Far UV patterning of resist materials
First Claim
1. In a thin film fabrication process for producing a device or circuit, the steps as follows:
- providing a substrate including at least one layer therein,depositing a resist layer on said substrate,removing selected areas of said resist layer by irradiation of said selected areas with ultraviolet light of wavelengths less than 220 nm and having a sufficient power density to produce ablative photodecomposition of said irradiated areas to expose portions of said substrate, andcausing a change to said exposed portions of said substrate through said patterned resist layer.
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Abstract
A technique is described for the fabrication of devices and circuits using multiple layers of materials, where patterned layers of resists are required to make the device or circuit. The fabrication process is characterized by the selective removal of portions of the resist layer by ablative photodecomposition. This decomposition is caused by the incidence of ultraviolet radiation of wavelengths less than 220 nm, and power densities sufficient to cause fragmentation of resist polymer chains and the immediate escape of the fragmented portions from the resist layer. Energy fluences in excess of 10 mJ/cm2 /pulse are typically required. The deliverance of a large amount of energy in this wavelength range to the resist layer in a sufficiently short amount of time causes ablation of the polymer chain fragments. No subsequent development step is required for patterning the resist layer.
175 Citations
17 Claims
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1. In a thin film fabrication process for producing a device or circuit, the steps as follows:
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providing a substrate including at least one layer therein, depositing a resist layer on said substrate, removing selected areas of said resist layer by irradiation of said selected areas with ultraviolet light of wavelengths less than 220 nm and having a sufficient power density to produce ablative photodecomposition of said irradiated areas to expose portions of said substrate, and causing a change to said exposed portions of said substrate through said patterned resist layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for patterning resist layers of the type used in lithography processes, comprising the steps of:
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depositing a layer of said resist on a substrate, and irradiating selected areas of said resist layer with ultraviolet radiation having wavelengths less than 220 nm and an energy fluence in excess of that required to break polymer chains in said resist layer to produce enough broken fragments of said chains in a given time that said broken fragments will ablate and escape from said resist, leaving etched areas corresponding to the pattern of ultraviolet radiation incident on said resist layer. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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- 15. A method for patterning layers of resist material of the types used in lithographic processes, wherein selected areas of said resist layer are irradiated with ultraviolet radiation having wavelengths less than 220 nm and energy fluences in excess of about 10 mJ/cm2 /pulse.
Specification