IMAGE TRANSFER PROCESS EMPLOYING A HARD MASK LAYER
First Claim
1. A method of patterning a structure comprising:
- forming an underlying material layer on a substrate;
forming a stack of two mask layers comprising a dielectric material and a metallic material, respectively, over said underlying material layer;
forming a first pattern in one of said two mask layers, wherein a patterned mask layer including said first pattern is formed by remaining portions of said one of said two mask layers, while another of said two mask layers remains unpatterned;
forming an overlying structure including a second pattern over said patterned mask layer, wherein said second pattern includes at least one blocking area;
removing portions of said patterned mask layer that do not underlie said blocking area, wherein remaining portions of said patterned mask layer include a composite pattern that is an intersection of said first pattern and said second pattern;
applying a photoresist material directly on surfaces of said patterned mask layer and on surfaces of said another of said two mask layers that remains unpatterned;
patterning said photoresist material to form at least one photoresist block portion having an additional pattern directly on a topmost surface of said another of said two mask layers;
transferring a derived pattern including said composite pattern and a pattern of said at least one photoresist block portion as component patterns into said another of said two mask layers; and
transferring said derived pattern into said underlying material layer employing remaining portions of said another of said two mask layers as an etch mask.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
At least one mask layer formed over a substrate includes at least one of a dielectric material and a metallic material. By forming a first pattern in one of the at least one mask layer, a patterned mask layer including said first pattern is formed. An overlying structure including a second pattern that includes at least one blocking area is formed over said patterned mask layer. Portions of said patterned mask layer that do not underlie said blocking area are removed. The remaining portions of the patterned mask layer include a composite pattern that is an intersection of the first pattern and the second pattern. The patterned mask layer includes a dielectric material or a metallic material, and thus, enables high fidelity pattern transfer into an underlying material layer.
27 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of patterning a structure comprising:
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forming an underlying material layer on a substrate; forming a stack of two mask layers comprising a dielectric material and a metallic material, respectively, over said underlying material layer; forming a first pattern in one of said two mask layers, wherein a patterned mask layer including said first pattern is formed by remaining portions of said one of said two mask layers, while another of said two mask layers remains unpatterned; forming an overlying structure including a second pattern over said patterned mask layer, wherein said second pattern includes at least one blocking area; removing portions of said patterned mask layer that do not underlie said blocking area, wherein remaining portions of said patterned mask layer include a composite pattern that is an intersection of said first pattern and said second pattern; applying a photoresist material directly on surfaces of said patterned mask layer and on surfaces of said another of said two mask layers that remains unpatterned; patterning said photoresist material to form at least one photoresist block portion having an additional pattern directly on a topmost surface of said another of said two mask layers; transferring a derived pattern including said composite pattern and a pattern of said at least one photoresist block portion as component patterns into said another of said two mask layers; and transferring said derived pattern into said underlying material layer employing remaining portions of said another of said two mask layers as an etch mask. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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16-17. -17. (canceled)
Specification