FREESTANDING SPACER HAVING SUB-LITHOGRAPHIC LATERAL DIMENSION AND METHOD OF FORMING SAME
First Claim
1. A method of forming a freestanding spacer for a sub-lithographic structure on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming at least one mandrel over a semiconductor layer;
depositing a first spacer layer over each of the at least one mandrel and over the semiconductor layer;
depositing a second spacer layer over the first spacer layer,wherein the first spacer layer has a first dielectric constant and the second spacer layer has a second dielectric constant, the first dielectric constant being greater than the second dielectric constant and the first dielectric constant being between approximately 10 and approximately 50;
removing a portion of the first spacer layer and the second spacer layer to expose an upper surface of each of the at least one mandrel; and
removing each of the at least one mandrel such that the first and second spacer layers remain, thereby forming the freestanding spacer, the first and second spacer layers together defining a sub-lithographic lateral dimension of the freestanding spacer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An aspect of the invention includes a freestanding spacer having a sub-lithographic dimension for a sidewall image transfer process. The freestanding spacer comprises: a first spacer layer having a first portion disposed on the semiconductor layer; and a second spacer layer having a first surface disposed on the first portion of the first spacer layer, wherein the first spacer layer has a first dielectric constant and the second spacer layer has a second dielectric constant, the first dielectric constant being greater than the second dielectric constant, and wherein a dimension of each of the first and second spacer layers collectively determine the sub-lithographic lateral dimension of the freestanding spacer.
52 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of forming a freestanding spacer for a sub-lithographic structure on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
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forming at least one mandrel over a semiconductor layer; depositing a first spacer layer over each of the at least one mandrel and over the semiconductor layer; depositing a second spacer layer over the first spacer layer, wherein the first spacer layer has a first dielectric constant and the second spacer layer has a second dielectric constant, the first dielectric constant being greater than the second dielectric constant and the first dielectric constant being between approximately 10 and approximately 50; removing a portion of the first spacer layer and the second spacer layer to expose an upper surface of each of the at least one mandrel; and removing each of the at least one mandrel such that the first and second spacer layers remain, thereby forming the freestanding spacer, the first and second spacer layers together defining a sub-lithographic lateral dimension of the freestanding spacer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 21)
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5. (canceled)
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8. A method of forming a freestanding spacer for a sub-lithographic structure on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
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forming at least one mandrel over a semiconductor layer; depositing a first spacer layer over each of the at least one mandrel and over the semiconductor layer; depositing a second spacer layer over the first spacer layer, wherein the first spacer layer has a first dielectric constant and the second spacer layer has a second dielectric constant, the first dielectric constant being greater than the second dielectric constant; removing a portion of the first spacer layer and the second spacer layer to expose an upper surface of each of the at least one mandrel; removing each of the at least one mandrel such that the first and second spacer layers remain thereby forming the freestanding spacer, wherein a remaining portion of each of the first and second spacer layers collectively define a first sub-lithographic lateral dimension; and removing a portion of the semiconductor layer using the first and second spacer layers to form the sub-lithographic structure. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A freestanding spacer having a sub-lithographic lateral dimension for a sidewall image transfer process, the freestanding spacer comprising:
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a first spacer layer having a first portion disposed over the semiconductor layer; and a second spacer layer having a first surface disposed on the first portion of the of the first spacer layer, wherein the first spacer layer has a first dielectric constant and the second spacer layer has a second dielectric constant, the first dielectric constant being greater than the second dielectric constant and the first dielectric constant being between approximately 10 and approximately 50, and wherein a dimension of each of the first and second spacer layers collectively determine the sub-lithographic lateral dimension of the freestanding spacer. - View Dependent Claims (16, 18, 19, 20, 22)
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17. (canceled)
Specification