer comprising first and second polymer blocks, and the trench having sidewalls, a width and a length;
- forming a base layer by annealing the first film to form a single array of self-assembled polymer domains spanning the width and extending the length of the trench in a substantially parallel orientation to the sidewalls;
- forming a second film comprising a self-assembling lamellar-phase block copolymer over the annealed base layer and the substrate, the block copolymer comprising first and second polymer blocks;
- and
- annealing a portion of the second film overlying the base layer within the trench such that alternating lamellar domains of the first polymer block and the second polymer block are formed only within said portion of the second film with said lamellar domains registered to the corresponding domains of the annealed base layer.
2 more elements
A method for fabricating nanoscale microstructures, comprising:
- forming a first film comprising a self-assembling lamellar-phase block copolymer within a trench in a substrate to a thickness of about Lo, the block copolymer comprising first and second polymer blocks, and the trench having a width of about nLo, a depth of greater than or at about Lo, a length, preferential wetting sidewalls and a neutral wetting floor;
- forming a base layer by annealing the first film to form a single array of n self-assembled, perpendicular-oriented lamellar polymer domains spanning the width and extending the length of the trench in a substantially parallel orientation to the sidewalls, wherein a pitch distance between each domain is about Lo;
- forming a second film comprising a self-assembling lamellar-phase block copolymer over the annealed base layer and the substrate to a thickness of about Lo, the block copolymer comprising first and second polymer blocks;
- and
- applying heat to anneal a portion of the second film overlying the base layer within the trench such that a single array of perpendicularly oriented, alternating lamellar domains of the first polymer block and the second polymer block are formed only within said portion of the second film with said lamellar domains registered to the corresponding domains of the annealed base layer.
2 more elements
A method for fabricating nanoscale microstructures, comprising:
- forming a first film comprising a self-assembling cylindrical-phase block copolymer within a trench in a substrate to a thickness of about Lo, the block copolymer comprising first and second polymer blocks, and the trench having a width of about nLo, a depth of less than Lo, a length, and preferential wetting sidewalls and floor;
- forming a base layer by annealing the first film to form a single array of n self-assembled, surface-exposed half-cylinder domains of the first polymer block in a matrix of the second polymer block, the half-cylinder domains spanning the width and extending the length of the trench in a substantially parallel orientation to the sidewalls and floor of the trench, wherein a pitch distance between each half-cylinder domain is about Lo;
- forming a second film comprising a self-assembling lamellar-phase block copolymer over the annealed base layer and the substrate to a thickness of about Lo, the block copolymer comprising first and second polymer blocks;
- and
- applying heat to anneal a portion of the second film overlying the base layer within the trench such that a single array of perpendicularly oriented, alternating lamellar domains of the first polymer block and the second polymer block are formed only within said portion of the second film with said lamellar domains registered to the corresponding polymer domains of the annealed base layer.
2 more elements
A method for fabricating nanoscale microstructures, comprising:
- forming a plurality of conductive lines on a substrate;
- forming a material layer over the substrate;
- forming a trench in the material layer, the trench having a width of about nLo, a depth, a length, sidewalls, and a floor, and at least one of said conducting lines situated within and extending the length of the trench;
- forming a first film comprising a self-assembling block copolymer within the trench to a thickness of about Lo, the block copolymer comprising first and second polymer blocks;
- forming a base layer by annealing the first film to form a single array of n self-assembled polymer domains spanning the width and extending the length of the trench in a substantially parallel orientation to the sidewalls, wherein a pitch distance between each domain is about Lo;
- forming a second film comprising a self-assembling lamellar-phase block copolymer over the annealed base layer and the material layer to a thickness of about Lo, the block copolymer comprising first and second polymer blocks;
- and
- conducting heat through the conductive lines within the trench to selectively heat a first portion of the second film overlying the base layer within the trench such that a single array of perpendicularly oriented lamellar domains of the first polymer block and the second polymer block self-assemble only within said heated portion of the second film with said lamellar domains registered to the corresponding domains of the annealed base layer.
5 more elements
A method for fabricating nanoscale microstructures, comprising:
- forming a layer of a reflective or absorptive material on a substrate;
- forming a material layer over said reflective or absorptive material layer;
- forming a trench in the material layer, the trench having a width of about nLo, a depth, a length and sidewalls;
- forming a first film comprising a self-assembling block copolymer within the trench to a thickness of about Lo, the block copolymer comprising first and second polymer blocks;
- forming a base layer by annealing the first film to form a single array of n self-assembled polymer domains spanning the width and extending the length of the trench in a substantially parallel orientation to the sidewalls, wherein a pitch distance between each domain is about Lo;
- forming a second film comprising a self-assembling lamellar-phase block copolymer over the annealed base layer and the material layer to a thickness of about Lo, the block copolymer comprising first and second polymer blocks;
- and
- selectively heating a first portion of the second film overlying the base layer within the trench such that a single array of perpendicularly oriented lamellar domains of the first polymer block and the second polymer block self-assemble only within said heated portion of the second film with said lamellar domains registered to the corresponding domains of the annealed base layer.
