Surface modification for metal-containing photoresist deposition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12586765-B2
Application number	US-202117998354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2021
Priority date	Jun 22, 2020
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

Techniques described herein relate to methods, apparatus, and systems for promoting adhesion between a substrate and a metal-containing photoresist. For instance, the method may include receiving the substrate in a reaction chamber, the substrate having a first material exposed on its surface, the first material including a silicon-based material and/or a carbon-based material; generating a plasma from a plasma generation gas source that is substantially free of silicon, where the plasma includes chemical functional groups; exposing the substrate to the plasma to modify the surface of the substrate by forming bonds between the first material and chemical functional groups from the plasma; and depositing the metal-containing photoresist on the modified surface of the substrate, where the bonds between the first material and the chemical functional groups promote adhesion between the substrate and the metal-containing photoresist.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of promoting adhesion between a substrate and a metal-containing photoresist, the method comprising:
(a) providing the substrate having a surface comprising a first material, the first material comprising a silicon-based material and/or a carbon-based material; (b) generating a plasma from a plasma generation gas source, wherein the plasma generation gas source comprises one or more of alcohol vapor, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide;
wherein the plasma generation gas source is substantially free of silicon, and wherein the plasma comprises chemical functional groups;
(c) exposing the substrate to the plasma to modify the surface of the substrate by forming bonds between the first material and chemical functional groups from the plasma; and (d) after (c), depositing the metal-containing photoresist on the modified surface of the substrate, wherein the bonds between the first material and the chemical functional groups from the plasma promote adhesion between the substrate and the metal-containing photoresist.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generation gas source further comprises water vapor.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generation gas source further comprises at least one species that is organic.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generation gas source comprises carbon dioxide.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generation gas source comprises carbon monoxide.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generation gas source comprises an alcohol vapor.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generation gas source further comprises a halogen gas.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generation gas source further comprises diatomic oxygen (O 2 ) and/or ozone (O 3 ).

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generation gas source further comprises hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ).

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma comprises one or more chemical functional groups selected from the group consisting of: O radicals, OH radicals, CO radicals, Cl radicals, Br radicals, I radicals, and combinations thereof.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generation gas source is substantially free of reactive nitrogen.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generation gas source further comprises inert gas and/or hydrogen (H 2 ).

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma is generated remotely and delivered to a reaction chamber where the substrate is exposed to the plasma.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma is generated in-situ in a reaction chamber where the substrate is exposed to the plasma.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises amorphous carbon, spin-on-carbon, spin-on-glass, silicon carbide, or silicon oxycarbide.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises amorphous silicon, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or silicon oxynitride.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the bonds between the first material and the chemical functional groups from the plasma promote adhesion between the substrate and the metal-containing photoresist by promoting formation of metal-oxygen bonds on the surface of the substrate while depositing the metal-containing photoresist in (d).

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein exposing the substrate to the plasma forms C═O bonds, C—OH bonds, C—Cl bonds, C—Br bonds, C—I bonds, Si—O bonds, Si—OH bonds, Si—Cl bonds, Si—Br bonds, Si—I bonds, or a combination thereof.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the metal-containing photoresist on the modified surface of the substrate forms C—O-metal bonds and/or Si—O-metal bonds.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein (c) occurs after the first material is deposited on the substrate, in a reaction chamber where the first material is deposited on the substrate.

21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein (c) and (d) occur in the same reaction chamber.

22 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising exposing the substrate to a second plasma comprising inert gas prior to (d), wherein exposing the substrate to the second plasma increases a surface area of the substrate.

23 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first material is a hardmask material.

24 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first material is a porous interface layer.

25 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generation gas source comprises carbon dioxide, the method further comprising waiting at least about 3 hours between exposing the substrate to the plasma in (c) and depositing the metal-containing photoresist in (d).

26 . The method of claim 1 , wherein exposing the substrate to the plasma in (c) only modifies the uppermost 5 Å, or less, of the first material.

27 . The method of claim 1 , wherein exposing the substrate to the plasma in (c) does not cause an increase in formation of photoresist scum when the metal-containing photoresist is developed.

28 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generation gas source comprises carbon dioxide, and wherein the plasma is generated at a pressure between about 5-100 mTorr and an RF power between about 50-1,000 W.

29 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generation gas source comprises water, and wherein the plasma is generated at a pressure between about 5-300 mTorr and an RF power between about 100-2,000 W.

30 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generation gas source flows at a rate between about 100-5000 sccm during (b) and (c).

31 . The method of claim 1 , wherein (c) occurs at a temperature between about 20-100° C.

32 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a bias of up to about 100 V on the substrate while the substrate is exposed to the plasma in (c), or while the substrate is exposed to a second plasma prior to (c), wherein applying the bias on the substrate attracts ions to the surface of the substrate, thereby roughening the surface of the substrate.

33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the bias applied to the substrate is between about 0-50 V.

34 . A system for promoting adhesion between a substrate and a metal-containing photoresist, the system comprising:
at least one reaction chamber; at least one plasma generator; at least one inlet for providing gas and/or plasma to the at least one reaction chamber; and a controller having at least one processor, the at least one processor configured to control the at least one reaction chamber, the at least one plasma generator, and the at least one inlet to cause:
(a) receiving the substrate in the at least one reaction chamber, the substrate having a surface comprising a first material, wherein the first material comprises a silicon-based material and/or a carbon-based material,
(b) generating a plasma comprising chemical functional groups from a plasma generation gas source, wherein the plasma generation gas source comprises one or more of alcohol vapor, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide,
(c) providing the plasma to the at least one reaction chamber, wherein the surface of the substrate is modified by bonds formed between the first material and chemical functional groups from the plasma, and
(d) after (c),

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Yu Jengyi
• Li Da
• Lee Younghee
• Tan Samantha Siamhwa
• Jensen Alan J
• Xue Jun
• Manumpil Mary Anne

Classifications

• H10P76/4085

  characterised by the processes involved to create the masks · CPC title

• H10P76/2041

  Photolithographic processes · CPC title

• H10P76/405

  characterised by their composition, e.g. multilayer masks · CPC title

• H01J2237/3328

  adhesion, stress, lift-off of deposited films · CPC title

• H01J37/32899

  Multiple chambers, e.g. cluster tools · CPC title