US 8,387,160 B2Granted

Scanning probe-based lithography method

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsMichel Despont, Urs T. Duerig, Jane E. Frommer, Bernd W. Gotsmann, James L. Hedrick, Craig Jon Hawker, Robert D. Miller

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Abstract

A resist medium in which features are lithographically produced by scanning a surface of the medium with an AFM probe positioned in contact therewith. The resist medium comprises a substrate; and a polymer resist layer within which features are produced by mechanical action of the probe. The polymer contains thermally reversible crosslinkages. Also disclosed are methods that generally includes scanning a surface of the polymer resist layer with an AFM probe positioned in contact with the resist layer, wherein heating the probe and a squashing-type mechanical action of the probe produces features in the layer by thermally reversing the crosslinkages.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A lithography system, comprising:

an AFM head comprising a cantilever pivotably attached at one end to a support, a probe disposed on an end of the cantilever adapted to be heated;
and
a resist medium comprising a substrate and a polymer resist layer comprising Diels Alder adducts within which features are produced by thermo-mechanical action of the probe, wherein the polymer resist contains thermally reversible crosslinkages and the probe is configured to thermo-mechanically reverse crosslinkages in the polymer resist layer, wherein the AFM head is configured for both a patterning-mode potential and a read-mode potential, wherein the patterning-mode potential is configured to heat the probe in an amount effective to cause an indentation in the resist medium by local softening of the polymer resist layer, and the read potential-mode is configured to heat the probe to a reading temperature to detect a position of the indentation.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/899,817Filed 7 Oct 2010 · continuation
Priority: 29 Oct 2004
Published: US 2011/0020533 A127 Jan 2011
Granted: 26 Feb 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

G03F 7/0002
Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g.…
B82Y 10/00
Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission
B82Y 40/00
Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
G01Q 80/00
Applications, other than spm, of scanning-probe techniques

Family

Application10/978,028Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Oct 2004
Application12/336,904Parent of this continuation · filed 17 Dec 2008
US 7,491,425 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 17 Feb 2009
US 2011/0020533 A1Pre-grant publication · published 27 Jan 2011
US 7,862,858 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2006/0091322 A1Published application
US 2009/0100553 A1Published application
US 8,387,160 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.