Dual tone development with a photo-activated acid enhancement component in lithographic applications

A method of patterning a substrate, comprising:

• forming a layer of radiation-sensitive material on a substrate, said layer of radiation-sensitive material comprises two or more photo-activated acid enhancement components wherein said two or more photo-activated acid enhancement components comprises a first photo-decomposable base and a second photo-decomposable base, and
• exposing said layer of radiation-sensitive material to electromagnetic (EM) radiation, said EM radiation containing a first wavelength or first range of wavelengths, and a second wavelength or second range of wavelengths different from said first wavelength or first range of wavelengths,
• wherein said first photo-decomposable base is selected to neutralize base in said layer of radiation-sensitive material when exposed to said EM radiation at said first wavelength or first range of wavelengths to augment an acid concentration in said layer of radiation-sensitive material, and
• wherein said second photo-decomposable base is selected to neutralize base in said layer of radiation-sensitive material when exposed to EM radiation at said second wavelength or second range of wavelengths to augment said acid concentration in said layer of radiation-sensitive material.

A method of patterning a substrate, comprising:

• forming a layer of radiation-sensitive material on a substrate, said layer of radiation-sensitive material comprises at least one photo-activated acid enhancement component;
• performing a patterned exposure of said layer of radiation-sensitive material to first electromagnetic (EM) radiation, said first EM radiation containing a first wavelength or first range of wavelengths;
• and
• performing a flood exposure of said layer of radiation-sensitive material to second EM radiation, said second EM radiation containing a second wavelength or second range of wavelengths comprising 436 nm (nanometer) EM radiation, 365 nm EM radiation, 248 nm EM radiation, 193 nm EM radiation, 157 nm EM radiation, deep ultraviolet (DUV) EM radiation, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) EM radiation, or electron beam radiation, or any combination of two or more thereof,
• wherein said at least one photo-activated acid enhancement component is selected to augment an acid concentration in said layer of radiation-sensitive material when exposed to said second EM radiation.

A method of patterning a substrate, comprising:

• forming a layer of radiation-sensitive material on a substrate, said layer of radiation-sensitive material comprises two or more photo-activated acid enhancement components;
• first, exposing said layer of radiation-sensitive material to electromagnetic (EM) radiation at a first target wavelength within a first range of wavelengths, wherein one of said two or more photo-activated acid enhancement components is selected to augment an acid concentration in said layer of radiation-sensitive material when exposed to said first target wavelength and to provide little to no augmentation of said acid concentration at wavelengths outside said first range of wavelengths;
• and
• second, exposing said layer of radiation-sensitive material to EM radiation at a second target wavelength within a second range of wavelengths different from and non-overlapping with said first range of wavelengths, wherein another of said two or more photo-activated acid enhancement components is selected to augment said acid concentration in said layer of radiation-sensitive material when exposed to said second wavelength and to provide little to no augmentation of said acid concentration at wavelengths outside said second range of wavelengths, wherein said first exposing is a patterned exposure at said first wavelength selected from 248 nanometers (nm), 193 nm, 157 nm, or 13 nm, and said second exposing is a flood exposure at said second wavelength selected from 436 nm or 365 nm.