SOLVENT ANNEAL PROCESSING FOR DIRECTED-SELF ASSEMBLY APPLICATIONS

• US 20140273290A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Somervell, Mark H.
• Application Number:
  US13/843,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20140273290A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/5
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0002 Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/168 Finishing the coated layer, e.g. drying, baking, soaking
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/324 Thermal treatment for modifying the properties of semiconductor bodies, e.g. annealing, sintering H01L21/20 - H01L21/288 and H01L21/302 - H01L21/322 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/12 for structural parameters, e.g. thickness, line width, refractive index, temperature, warp, bond strength, defects, optical inspection, electrical measurement of structural dimensions, metallurgic measurement of diffusions electrical measurement of diffusions H01L22/14

Abstract

A method and apparatus for solvent annealing a layered substrate including a layer of a block copolymer are provided. The method includes (a) introducing an annealing gas into a processing chamber; (b) maintaining the annealing gas in the processing chamber for a first time period; (c) removing the annealing gas from the processing chamber; and (d) repeating steps (a)-(c) a plurality of times in order induce the block copolymer to undergo cyclic self-assembly. The apparatus includes a processing chamber comprising a process space; a substrate support in the process space; an annealing gas supply and a purge gas supply, both in fluid communication with the process space; a heating element positioned within the processing chamber; an exhaust port in the processing chamber; and a sequencing device programmed to control the annealing gas supply, the heating element, the isolation valve of the exhaust port, and the purge gas supply.

Claims

1. A method for annealing a layered substrate comprising a layer of a block copolymer, comprising:

(a) introducing an annealing gas into a processing chamber containing the layered substrate in a sufficient quantity to provide a processing pressure (P), wherein the annealing gas comprises a gaseous solvent present at a partial pressure (P_sol) in an amount less than about 100 torr, or in an amount less than a saturation pressure of the gaseous solvent;

(b) maintaining the annealing gas in the processing chamber for a first time period to permit at least a portion of the annealing gas to absorb into the layer of the block copolymer;

(c) removing the annealing gas from the processing chamber to provide an environment within the processing chamber for a second time period, wherein the environment is either at least less than about 90% processing pressure (P) or at least less than about 90% P_sol to facilitate an evaporation of the gaseous solvent from the layer of the block copolymer; and

(d) repeating steps (a)-(c) a plurality of times to induce the block copolymer to undergo cyclic self-assembly.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaseous solvent is selected from a neutral solvent or a selective solvent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaseous solvent is comprises an organic solvent.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) controlling a processing temperature of the processing chamber, wherein the processing temperature is within a range from about room temperature to about 100°

C.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the processing chamber further comprises a heating element selected from an absorption-based heating element, a conduction-based heating element, or a combination thereof;

wherein the controlling the processing temperature comprises modulating an operation of the heating element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintaining the annealing gas in the processing chamber for the first time period causes the layer of the block copolymer to swell, the method further comprising:

(f) measuring swelling of the film layer to provide a swelling ratio measurement.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising;

adjusting a duration of the first time period, a duration of the second time period, a number of time the steps (a)-(c) are repeated, or combinations thereof in response to the swelling ratio measurement.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing the annealing gas into the processing chamber is a pulsing of a measured quantity of the annealing gas.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the annealing gas from the processing chamber comprises purging the process chamber with an inert purge gas, evacuating the processing chamber, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the annealing gas from the processing chamber comprises:

venting a first amount of the annealing gas to a location outside of the processing chamber to remove the annealing gas therefrom; and

introducing a purge gas into the processing chamber, while venting, at an introduction rate sufficient to replace the first amount.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a duration of the first period is in a range from about 1 second to about 60 seconds, and wherein a duration of the second period is in a range from about 1 second to about 60 seconds.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a number of times the steps of (a)-(c) are repeated is determined by a processing temperature, the processing pressure (P), the partial pressure (P_sol), a duration of the first period, a duration of the second period, or combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(f) thermally quenching the layered substrate to a quenching temperature at a rate of greater than about 50°

C./minute.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a non-solvent anneal or a traditional solvent anneal prior to performing steps (a)-(d).

15. A layered substrate comprising a layer of a self-assembled block copolymer provided by the method of claim 1.

17. The solvent annealing apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

an optical device disposed within the processed space and arranged relative to the support surface to permit a direct line of light transmission to a front surface of the substrate, the optical device adapted to measure swelling of a film layer deposited the front layer of the substrate.

18. The solvent annealing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the sequencing device is electrically couple to the optical device and programmed to control the annealing gas supply, the heating element, the isolation valve of the exhaust port, and the purge gas in response to a measurement of swelling of the film layer.

19. The solvent annealing apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a vacuum pump fluidly coupled with the exhaust port for evacuating the process space.

20. The solvent annealing apparatus of claim 15, further comprising

a thermal quenching gas supply in fluid communication with the process space, the quenching gas supply configure to supply a thermal quenching gas to the process space effective to reduce a temperature of the process space greater than 50°

C. within about 1 second or less.

16. A solvent annealing apparatus for a solvent-assisted annealing of a layer of a block copolymer, comprising:

a processing chamber comprising a process space;

a substrate support in the process space, the substrate support having a support surface and being configured to support the substrate in the process space in a spaced relationship with the support surface to define a processing environment between the support surface and the substrate;

an annealing gas supply in fluid communication with the process space, the anneal gas supply configured to supply an annealing gas to the process space;

a heating element positioned within the processing chamber configured to heat the substrate by heat transfer through the processing environment or the substrate support;

an exhaust port in the processing chamber configured in fluid communication with an isolation valve;

a purge gas supply in fluid communication with the process space, the purge gas supply configured to supply a purge gas to the process space effective to displace the annealing gas from the process space; and

a sequencing device electrically coupled to the annealing gas supply, the heating element, the isolation valve of the exhaust port, and the purge gas supply, wherein the sequencing device is programmed to control the annealing gas supply, the heating element, the isolation valve of the exhaust port, and the purge gas supply.