TOPOGRAPHY MINIMIZATION OF NEUTRAL LAYER OVERCOATS IN DIRECTED SELF-ASSEMBLY APPLICATIONS

• US 20140273514A1
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Somervell, Mark H., Rathsack, Benjamen M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,147,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/763
• 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: C23C 14/221 Ion beam deposition C23C14/46, C23C14/48 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45525 Atomic layer deposition [ALD]
• 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 7/40 Treatment after imagewise removal, e.g. baking
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/405 Treatment with inorganic or organometallic reagents after imagewise removal
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/317 for changing properties of the objects or for applying thin layers thereon, e.g. for ion implantation H01J37/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0271 comprising organic layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0272 for lift-off processes

Abstract

A method is provided for patterning a layered substrate that includes loading a substrate into a coater-developer processing system; coating the substrate with a photoresist material layer; patterning the photoresist material layer to form a photoresist pattern; transferring the substrate to a deposition processing system; and depositing a neutral layer over the photoresist pattern and exposed portions of the substrate. The neutral layer can deposited using a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) process, or an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, which has minimal topography. The method may further include lifting off a portion of the neutral layer deposited over the photoresist pattern to expose a neutral layer template for subsequent directed self-assembly (DSA) patterning; depositing a DSA material layer over the neutral layer template; baking the DSA material layer to form a DSA pattern; and developing the DSA material layer to expose the final DSA pattern for subsequent feature etching.

Claims

1. A method for patterning a layered substrate, comprising:

loading a substrate into a coater-developer processing system;

coating the substrate with a photoresist material to form a photoresist material layer on the substrate;

patterning the photoresist material layer to form a photoresist pattern on the substrate;

transferring the substrate to a deposition processing system; and

depositing a neutral layer over the photoresist pattern and exposed portions of the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the deposition processing system is a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) system, and the neutral layer is deposited using GCIB deposition of gas cluster ions formed from a first gas mixture.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the neutral layer is anisotropically deposited over the photoresist pattern and exposed portions of the substrate.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first gas mixture comprises at least one C-containing gas.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first gas mixture comprises at least one O-containing gas.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the first gas mixture comprises at least one H-containing gas.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the first gas mixture comprises at least one Si-containing gas.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the first gas mixture is tuned to set the chemical properties of the neutral layer for subsequent directed self-assembly (DSA) patterning.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the deposition processing system is an atomic layer deposition (ALD) system, and the neutral layer is deposited using ALD deposition utilizing at least one precursor gas.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the neutral layer is isotropically deposited over the photoresist pattern and exposed portions of the substrate.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one precursor gas comprises a C-containing gas.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one precursor gas comprises a H-containing gas.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one precursor gas comprises a O-containing gas.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one precursor gas comprises a Si-containing gas.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

trimming the photoresist pattern subsequent to patterning of the photoresist material.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

hardening the photoresist pattern subsequent to patterning of the photoresist material, to render the photoresist pattern resistant to subsequent deposition of the neutral layer.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

lifting off a portion of the neutral layer deposited over the photoresist pattern to expose a neutral layer template for subsequent directed self-assembly (DSA) patterning;

depositing a DSA material layer over the neutral layer template;

baking the DSA material layer to form a DSA pattern;

developing the DSA material layer to expose the final DSA pattern for subsequent feature etching.