# US 9,753,367 B2 · Methods of fabricating pellicles using supporting layer

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- Number: US 9,753,367 B2
- Document ID: US9753367B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/972,258
- Filed: 2015-12-17
- Published: 2016-07-07
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2015-01-07
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Research & Business Foundation Sungkyunkwan University
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Munja Kim; Ji-Beom Yoo; Sooyoung Kim; Taesung Kim; Dong-Wook Shin; Hwanchul Jeon; Seul-Gi Kim
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9753367B2

## CPC

- G03F 1/62: Pellicles, e.g. pellicle assemblies, e.g. having membrane on support frame; Preparation thereof
- C23C 16/26: Deposition of carbon only
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)

## Abstract

The method includes forming a graphite layer on a substrate, forming a supporting layer on the graphite layer to form a stack of the graphite layer and the supporting layer, removing the substrate to separate the stack from the substrate, transferring the stack of the graphite layer and the supporting layer onto a frame, and removing the supporting layer from the frame.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of fabricating a pellicle, the method comprising:
forming a graphite layer on a substrate;
forming a supporting layer on the graphite layer to form a stack of the graphite layer and the supporting layer;
removing the substrate from the stack of the graphite layer and the supporting layer;
transferring the stack of the graphite layer and the supporting layer onto a frame; and
removing the supporting layer from the frame,
wherein the transferring includes:
suspending the stack on a solution containing water; and
raising the frame from inside of the solution to a surface of the solution perpendicular to the stack.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the supporting layer comprises an organic polymer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the organic polymer comprises PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the forming a supporting layer comprises performing a spin coating process.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the removing the supporting layer comprises using oxygen plasma.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the forming a graphite layer comprises:
loading the substrate on a stage in a chamber; and
performing a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process to form the graphite layer on the substrate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the CVD process comprises:
using a precursor having at least one of methane (CH4) or ethane (C2H6); and
heating the substrate and the precursor to raise a temperature of the substrate and the precursor from room temperature to about 1,000° C. in about 2 minutes using a heating lamp.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises at least one of copper (Cu), chrome (Cr), nickel (Ni), ruthenium (Ru), titanium (Ti), tantalum (Ta), aluminum (Al), titanium nitride (TiN), tantalum nitride (TaN), silicon wafer, or glass.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the removing the substrate comprises:
dipping the substrate having the stack of the graphite layer and the supporting layer formed therein in a metal etchant containing at least one of FeCl3 or ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN), and water.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the graphite layer and the frame are directly adhered with each other.

### Claim 11

A method of fabricating a pellicle, the method comprising:
forming a first supporting layer on a first substrate;
forming a graphite layer on a second substrate;
removing the first substrate and the second substrate to separate the first supporting layer and the graphite layer from the first substrate and the second substrate, respectively;
transferring the first supporting layer onto a frame;
transferring the graphite layer onto the first supporting layer transferred onto the frame; and
removing an exposed portion of the first supporting layer in an opening of the frame.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein
the first supporting layer and the frame are directly adhered with each other, and
a portion of the first supporting layer adhered to the frame is not removed.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
forming a second supporting layer on the graphite layer on the second substrate; and
removing the second supporting layer,
wherein the removing an exposed portion of the first supporting layer and the removing the second supporting layer are independently performed.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein
the transferring the first supporting layer onto the frame comprises suspending the first supporting layer on a surface of a solution, and raising the frame from inside of the solution to the surface of the solution perpendicular to the surface of the solution, and
the transferring the graphite layer onto the first supporting layer on the frame comprises suspending the graphite layer on the surface of the solution, and raising the frame having the first supporting layer transferred thereon from the inside of the solution to the surface of the solution perpendicular to the surface of the solution.

### Claim 15

A method of fabricating a pellicle, the method comprising:
forming a first supporting layer on a first substrate;
forming a graphite layer on a second substrate;
forming a second supporting layer on the graphite layer formed on the second substrate to form a stack of the graphite layer and the second supporting layer;
separating the first supporting layer from the first substrate;
separating the stack of the graphite layer and the second supporting layer from the second substrate;
transferring the first supporting layer onto a frame;
transferring the stack of the graphite layer and the second supporting layer onto the first supporting layer transferred on the frame; and
removing a portion of the first supporting layer and the second supporting layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
rinsing the separated first supporting layer and the stack of the graphite layer and the second supporting layer using a rinsing solution containing water.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
drying the separated first supporting layer and the stack of the graphite layer and the second supporting layer transferred on the frame using nitrogen (N2).

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15,
wherein the first supporting layer and the graphite layer are directly adhered with each other.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein removing the portion of the first supporting layer and the second supporting layer comprises a first removing process to remove the portion of the first supporting layer and a second removing process to remove the second supporting layer.