5 more elements
A method for fabricating nanoscale microstructures, comprising:
- forming a material layer over said reflective or absorptive material layer;
- forming a trench in the material layer, the trench having a width of about nLo, a depth, a length, and sidewalls;
- forming a first film comprising a self-assembling block copolymer within the trench to a thickness of about Lo, the block copolymer comprising first and second polymer blocks;
- forming a base layer by annealing the first film to form a single array of n self-assembled polymer domains spanning the width and extending the length of the trench in a substantially parallel orientation to the sidewalls, wherein a pitch distance between each domain is about Lo;
- forming a second film comprising a self-assembling lamellar-phase block copolymer over the annealed base layer and the material layer to a thickness of about Lo, the block copolymer comprising first and second polymer blocks;
- and
- applying a laser source through a masking element to selectively heat a first portion of the second film overlying the base layer within the trench such that a single array of perpendicularly oriented lamellar domains of the first polymer block and the second polymer block self-assemble only within said heated portion of the second film with said lamellar domains registered to the corresponding domains of the annealed base layer.
4 more elements
A method of forming nanoscale microstructures, comprising:
- forming a first film of a block copolymer having a thickness of about Lo within a trench in a substrate, the trench having a width of about nLo, a depth, a length, and sidewalls, and the first block copolymer comprises an about 50:50 to 80:20 ratio of a first polymer block to a second polymer block, the block copolymer capable of microphase separating upon annealing;
- causing a microphase separation in the first film to produce a base layer comprising a single array of n self-assembled polymer domains spanning the width and extending the length of the trench in a substantially parallel orientation to the sidewalls, wherein a pitch distance between each domain is about Lo;
- forming a second film of a lamellar-phase block copolymer over the base layer and exposed surfaces of the substrate outside the trench to form a second film having a thickness of about Lo and comprising first and second polymer blocks;
- causing a microphase separation selectively in a first portion of the second film overlying the base layer within the trench to produce a single array of self-assembled and perpendicularly oriented, alternating lamellar domains of the first polymer block and the second polymer block registered to the corresponding domains of the base layer;
- and
- causing a microphase separation selectively in a second portion of the second film adjacent to the self-assembled first portion such that said second portion self-assembles into a single array of perpendicular-oriented, alternating lamellar domains of the first and second polymer blocks registered to the self-assembled first portion of the second film.
3 more elements
A method for fabricating nanoscale microstructures, comprising:
- forming a first film comprising a self-assembling lamellar-phase block copolymer within a trench in a substrate to a thickness of about Lo, the block copolymer comprising first and second polymer blocks, and the trench having a width of about nLo, a depth of greater than or about Lo, a length, preferential wetting sidewalls and a neutral wetting floor;
- forming a base layer by annealing the first film to form a single array of n perpendicular-oriented lamellar domains of alternating blocks of the first polymer block and the second polymer block spanning the width and extending the length of the trench, wherein a pitch distance between each domain is about Lo;
- forming a second film comprising a self-assembling lamellar-phase block copolymer over the annealed first film and substrate to a thickness of about Lo, the block copolymer comprising first and second polymer blocks;
- and
- selectively applying heat to anneal a portion of the second film overlying the base layer within the trenches such that a single array of perpendicular-oriented, alternating lamellar domains of the first and the second polymer blocks are formed only within said portion of the second film with the lamellar domains of the second film registered to the base layer.
2 more elements
A method for fabricating nanoscale microstructures, comprising:
- forming a first film comprising a self-assembling cylindrical-phase block copolymer within a trench in a substrate to a thickness of about Lo, the block copolymer comprising first and second polymer blocks, and the trench having a width of about nLo, a depth of less than Lo, a length, and preferential wetting sidewalls and a floor;
- forming a base layer by annealing the first film to form a single array of n parallel-oriented, half-cylinder domains of the first polymer block in a matrix of the second polymer block, said half-cylinder domains spanning the width and extending the length of the trenches substantially parallel with the sidewalls and floor of the trench, wherein a pitch distance between each half-cylinder domain is about Lo;
- forming a second film comprising a self-assembling lamellar-phase block copolymer over the base layer and the material layer to a thickness of about Lo, the lamellar-phase block copolymer comprising first and second polymer blocks;
- and
- applying heat to anneal a portion of the second film overlying the base layer within the trench such that a single array of perpendicular-oriented, alternating lamellar domains of the first and the second polymer blocks are formed only within said portion of the second film with the lamellar domains of the second film registered to the half-cylinder and matrix domains of the base layer.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.