Apparatus and Method for Improving Photoresist Properties
First Claim
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1. A photoresist-hardening (P-H) subsystem, comprising:
- a photoresist-hardening (P-H) chamber coupled to a transfer subsystem, wherein the P-H chamber is configured to perform a first photoresist-hardening (P-H) procedure;
a multi-output supply system coupled to an upper DC electrode configured in a first upper assembly in the P-H chamber, wherein the multi-output supply system provides a direct current (DC) voltage to the upper DC electrode;
a remote plasma system coupled to a remote plasma injection plenum configured in a second upper assembly in the P-H chamber, wherein the remote plasma injection plenum comprises a plurality of flow channels configured to provide one or more remote plasma species to a processing region in the P-H chamber;
a substrate holder coupled within the P-H chamber using a DC isolation means, wherein the substrate holder is configured to hold a patterned substrate having a patterned photoresist layer thereon;
a pressure control system configured to control pressure within the P-H chamber wherein the pressure within the P-H chamber varies between approximately 5 mTorr and approximately 400 mTorr during the first P-H procedure;
a lower electrode configured in the substrate holder;
a low frequency generator configured to apply low frequency signal power to the lower electrode to establish and maintain a first photoresist-hardening (P-H) plasma using the one or more remote plasma species; and
a controller coupled to the multi-output supply system, the remote plasma system, the pressure control system, and the low frequency generator, the controller being configured to determine material data for the patterned photoresist layer and establish the first photoresist-hardening (P-H) procedure using the determined material data.
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Abstract
The invention can provide apparatus and methods of processing a substrate in real-time using subsystems and processing sequences created to improve the etch resistance of photoresist materials. In addition, the improved photoresist layer can be used to more accurately control gate and/or spacer critical dimensions (CDs), to control gate and/or spacer CD uniformity, and to eliminate line edge roughness (LER) and line width roughness (LWR).
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A photoresist-hardening (P-H) subsystem, comprising:
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a photoresist-hardening (P-H) chamber coupled to a transfer subsystem, wherein the P-H chamber is configured to perform a first photoresist-hardening (P-H) procedure; a multi-output supply system coupled to an upper DC electrode configured in a first upper assembly in the P-H chamber, wherein the multi-output supply system provides a direct current (DC) voltage to the upper DC electrode; a remote plasma system coupled to a remote plasma injection plenum configured in a second upper assembly in the P-H chamber, wherein the remote plasma injection plenum comprises a plurality of flow channels configured to provide one or more remote plasma species to a processing region in the P-H chamber; a substrate holder coupled within the P-H chamber using a DC isolation means, wherein the substrate holder is configured to hold a patterned substrate having a patterned photoresist layer thereon; a pressure control system configured to control pressure within the P-H chamber wherein the pressure within the P-H chamber varies between approximately 5 mTorr and approximately 400 mTorr during the first P-H procedure; a lower electrode configured in the substrate holder; a low frequency generator configured to apply low frequency signal power to the lower electrode to establish and maintain a first photoresist-hardening (P-H) plasma using the one or more remote plasma species; and a controller coupled to the multi-output supply system, the remote plasma system, the pressure control system, and the low frequency generator, the controller being configured to determine material data for the patterned photoresist layer and establish the first photoresist-hardening (P-H) procedure using the determined material data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of processing a patterned substrate using a photoresist-hardening (P-H) subsystem, the method comprising:
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transferring the patterned substrate into a photoresist-hardening (P-H) chamber using a transfer subsystem coupled to the P-H chamber, the patterned substrate having a patterned photoresist layer thereon; positioning the patterned substrate on a substrate holder configured within the P-H chamber, wherein the substrate holder is coupled to the P-H chamber using a DC isolation means; determining material data for the patterned photoresist layer; and establishing a first photoresist-hardening (P-H) plasma in the P-H chamber using a first photoresist-hardening (P-H) procedure determined using the material data in the patterned photoresist layer. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification