Methods of forming different sized patterns

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016293443-A1
Application number	US-201514850419-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 10, 2015
Priority date	Apr 6, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method includes forming a template portion to provide a first opening trench portion surrounding a first isolated pattern, and forming an array of pillars on an underlying layer; forming a separation wall layer including first separation wall portions surrounding sidewalls of the pillars, and forming second separation wall portions covering sidewalls of the first opening trench portion; forming a block copolymer layer on the separation wall layer; forming first domains in gaps between the pillars, and forming second domains surrounding and separating the first domains by annealing the block copolymer layer; forming second openings by selectively removing the first domains; forming third openings between the second openings, and forming a fourth opening adjacent to the first isolated pattern by selectively removing the pillars and the template portion; and forming fifth openings, which extend from the second and third openings and penetrate the underlying layer, and forming a sixth opening, which extends from the fourth opening and penetrates the underlying layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of forming patterns, the method comprising:
forming a template portion to provide a first opening trench portion surrounding a first isolated pattern, and forming an array of pillars on an underlying layer; forming a separation wall layer including first separation wall portions surrounding sidewalls of the pillars, and forming second separation wall portions covering sidewalls of the first opening trench portion; forming a block copolymer layer on the separation wall layer; forming first domains in gaps between the pillars, and forming second domains surrounding and separating the first domains by annealing the block copolymer layer; forming second openings by selectively removing the first domains; forming third openings between the second openings, and forming a fourth opening adjacent to the first isolated pattern by selectively removing the pillars and the template portion; and forming fifth openings, which extend from the second and third openings and penetrate the underlying layer, and forming a sixth opening, which extends from the fourth opening and penetrates the underlying layer.

2 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the separation wall layer is formed to further include a third extension that covers a bottom surface of the first opening trench portion; and wherein the second separation wall portions and the third extension have a concave shape.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the separation wall layer is formed to further include a first extension that extends from the first separation wall portions to cover a portion of the underlying layer adjacent to the pillars.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the second domains are formed to cover the first separation wall portions and the first extension, and to have concave shapes surrounding sidewalls and bottom surfaces of the first domains.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the forming of the fifth openings includes:
forming first extensions of the second openings by selectively removing bottom portions of the second domain exposed by the second openings; and forming second extensions of the second openings by selectively removing portions of the first extension of the separation wall layer exposed by the first extensions of the second openings.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the forming of the fifth openings further includes selectively etching portions of the underlying layer exposed by the second extensions of the second openings using the first extensions of the separation wall layer as etch masks.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the fourth opening includes:
forming a blocking pattern covering the first isolated pattern; and selectively etching the template portion using the blocking pattern and the second separation wall portions as etch masks.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the forming of the sixth opening includes forming a second isolated pattern that remains under the first isolated pattern and the second separation wall portions by selectively removing a portion of the underlying layer exposed by the fourth opening using the first isolated pattern and the second separation wall portions as etch masks.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the blocking pattern is formed to have the same shape as the second isolated pattern.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the blocking pattern is formed to extend onto portions of the second separation wall portions adjacent to the first isolated pattern.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the blocking pattern is formed to extend onto a portion of the template portion adjacent to the second separation wall portions.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the forming of the fourth opening further includes before the forming of the blocking pattern:
removing the first domains; and forming a sacrificial layer that fills the second openings, gaps between the pillars, and a gap between the template portion and the first isolated pattern.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the template portion and the array of the pillars includes:
obtaining a layout of the fifth openings and a layout of second isolated pattern whose outline is provided by the sixth opening; forming a layout of the pillars by separating a layout of the first domains from the layout of the fifth openings; obtaining a layout of the first isolated pattern and a layout of the first opening trench portion by resizing the second isolated pattern; and forming the pillars and the template portion using the layout of the pillars and the layout of the first isolated pattern.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pillars are formed to serve as guide patterns that induce each of the first domains to a central portion of four adjacent pillars.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pillars are formed to serve as guide patterns that induce each of the first domains to a central portion of three adjacent pillars.

16 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the forming of the first and second domains includes phase-separating the block copolymer layer into first polymer blocks and second polymer blocks by the annealing of the block copolymer layer, and wherein the first polymer blocks are ordered to form the first domains, and the second polymer blocks are ordered to form the second domains during the annealing of the block copolymer layer.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the block copolymer layer includes a polystyrene-poly (meta methyl acrylate) block copolymer (PS-b-PMMA) material.

18 . A method of forming patterns, the method comprising:
forming a template portion to provide a first opening trench portion surrounding a first isolated pattern, and forming an array of pillars on an underlying layer; forming a separation wall layer that covers the pillars, the first isolated pattern and the template portion; forming a block copolymer layer that fills gaps between the pillars, and fills a gap between the first isolated pattern and the template portion; forming first domains in the gaps between the pillars, forming second domains surrounding and separating the first domains, forming a third domain in the first opening trench portion, and forming a fourth domain surrounding the third domain, by annealing the block copolymer layer, wherein the third domain is shallower than the first domains and a bottom portion of the fourth domain is thicker than bottom portions of the second domains; forming second openings by removing the first domains, and forming a seventh opening by removing the third domain; forming first extensions of the second openings, which penetrate the bottom portions of the second domains, and an extension of the seventh opening in the fourth domain without penetration of the bottom portion of the fourth domain, by etching the second and fourth domains; forming second extensions of the second openings, and exposing top surfaces of the pillars, a top surface of the first isolated pattern and a top surface of the template portion, by selectively removing portions of the separation wall layer exposed by the first extensions of the second openings; forming third openings by selectively removing the pillars, and forming a fourth opening by selectively removing the template portion; and forming fifth openings that penetrate the underlying layer and extend from the second and third openings, and forming a sixth opening that penetrates the underlying layer and extends from the fourth opening.

19 . The method of claim 18 ,

Assignees

• Sk Hynix Inc

Inventors

• Ban Keun Do
• Park Jong Cheon
• Heo Jung Gun
• Kim Hong Ik
• Bok Cheol Kyu

Classifications

• H10P76/4088

  Processes for improving the resolution of the masks · CPC title

• H10P76/4085

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

• H10P50/73 Primary

  using masks for insulating materials · CPC title

• H10P50/71

  using masks for conductive or resistive materials · CPC title

• H10P14/6516

  of treatments performed after formation of the materials · CPC title