Pattern treatment methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9671697-B2
Application number	US-201615172246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2016
Priority date	Jun 3, 2015
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

Pattern treatment methods comprise: (a) providing a semiconductor substrate comprising a patterned feature on a surface thereof; (b) applying a pattern treatment composition to the patterned feature, wherein the pattern treatment composition comprises a block copolymer and a solvent, wherein the block copolymer comprises a first block and a second block, wherein the first block comprises a unit formed from a first monomer comprising an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable group and a hydrogen acceptor group, wherein the hydrogen acceptor group is a nitrogen-containing group, and the second block comprises a unit formed from a second monomer comprising an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable group and a cyclic aliphatic group; and (c) rinsing residual pattern treatment composition from the substrate, leaving a portion of the block copolymer bonded to the patterned feature. The methods find particular applicability in the manufacture of semiconductor devices for providing high resolution patterns.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pattern treatment method, comprising:
(a) providing a semiconductor substrate comprising a patterned feature on a surface thereof;
(b) applying a pattern treatment composition to the patterned feature, wherein the pattern treatment composition comprises a block copolymer and a solvent, wherein the block copolymer comprises a first block and a second block, wherein the first block comprises a unit formed from a first monomer comprising an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable group and a hydrogen acceptor group, wherein the hydrogen acceptor group is a nitrogen-containing group, and the second block comprises a unit formed from a second monomer comprising an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable group and a cyclic aliphatic group;
(c) rinsing residual pattern treatment composition from the substrate, leaving the block copolymer bonded to the patterned feature; and
(d) etching a layer underlying the patterned feature using the patterned feature and the bonded block copolymer as an etch mask.

2. The pattern treatment method of claim 1 , wherein the patterned feature is a photoresist pattern.

3. The pattern treatment method of claim 2 , wherein the photoresist pattern is formed by steps comprising:
(a1) applying a layer of a photoresist composition over the semiconductor substrate, wherein the photoresist composition comprises: a resin comprising an acid cleavable leaving group, the cleavage of which forms an acid group and/or an alcohol group; a photoacid generator; and a solvent;
(a2) exposing the photoresist layer to activating radiation through a patterned photomask;
(a3) heating the photoresist layer, wherein acid generated by the acid generator causes cleavage of the acid cleavable leaving group, thereby forming the acid group and/or the alcohol group; and
(a4) developing the exposed photoresist composition layer with an organic solvent developer to form a photoresist pattern comprising an acid group and/or an alcohol group.

4. The pattern treatment method of claim 1 , wherein the nitrogen-containing group is chosen from amines, amides and pyridines.

5. The pattern treatment composition of claim 4 , wherein the first monomer is N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate or a vinyl pyridine.

6. The pattern treatment method of claim 1 , wherein the cyclic aliphatic group is monocyclic.

7. The pattern treatment method of claim 1 , wherein the cyclic aliphatic group is polycyclic.

8. The pattern treatment method of claim 1 , wherein the cyclic aliphatic group is chosen from one or more of optionally substituted cyclohexyl groups, optionally substituted adamantyl groups and optionally substituted norbornyl groups.

9. The pattern treatment method of claim 1 , wherein the second block comprises a unit formed from a third monomer comprising an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable group, and the second monomer and the third monomer are different.

10. The pattern treatment method of claim 1 , wherein the block copolymer comprises a third block comprising a unit formed from a fourth monomer comprising an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable group.

11. The pattern treatment method of claim 1 , wherein the first block is free of acid-labile groups.

12. The pattern treatment method of claim 1 , wherein the block copolymer is free of fluoroalkyl groups.

Assignees

• Dow Global Technologies Llc
• Rohm & Haas Elect Mat

Inventors

• Zhou Huaxing
• Li Mingqi
• Jain Vipul
• Park Jong Keun
• Hustad Phillip D
• Sung Jin Wuk

Classifications

• H10P76/2041

  Photolithographic processes · CPC title

• G03F7/325

  Non-aqueous compositions · CPC title

• C09D153/00

  Coating compositions based on block copolymers containing at least one sequence of a polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Coating compositions based on derivatives of such polymers · CPC title

• H01L21/0274

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G03F7/40

  Treatment after imagewise removal, e.g. baking · CPC title