Method of forming pattern of semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9892918-B2
Application number	US-201615240048-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2016
Priority date	Nov 3, 2015
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A method of forming a pattern of a semiconductor device includes forming a lower film on a substrate having a first surface and a second surface at different levels, forming an upper film of hydrophobic material on the lower film, forming a block copolymer film on the upper film, phase-separating the block copolymer film to form first patterns spaced apart from one another and a second pattern spanning the first patterns and interposed between a bottom surface of each of the first patterns and the upper film, removing the first patterns, and performing an etch process using the second pattern or a residual part of the second pattern as an etch mask.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a pattern of features of a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
forming a lower structure on a substrate, the lower structure having a top portion constituted by one of hydrophobic and hydrophilic material, and the lower structure defining recesses therein open at the top of the lower structure, said one of hydrophobic and hydrophilic material disposed in and/or defining the recesses;
forming an upper layer of block copolymer on the lower structure, wherein the block copolymer comprises hydrophobic material in a case in which the top portion of the lower structure is constituted by hydrophobic material and hydrophilic material in a case in which the top portion of the lower structure is constituted by hydrophilic material;
treating the block copolymer film to form first patterns spaced apart from one another, and a second pattern spanning the first patterns, respective ones of the first patterns being aligned with the recesses, respectively, and others of the first patterns being located at regions of the device between respective ones of the recesses;
the first patterns each being of polymeric material different from that of the second pattern,
a selective removal process, based on the difference in the polymeric materials of the first patterns and the second pattern, of removing the first patterns aligned with the recesses and from said regions of the device between respective ones of the recesses while leaving material of the second pattern on the lower structure or of removing the second pattern while leaving material of the first patterns aligned with the recesses and disposed on said regions of the device between respective ones of the recesses; and
subsequently performing an etch process using at least part of the the first patterns or the second pattern remaining after the selective removal process as an etch mask.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the lower structure comprises:
forming a lower film on the substrate,
etching the lower film at a top surface thereof to form holes or trenches in the lower film, and
forming said one of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic material in the holes or trenches in the lower film.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the forming of said one of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic material in the holes or trenches in the lower film comprises forming a conformal film of hydrophobic material on the lower film so as to extend along sides and bottoms of the holes or trenches in the lower film,
the block copolymer comprises hydrophobic blocks of a polymer, and
wherein the treating of the block copolymer forms the second pattern of hydrophobic blocks of the polymer such that the second pattern is interposed, at bottoms and sides of the holes or trenches, between the first patterns and the conformal layer of hydrophobic material.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the forming of said one of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic material in the holes or trenches in the lower film comprises forming patterns of hydrophobic material along sides and bottoms of the holes or trenches in the lower film, and
the forming of the lower structure further comprises forming a neutral film pattern on the top surface of the lower film, and
the treating forms respective ones of the first patterns on the neutral film pattern.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the forming of the neutral film pattern comprises forming on the lower film one of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM), a polymer brush, and a cross-linked random copolymer mat.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the lower structure comprises forming a lower film on the substrate, and hydrophilic material is disposed in and/or defines the recesses, and
the block copolymer comprises hydrophilic blocks of a polymer, and
the treating of the block copolymer forms the first patterns of hydrophilic blocks of the first polymer directly on the hydrophilic material disposed in and/or defining the recesses as aligned with the recesses, respectively.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the lower film has a flat upper surface, and the forming of the lower structure comprises forming a layer of hydrophilic material on the flat upper surface of the lower film, and etching the layer of hydrophilic material to define the recesses therein.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the lower structure comprises etching the lower film, and conformally forming a film of hydrophilic material on the etched lower film.

9. A method of forming a pattern of features of a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
forming a lower film on a substrate and patterning the lower film to produce a first surface and a second surface disposed at different levels with the second surface being situated at a level beneath the level at which the first surface is situated;
forming an upper film of hydrophobic material on the lower film;
forming a film of block copolymer on the upper film;
phase-separating the film of block copolymer to form on the first and second surfaces first patterns spaced apart from one another, and a second pattern having spanning the first patterns and interposed between a bottom surface of each of the first patterns and the upper film,
removing the first patterns; and
subsequently performing an etch process using at least part of the second pattern as an etch mask.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the forming the upper film comprises forming the upper film such that it conforms to the topography of the first surface and the second surface.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first patterns are hydrophobic, and the second pattern is hydrophilic.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the film of block copolymer comprises polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polystyrene (PS).

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising forming on the first surface a neutral film pattern, and wherein the film of block copolymer is formed on the second surface, and the neutral film pattern is formed of one of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM), a polymer brush, and a cross-linked random copolymer mat.

14. A method of forming a pattern of features of a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
providing a structure comprising a substrate, a lower film disposed on the substrate, and a neutral film disposed on the lower film;
removing part of the neutral film to expose a part of the lower film;
etching the exposed part of the lower film to form a trench;
forming a hydrophobic film in the trench;
coating the neutral film and the hydrophobic film with a block copolymer to form a block copolymer film on the neutral film and the hydrophobic film;
phase-separating the block copolymer film to form first patterns on the hydrophobic film in the trench and on the neutral film as spaced apart from one another, and a second pattern spanning the first patterns on the neutral film and the hydrophobic film, the second pattern being interposed between a bottom surface of the first pattern and the hydrophobic film in the trench, and the first patterns each being of polymeric material different from that of the second pattern,
a selective removal process, based on the difference in the polymeric materials of the first patterns and the second pattern, of removing the first patterns while leaving material of the second pattern on the neutral film and the hydrophobic film; and
performing an etch process using the material of the second pattern that spanned the first patterns, before the first patterns were removed, as an etch mask.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the forming of the hyd

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Eun Sung
• Lee Kyeong Mi
• Kwon Seung Chul
• Park Jeong Ju
• Yi Shi Yong

Classifications

• H10P76/405

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

• H10P76/20

  of masks comprising organic materials · CPC title

• H10P50/73

  using masks for insulating materials · CPC title

• H10P50/71

  using masks for conductive or resistive materials · CPC title

• H10P14/6538

  by exposure to UV light · CPC title