Vapor phase thermal etch solutions for metal oxo photoresists

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12068170-B2
Application number	US-202318198743-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2023
Priority date	Jul 1, 2020
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein include methods of developing a metal oxo photoresist. In an embodiment, the method comprises providing a substrate with the metal oxo photoresist into a vacuum chamber, where the metal oxo photoresist comprises exposed regions and unexposed regions. In an embodiment, the unexposed regions comprise a higher carbon concentration than the exposed regions. The method may further comprise vaporizing a halogenating agent into the vacuum chamber, where the halogenating agent reacts with either the unexposed regions or the exposed regions to produce a volatile byproduct. In an embodiment, the method may further comprise purging the vacuum chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of developing a metal oxo photoresist, comprising:
providing a substrate with the metal oxo photoresist into a vacuum chamber, wherein the metal oxo photoresist comprises exposed regions and unexposed regions;
vaporizing a halogenating agent into the vacuum chamber, wherein the halogenating agent reacts with either the unexposed regions or the exposed regions to produce a volatile byproduct, wherein the halogenating agent comprises MoCl 5 , TaCl 5 , NbCl 5 , or WCl 5 ; and
purging the vacuum chamber.

2. A method of developing a metal oxo photoresist, comprising:
providing a substrate with the metal oxo photoresist into a vacuum chamber, wherein the metal oxo photoresist comprises exposed regions and unexposed regions;
vaporizing a halogenating agent into the vacuum chamber, wherein the halogenating agent reacts with either the unexposed regions or the exposed regions to produce a volatile byproduct, wherein the halogenating agent comprises a metal oxy halide with a formula of MO a X b or MO a X b L c , wherein M is a metal or semimetal including one or more of Mo, W, Ta, Nb, Sn, V, Ti, or Si, wherein X is a halide including one or more of Cl and Br, and wherein L is a ligand including one or more of an alkyl, an ethylenediamine, or Cp; and
purging the vacuum chamber.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the halogenating agent comprises MoOCl 4 , MoO 2 Cl 2 , WOCl 4 , or WOCl 2 .

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein a is 1-5, b is 1-5, and c is 1-5.

5. A method of developing a metal oxo photoresist, comprising:
providing a substrate with the metal oxo photoresist into a vacuum chamber;
vaporizing a halogenating agent into the vacuum chamber, wherein the halogenating agent reacts with the metal oxo photoresist to produce a volatile byproduct; and
purging the vacuum chamber, wherein the halogenating agent comprises a metal halide or a metal oxy halide, wherein the halogenating agent comprises a metal oxy halide with a formula of MO a X b or MO a X b L c , wherein M is a metal or semimetal including one or more of Mo, W, Ta, Nb, Sn, V, Ti, or Si, wherein X is a halide including one or more of Cl and Br, and wherein L is a ligand including one or more of an alkyl, an ethylenediamine, or Cp.

6. A method of developing a metal oxo photoresist, comprising:
providing a substrate with the metal oxo photoresist into a vacuum chamber;
vaporizing a halogenating agent into the vacuum chamber, wherein the halogenating agent reacts with the metal oxo photoresist to produce a non-volatile product;
vaporizing a ligand into the vacuum chamber, wherein the ligand reacts with the non-volatile product to produce a volatile byproduct; and
purging the vacuum chamber.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the halogenating agent comprises a metal halide.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the halogenating agent comprises a metal oxy halide.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the halogenating agent comprises thionyl chloride (SOCl 2 ), methanesulfonyl chloride (CH 3 SO 2 Cl), trichloromethanesulfonyl chloride (CCl 3 SO 2 Cl), 4-toluenesulfonyl chloride (tosyl chloride), oxalyl chloride (ClCOCOCl), tert-butyl hypochlorite ((CH 3 ) 3 COCl), N-chlorophthalimide, 1,3-dichloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, trimethylsilyl chloride, HCl, Cl 2 , PCl 5 , BCl 3 , HBr, Br 2 , CCl 3 Br, CBr 4 , 1,2-dibromo-1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (Cl 2 CBrCBrCl 2 ), BBr 3 , PBr 3 , N-bromosuccinimide, N-bromoacetamide, 2-bromo-2-cyano-N,N-dimethylacetamide, 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, 2,4,4,6-tetrabromo-2,5-cyclohexadienone, or trimethylsilyl bromide.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the ligand is a protonated ligand, comprising an amine.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Kalutarage Lakmal Charidu
• Saly Mark Joseph
• Bhuyan Bhaskar Jyoti
• Sachan Madhur
• Freed Regina

Classifications

• H10P50/266 Primary

  by vapour etching only · CPC title

• G03F7/36 Primary

  Imagewise removal not covered by groups G03F7/30 - G03F7/34, e.g. using gas streams, using plasma · 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

• G03F7/265

  Selective reaction with inorganic or organometallic reagents after image-wise exposure, e.g. silylation · CPC title

• G03F7/0043

  Chalcogenides; Silicon, germanium, arsenic or derivatives thereof; Metals, oxides or alloys thereof (G03F7/0044 takes precedence) · CPC title