Methods of forming structures supported by semiconductor substrates

• US 10,151,981 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: deVilliers, Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond, Brittany L
• Application Number:
  US12/125,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20090291397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,855 Days
• Field of Search: 430311, 430319, 430313
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/40 Treatment after imagewise removal, e.g. baking
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0337 characterised by the process involved to create the mask, e.g. lift-off masks, sidewalls, or to modify the mask, e.g. pre-treatment, post-treatment

Abstract

Some embodiments include methods of forming structures supported by semiconductor substrates. Radiation-imageable material may be formed over a substrate and patterned into at least two separated features. A second material may be formed over the features and across one or more gaps between the features. At least one substance may be released from the features and utilized to alter a portion of the second material. The altered portion of the second material may be selectively removed relative to another portion of the second material which is not altered. Also, the features of radiation-imageable material may be selectively removed relative to the altered portion of the second material. The second material may contain one or more inorganic components dispersed in an organic composition. The substance released from the features of radiation-imageable material may be acid which forms cross-links within such organic composition, an hydroxyl, or any other suitable substance.

Claims

1. A method of forming structures, comprising:

forming a radiation-imageable material over a semiconductor substrate;

photolithographically patterning the radiation-imageable material into at least two separated features;

the separated features having one or more gaps between them;

forming a second material over the at least two separated features, the second material being directly against the radiation imageable material, and across the one or more gaps between the at least two separated features, the second material comprising one or more components dispersed in an organic composition that is cross-linkable upon exposure to acid, the one or more components consisting of inorganic material comprising one or more members of the group consisting of metal silicide, hydrofluoric acid and hydrobromic acid;

baking the features having the second material thereover to release at least one substance which alters the second material, the altering comprising forming crosslinks within the organic composition;

the baking transferring the at least one substance from the features into regions of the second material proximate the features to alter said regions while leaving other regions of the second material non-altered;

the non-altered second material being selectively removable relative to the altered second material, and the features being selectively removable relative to the altered material;

treating the semiconductor substrate with isopropyl alcohol to remove the non-altered regions of the second material relative to the altered regions of the second material, the treating retaining portions of the altered regions of the second material along the sidewalls and over the top of the features;

after the treating, removing portions of the altered regions of the second material over the top of the features; and

selectively removing the features relative to the altered regions of the second material to leave at least one structure of the altered regions of the second material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one substance released from the features includes acid.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more components further include silicon.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more components further include at least one metal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the at least one substance released from the features includes acid;

the altering of said regions comprises forming cross-links within the organic composition upon exposure to the acid released from the features; and

said one or more components further comprising one or more of titanium, carbon, silicon and germanium.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises a base semiconductor material and one or more materials over said base semiconductor material;

and further comprising utilizing said at least one structure of the altered regions of the second material as a mask during an etch into at least one of said one or more materials.

7. A method of forming structures supported by a semiconductor substrate, comprising:

forming at least two separated photoresist features over a semiconductor substrate;

forming a material over and in direct contact with the at least two photoresist features, and across one or more gaps between the at least two photoresist features, the material comprising an organic composition that is crosslinkable upon exposure to acid and one or more components, the one or more components including one or both of hydrofluoric acid and hydrobromic acid, the photoresist features being configured to release at least one substance which alters a portion of the material, the altering comprising forming crosslinks within the organic composition;

the non-altered material being selectively removable relative to the altered material, and the photoresist features being selectively removable relative to the altered material;

releasing the at least one substance from the photoresist features and into regions of the material proximate the photoresist features to alter said regions;

said regions thereby becoming a portion of the material which is altered while another portion of the material remains non-altered;

treating the semiconductor substrate to remove regions of the non-altered portion of the material from the gaps between the features while retaining the altered portion of the material along sidewalls and over the top of the features;

after the treating, removing the altered portion of the material from over the top of the features; and

selectively removing the photoresist features relative to the altered portion of the material to leave at least one structure of the altered portion of the material over the semiconductor substrate.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the at least one substance released from the photoresist features includes acid.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more components include silicon.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more components include at least metal.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the at least one substance released from the photoresist features includes acid;

the altering of said regions comprises forming cross-links within the organic composition upon exposure to the acid released from the photoresist features; and

said one or more components further including one or more of titanium, carbon, silicon and germanium.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises a base semiconductor material and one or more materials over said base semiconductor material;

and further comprising utilizing said at least one structure of the altered portion of the material as a mask during an etch into at least one of said one or more materials.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein said at least one structure of the altered portion of the material comprises a tube.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein said at least one structure of the altered portion of the material comprises a plurality of non-tubular pedestals.

15. A method of forming structures, comprising:

forming a pattern of radiation-imageable material over a semiconductor substrate, the pattern comprising at least two separated features separated from each other by a gap;

forming a second material over the at least two separated features and entirely filling the gap, the second material being directly against the radiation imageable material, the second material comprising one or more components consisting of inorganic material comprising metal silicide dispersed in an organic composition that is cross-linkable upon exposure to acid;

baking the features having the second material thereover to alter the second material, the baking transferring the at least one substance from the features into regions of the second material proximate the features to alter said regions while leaving other regions of the second material non-altered;

treating the semiconductor substrate to remove the non-altered regions of the second material relative to the altered regions of the second material, the treating retaining portions of the altered regions of the second material along the sidewalls and over the top of the features;

after the treating, removing portions of the altered regions of the second material over the top of the features; and

selectively removing the features relative to the altered regions of the second material to leave at least one structure of the altered regions of the second material.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the forming the second material over the features entirely fills the gap with the second material.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one substance released from the features includes acid.

18. A method of forming structures, comprising:

forming a radiation-imageable material over a semiconductor substrate;

photolithographically patterning the radiation-imageable material into at least two separated features;

the separated features having one or more gaps between adjacent features;

forming a second material over the at least two separated features, the second material being directly against the radiation imageable material, and across the one or more gaps between the at least two separated features;

the second material comprising one or more components dispersed in an organic composition, the one or more components being selected from the group consisting of HF, Br, HBr, and metal silicide;

baking the features having the second material thereover to release at least one substance which alters the second material;

the baking transferring the at least one substance from the features into regions of the second material proximate the features to alter said regions while leaving other regions of the second material non-altered, the non-altered second material being selectively removable relative to the altered second material, and the features being selectively removable relative to the altered material;

selectively removing the non-altered regions of the second material relative to the altered regions of the second material, the selectively removing comprising treatment with isopropyl alcohol; and

selectively removing the features relative to the altered regions of the second material to leave at least one structure of the altered regions of the second material.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the altered regions of the second material extends over the photoresist features;

and further comprising, prior to the selective removal of the photoresist features relative to the altered regions of the second material, removing portions of altered regions of the second material from over the photoresist features while retaining portions of the altered regions of the second material along sidewalls of the photoresist features.