Method of forming photoresist pattern and method of fabricating semiconductor device using the same

US10438810B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-10438810-B2
Application numberUS-201615243128-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateAug 22, 2016
Priority dateNov 3, 2015
Publication dateOct 8, 2019
Grant dateOct 8, 2019

How to read this patent

A practical reading order for non-experts. Skip the full description unless you need deep technical detail.

  1. Title

    What the patent document calls the invention.

  2. Abstract

    A short plain-language summary of the technical disclosure.

  3. Assignees and inventors

    Who owns or filed the patent and who is credited as inventor.

  4. Key dates

    Filing, priority, publication, and grant dates set the timeline.

  5. First independent claim

    The legal scope of protection — read this for what is actually claimed.

  6. CPC / IPC classifications

    Technology tags used to group this patent with similar filings.

  7. Citations and related patents

    Prior art links and similar publications in this corpus.

Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

Example embodiments relate to a method of forming a photoresist pattern and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device using the same. The method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprises forming a mask layer on a substrate, forming a photoresist pattern on the mask layer, the photoresist pattern having pattern portions at a first height and recess portions, applying a first liquid onto the photoresist pattern, filling the recess portions with a pattern filler at a second height, the pattern filler having an higher etch rate than the etch rate of the pattern portions to the same etchant, removing the first liquid, etching the pattern filler after removing the first liquid, etching the mask layer via the photoresist pattern to form a mask pattern, and etching the substrate via the mask pattern to form a fine pattern.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

What is claimed is: 1. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, the method comprising: forming a mask layer on a substrate; forming a photoresist pattern on the mask layer, the photoresist pattern having pattern portions and recess portions, the pattern portions having a first height; applying a first liquid onto the photoresist pattern; filling the recess portions with a pattern filler up to a second height after applying the first liquid by adding a pattern filler in the first liquid so that the first liquid floats on all the pattern filler, the pattern filler having a higher etch rate than an etch rate of the pattern portions, a density of the pattern filler being higher than a density of the first liquid; removing the first liquid after filling the recess portions with the pattern filler; etching the pattern filler; etching the mask layer via the photoresist pattern to form a mask pattern; and etching the substrate via the mask pattern to form a fine pattern; wherein the filling the recess portions with the pattern filler is performed without baking, wherein the etch rate of the pattern filler is at least about 150% of the etch rate of the pattern portions, wherein the pattern filler includes a material having an Ohnishi parameter of about 4 or greater, and wherein the pattern filler includes a dextrin material. 2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first height is greater than the second height, and the etch rate of the pattern filler decreases as a difference between the first height and the second height increases. 3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the etching the pattern filler comprises: etching the pattern portions at least partially so that the pattern portions have a third height that is lower than the first height by a first difference, and the etch rate of the pattern filler increases as a difference between the first difference and the second height increases. 4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second height is at least about 30% of the first height. 5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the etching the pattern filler comprises: etching the pattern filler via a dry etching process. 6. A method of forming a photoresist pattern, the method comprising: forming a photoresist pattern on a mask layer, the photoresist pattern having pattern portions and recess portions, the pattern portions having a first height; applying a first liquid onto the photoresist pattern; filling the recess portions with a pattern filler up to a second height after applying the first liquid by adding a pattern filler in the first liquid so that the first liquid floats on all the pattern filler, the pattern filler having a higher etch rate than an etch rate of the pattern portions, a density of the pattern filler being higher than a density of the first liquid; removing the first liquid after filling the recess portions with the pattern filler; and etching the pattern filler to form the photoresist pattern such that the pattern portions are at least partially etched to have a third height that is lower than the first height by a first difference; wherein the filling the recess portions with the pattern filler is performed without baking, wherein the etch rate of the pattern filler is at least about 150% of the etch rate of the pattern portions, wherein the pattern filler includes a material having an Ohnishi parameter of about 4 or greater, and wherein the pattern filler includes a dextrin material. 7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first height is greater than the second height, and the etch rate of the pattern filler decreases as a difference between the first height and the second height increases. 8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the etch rate of the pattern filler increases as a difference between the first difference and the second height increases. 9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second height is at least about 30% of the first height. 10. A method, comprising: forming a photoresist pattern on a mask layer, the photoresist pattern having at least one pattern portion and at least one recessed portion adjacent to the at least one pattern portion, the at least one pattern portion having a first height; applying a first liquid onto the photoresist pattern; adding a pattern filler to the at least one recessed portion up to a second height after applying the first liquid by adding a pattern filler in the first liquid so that the first liquid floats on all the pattern filler, the second height being lower than the first height and greater than a threshold height, a density of the pattern filler being higher than a density of the first liquid; removing the first liquid after filling the at least one recessed portion with the pattern filler; and removing the pattern filler; wherein the adding the pattern filler to the at least one recessed portion is performed without baking, wherein the removing the pattern filler includes etching the pattern filler and the at least one pattern portion via an etchant, an etch rate of the pattern filler is at least about 150% an etch rate of the at least one pattern portion, wherein the pattern filler includes a material having an Ohnishi parameter of about 4 or greater, and the pattern filler includes a dextrin material. 11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the threshold height is at least about 30% of the first height. 12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one pattern portion is at least partially etched to have a third height that is lower than the first height, the third height being a height of the photoresist pattern. 13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the removing the first liquid is performed by spin drying the photoresist pattern.

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • by wet cleaning only (H10P70/52 takes precedence) · CPC title

  • characterised by the process involved to create the mask, e.g. lift-off masks or sidewalls or to modify the mask · CPC title

  • characterised by their behaviour during the process, e.g. soluble masks or redeposited masks · CPC title

  • H10P50/696Primary

    Process specially adapted to improve the resolution of the mask · CPC title

  • H10P70/23Primary

    during, before or after processing of insulating materials · CPC title

Patent family

Related publications grouped by family.

External sources

Frequently asked questions

Answers are generated from the same data shown on this page.

What does patent US10438810B2 cover?
Example embodiments relate to a method of forming a photoresist pattern and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device using the same. The method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprises forming a mask layer on a substrate, forming a photoresist pattern on the mask layer, the photoresist pattern having pattern portions at a first height and recess portions, applying a first liquid on…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification H10P50/696. Mapped technology areas include Electricity.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Oct 08 2019 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 1 related publication on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).