METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MODIFYING PHOTORESIST USING ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION AND ION IMPLANTATION
First Claim
1. A method of reducing surface roughness of a resist feature disposed on a substrate, comprising:
- generating a plasma having a plasma sheath and ions therein;
modifying a shape of a boundary defined between the plasma and the plasma sheath with a plasma sheath modifier so that a portion of the boundary facing the substrate is not parallel to a plane defined by the substrate;
exposing the resist feature to electromagnetic radiation having a desired wavelength range during a first exposure; and
accelerating the ions across the boundary having the modified shape toward the resist features over an angular range during the first exposure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of reducing surface roughness of a resist feature disposed on a substrate includes generating a plasma having a plasma sheath and ions therein. A shape of the boundary between the plasma and plasma sheath is modified using a plasma sheath modifier, so that a portion of the boundary facing the substrate is not parallel to a plane defined by the substrate. During a first exposure, the resist feature is exposed to electromagnetic radiation having a desired wavelength and the ions are accelerated across the boundary having the modified shape toward the resist features over an angular range.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of reducing surface roughness of a resist feature disposed on a substrate, comprising:
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generating a plasma having a plasma sheath and ions therein; modifying a shape of a boundary defined between the plasma and the plasma sheath with a plasma sheath modifier so that a portion of the boundary facing the substrate is not parallel to a plane defined by the substrate; exposing the resist feature to electromagnetic radiation having a desired wavelength range during a first exposure; and accelerating the ions across the boundary having the modified shape toward the resist features over an angular range during the first exposure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of modifying roughness in a patterned resist feature provided on a substrate, the resist feature having a first roughness, comprising:
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generating a plasma having a plasma sheath and ions therein; providing a plasma sheath modifier (PSM) defining an aperture that is operable to modify a shape of a boundary between the plasma and the plasma sheath; accelerating ions across the boundary having the modified shape toward the patterned resist feature during a first exposure; and exposing the patterned resist feature to electromagnetic radiation having a first wavelength range during at least a portion of the first exposure, the electromagnetic radiation being emitted from the plasma, wherein the patterned resist feature exposed to the ions and the electromagnetic radiation having the first wavelength range exhibits a second roughness that is less than the first roughness. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for processing resist features disposed on a substrate, comprising:
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a plasma source configured to generate a plasma having a plasma sheath; and a plasma sheath modifier disposed between the plasma and the substrate, the plasma sheath modifier configured to control a shape of a boundary defined between the plasma and the plasma sheath such that a portion of the shape of the boundary is not parallel to a plane defined by the substrate in front of the plasma, the plasma sheath modifier configured to transmit electromagnetic radiation having a desired wavelength range, the electromagnetic radiation being emitted from the plasma. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of reducing roughness in a resist feature, comprising:
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generating a plasma having a plasma sheath; modifying a shape of a boundary defined between the plasma and the plasma sheath with a plasma sheath modifier such that a portion of the shape of the boundary is not parallel to a plane defined by the substrate facing the plasma; maintaining temperature of the substrate from about 30°
C. to about 300°
C. during the first exposure; andimpinging ions from the plasma on the resist feature over an angular range during a first exposure so as to decrease the roughness of the resist features.
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Specification