Patterning process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11366386-B2
Application number	US-201916414855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2019
Priority date	May 21, 2018
Publication date	Jun 21, 2022
Grant date	Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

A patterning process, including: forming the first resist film from first resist material containing an acid generator and thermosetting compound having a hydroxy group and/or carboxy group protected by an acid-labile group; forming the second resist film on first resist film from a second resist material containing a metal compound (A) and a sensitizer; irradiating the first and second resist film with a high energy beam or an electron beam to perform pattern exposure to deprotect the hydroxy group and/or carboxy group in a pattern exposed portion of first resist film and to form a crosslinked portion of the component (A) with the deprotected hydroxy and/or carboxy group on the pattern exposed portion; and developing the second resist film with a developer to give a metal film pattern composed of the crosslinked portion. This provides a method for forming a thin film resist pattern with higher resolution and higher sensitivity.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A patterning process to form a metal film pattern on a coated film having an exposure pattern formed thereon, comprising the steps of:
(1) coating a substrate to be processed with a first resist material containing an acid generator and a thermosetting compound having a hydroxy group and/or a carboxy group each protected by an acid-labile group, followed by baking treatment to form a first resist film being insoluble to an organic solvent;
(2) coating the first resist film with a second resist material containing a sensitizer and a component (A) of at least one element selected from the group consisting of a metal compound, a hydrolysate of the metal compound, a condensate of the metal compound, and a hydrolysis condensate of the metal compound, followed by baking treatment to form a second resist film;
(3) irradiating the first resist film and the second resist film with a high energy beam from a light source of an extreme ultraviolet ray with a wavelength of 3 to 15 nm or an electron beam to perform pattern exposure to deprotect the hydroxy group and/or the carboxy group in a pattern exposed portion of the first resist film and to form a crosslinked portion in which the component (A) and the deprotected hydroxy group and/or the deprotected carboxy group are crosslinked on the pattern exposed portion; and
(4) developing the second resist film with a developer to give a metal film pattern composed of the crosslinked portion.

2. The patterning process according to claim 1 , wherein the baking treatment in the step (1) and/or the step (2) is performed at a temperature of 50° C. or more.

3. The patterning process according to claim 2 , wherein the component (A) is at least one element selected from the group consisting of a metal compound shown by the following general formula (A-1), a hydrolysate of the metal compound shown by the following general formula (A-1), a condensate of the metal compound shown by the following general formula (A-1), and a hydrolysis condensate of the metal compound shown by the following general formula (A-1), and/or at least one element selected from the group consisting of a condensate and a hydrolysis condensate of a metal compound shown by the following general formula (A-2) and the metal compound shown by the general formula (A-1):
M(OR 1A ) 4   (A-1)

wherein M represents Ti, Zr, or Hf; and R 1A represents a monovalent organic group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and 0 or 1 hydroxy group;
M′X  (A-2)

wherein M′ represents Ti, Zr, or Hf; and X represents a divalent or trivalent alcohol shown by the following general formula (A-3):
R 2A (OH) m   (A-3)

wherein R 2A represents an m-valent organic group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms and 0 or 1 hydroxy group; and “m” is an integer of 2 or 3.

4. The patterning process according to claim 3 , wherein the sensitizer is one or more elements selected from sensitizers shown by the following general formula (B-1):
M″ n+ (Y − ) n   (B-1)

wherein M″ n+ represents an ion of a metal selected from Mg, Ca, Ce, Zn, Cu, In, Fe, Yb, Y, Tm, Sn, Ni, Sc, Hf, Nb, Ti, Zr, Ba, Ho, Tb, Lu, La, Ag, Eu, Dy, Gd, Rb, Sr, and Cs; Y − represents an alkylsulfonate ion, an arylsulfonate ion, an alkylsulfonimidate ion, or an alkylsulfonmethidate ion each having at least one fluorine atom; and “n” is an integer satisfying 1≤n≤4.

5. The patterning process according to claim 4 , wherein Y − in the general formula (B-1) is shown by any of the following general formulae (B-1-1) to (B-1-3):

wherein R 1B represents a linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl group, alkenyl group, or alkynyl group having 5 to 30 carbon atoms, or an aryl group or aralkyl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, each having at least one fluorine atom and optionally having a halogen atom, an ether group, a thiol group, an ester group, a carbonate group, a carbonyl group, an amide group, an amino group, an azide group, a carbamate group, a nitro group, a cyano group, a hydroxy group, a carboxy group, a sulfo group, a sulfonate ester group, a sultone group, a lactone ring, or a lactam ring; R 2B , R 3B , R 4B , R 5B , and R 6B each represent a fluorine atom, a trifluoromethyl group, a pentafluoroethyl group, a trifluoroethyl group, an octafluorobutyl group, or a nonafluorobutyl group, and R 2B and R 3B are optionally bonded with each other to form a ring.

6. The patterning process according to claim 3 , wherein the developer in the step (4) is an organic solvent.

7. The patterning process according to claim 6 , wherein the organic solvent is one or more solvents selected from 2-octanone, 2-nonanone, 2-heptanone, 3-heptanone, 4-heptanone, 2-hexanone, 3-hexanone, diisobutyl ketone, methyl cyclohexanone, acetophenone, methylacetophenone, propyl acetate, butyl acetate, isobutyl acetate, amyl acetate, butenyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, propyl formate, butyl formate, isobutyl formate, amyl formate, isoamyl formate, methyl valerate, methyl pentenoate, methyl crotonate, ethyl crotonate, methyl lactate, ethyl lactate, propyl lactate, butyl lactate, isobuthyl lactate, amyl lactate, isoamyl lactate, methyl 2-hydroxyisobutyrate, ethyl 2-hydroxyisobutyrate, methyl benzoate, ethyl benzoate, phenyl acetate, benzyl acetate, methyl phenylacetate, benzyl formate, phenylethyl formate, methyl 3-phenylpropionate, benzyl propionate, ethyl phenylacetate, and 2-phenylethyl acetate.

8. The patterning process according to claim 2 , wherein the sensitizer is one or more elements selected from sensitizers shown by the following general formula (B-1):
M″ n+ (Y−) n   (B-1)

wherein M″ n+ represents an ion of a metal selected from Mg, Ca, Ce, Zn, Cu, In, Fe, Yb, Y, Tm, Sn, Ni, Sc, Hf, Nb, Ti, Zr, Ba, Ho, Tb, Lu, La, Ag, Eu, Dy, Gd, Rb, Sr, and Cs; Y − represents an alkylsulfonate ion, an arylsulfonate ion, an alkylsulfonimidate ion, or an alkylsulfonmethidate ion each having at least one fluorine atom; and “n” is an integer satisfying 1≤n≤4.

9. The patterning process according to claim 8 , wherein Y − in the general formula (B-1) is shown by any of the following general formulae (B-1-1) to (B-1-3):

wherein R 1B represents a linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl group, alkenyl group, or alkynyl group having 5 to 30 carbon atoms, or an aryl group or aralkyl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, each having at least one fluorine atom and optionally having a halogen atom, an ether group, a thiol group, an ester group, a carbonate group, a carbonyl group, an amide group, an amino group, an azide group, a carbamate group, a nitro group, a cyano group, a hydroxy group, a carboxy group, a sulfo group, a sulfonate ester group, a sultone group, a lactone ring, or a lactam ring; R 2B , R 3B , R 4B , R 5B , and R 6B each represent a fluorine atom, a trifluoromethyl group, a pentafluoroethyl group, a trifluoroethyl group, an octafluorobutyl group, or a nonafluorobutyl group, and R 2B and R 3B are optionally bonded with each other to form a ring.

10. The patterning process according to claim 2 , wherein the developer in the step (4) is an organic solvent.

11. The patterning process according to claim 10 , wherein the organic solvent is one or more solvents selected from 2-octanone, 2-nonanone, 2-heptanone, 3-heptanone, 4-heptanone, 2-hexanone, 3-hexanone, diisobutyl ketone, methyl cyclohexanone, acetophenone, methylacetophenone, propyl acetate, butyl acetate, isobutyl acetate, amyl acetate, butenyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, propyl formate, butyl formate, isobutyl formate, a

Assignees

• Shinetsu Chemical Co

Inventors

• Watanabe Tsukasa
• Ogihara Tsutomu

Classifications

• G03F7/168

  Finishing the coated layer, e.g. drying, baking, soaking · CPC title

• G03F7/0042

  with inorganic or organometallic light-sensitive compounds not otherwise provided for, e.g. inorganic resists (G03F7/075 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C07C307/00

  Amides of sulfuric acids, i.e. compounds having singly-bound oxygen atoms of sulfate groups replaced by nitrogen atoms, not being part of nitro or nitroso groups · CPC title

• G03F7/0757

  Macromolecular compounds containing Si-O, Si-C or Si-N bonds (G03F7/0752 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03F7/11

  having cover layers or intermediate layers, e.g. subbing layers {(G03F7/091 - G03F7/093, B41N3/03 take precedence)} · CPC title