Alternating self-assembling morphologies of diblock copolymers controlled by variations in surfaces

• US 8,609,221 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2010
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Millward, Dan B., Westmoreland, Donald, Sandhu, Gurtej
• Primary Examiner(s): O'HERN, BRENT T
• Application Number:
  US12/834,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20100279062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 428/119, 428/98, 428/116, 216/2, 216/17, 216/39, 216/41, 216/49, 216/83, 216/55, 216/67, 216/99, 977/888, 977/895, 977/900
• US Class Current: 428/119
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00031 Regular or irregular arrays of nanoscale structures, e.g. etch mask layer photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces G03F7/00; lithographic processes for making patterned surfaces using printing and stamping G03F7/0002
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0149 Forming nanoscale microstructures using auto-arranging or self-assembling material
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0198 for making a masking layer
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• 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 7/265 Selective reaction with inorganic or organometallic reagents after image-wise exposure, e.g. silylation
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24 Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24149 Honeycomb-like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24174 including sheet or component perpendicular to plane of web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2438 Coated

Abstract

Methods for fabricating sublithographic, nanoscale microstructures arrays including openings and linear microchannels utilizing self-assembling block copolymers, and films and devices formed from these methods are provided. In some embodiments, the films can be used as a template or mask to etch openings in an underlying material layer.

Claims

1. A self-assembled block copolymer film within a plurality of trenches in a substrate,

each of the trenches of the plurality having a length greater than a width, a floor, opposing first and second ends, the length extending from the first end to the second end, opposing sidewalls being parallel to each other for the length of the trench, the sidewalls and the ends being preferential wetting to a first block of a block copolymer of the self-assembled block copolymer film, a first trench having a neutral wetting floor and a second trench having a preferential wetting floor,

the self-assembled block copolymer film in the first trench comprising perpendicular-oriented cylinders extending in a perpendicular orientation from the floor of the first trench and in a periodic array extending the length of the first trench, and

the self-assembled block copolymer film in the second trench comprising a plurality of parallel-oriented half-cylinder lines extending in a perpendicular orientation from the ends of the second trench and in a parallel orientation to the floor and to the sidewalls for the length of the second trench.

2. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 1, wherein the self-assembled block copolymer film in the first trench comprises a periodic hexagonal array of the perpendicular-oriented cylinders.

3. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 2, wherein the first trench is rounded, angled or curved at the ends.

4. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 1, wherein the self-assembled block copolymer film in the first trench comprises a single row of perpendicular-oriented cylinders extending the length of the first trench.

5. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 1, wherein the perpendicular-oriented cylinders and parallel-oriented half-cylinder lines comprise the first block of the block copolymer in a matrix of a second block of the block copolymer.

6. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 1, wherein the width of the first trench is about 1.5*L₀ to about 2*L₀, wherein L₀ is the pitch value of the block copolymer.

7. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 1, wherein the width of the second trench is about L₀ or about n*L₀ where n is an integer of 3 or greater, wherein L₀ is the pitch value of the block copolymer.

8. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 1, further comprising the self-assembled block copolymer film in a third trench comprising perpendicular-oriented cylinders extending in a perpendicular orientation from the floor of the first trench, wherein the width of the first trench is about 1.5*L₀ to about 2*L₀, and the width of the third trench is about L₀ or about n*L₀ where n is an integer of 3 or greater, and L₀ is the pitch value of the block copolymer.

9. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 1, wherein the width of each of the first trench and the second trench is about n*L₀, wherein n is an integer of 3 or greater, and L₀ is the pitch value of the block copolymer.

10. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 1, wherein the width of at least one of the first trench and the second trench is at or about L₀, and L₀ is the pitch value of the block copolymer.

11. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 1, wherein the self-assembled block copolymer in the film in the first and second trenches is crosslinked.

12. A self-assembled block copolymer film within an array of trenches in a substrate,

each trench of the array having a length greater than a width, a floor, opposing first and second ends, the length extending from the first end to the second end, opposing sidewalls being parallel to each other for the length of the trench,

the self-assembled block copolymer film in a first trench comprising perpendicular-oriented cylindrical domains of a minority block of a block copolymer of the block copolymer in a matrix of a majority block of the block copolymer, and

the self-assembled block copolymer film in a second trench comprising parallel-oriented half-cylindrical lines of the minority block of the block copolymer in a matrix of the majority block of the block copolymer,

the perpendicular-oriented cylindrical domains extending in a perpendicular orientation from the floor of the first trench and in a periodic array extending the length of the first trench, and

the parallel-oriented half-cylindrical lines extending in a perpendicular orientation from the ends of the trench and in a parallel orientation to the floor and to the sidewalls for the length of the second trench.

13. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 12, wherein the sidewalls and ends of the first and second trenches comprise a material that is preferential wetting to the minority block of the block copolymer,

the floor of the first trench comprises a material that is neutral wetting to both the minority and majority blocks of the block copolymer, and

the floor of the second trench comprises a material that is preferential wetting to the minority block of the block copolymer.

14. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 13, wherein the preferential wetting material is selected from the group consisting of silicon (with native oxide), oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxycarbide, silicon oxynitride, indium tin oxide, and methacrylate-based resists.

15. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 13, wherein the floor of at least one of the first and second trenches has a surface roughness for preferential wetting or neutral wetting of the minority and majority blocks of the block copolymer.

16. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 15, wherein the floor having the surface roughness comprises grooves in a lateral periodicity.

17. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 15, wherein the floor of the first trench comprises a material having a surface roughness at or above a critical roughness for neutral wetting of the minority block of the block copolymer.

18. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 15, wherein the floor of the second trench comprises a material having a surface roughness below a critical roughness for preferential wetting of the minority block of the block copolymer.

19. A self-assembled block copolymer film within an array of trenches in a substrate,

each of the trenches having a length greater than a width, a floor, opposing first and second ends, a length extending from the first end to the second end, opposing sidewalls being parallel to each other for the length of the trench,

the self-assembled block copolymer film in a first trench having a neutral wetting floor, the self-assembled block copolymer film comprising perpendicular-oriented cylinders extending in a perpendicular orientation from the floor of the first trench in a single row extending the length of the first trench,

the self-assembled block copolymer film in a second trench having a neutral wetting floor, the film comprising perpendicular-oriented cylinders extending in a perpendicular orientation from the floor of the second trench in a periodic hexagonal array extending the length of the second trench, and

the self-assembled block copolymer film in a third trench having, a preferential wetting floor, the self-assembled block copolymer film comprising parallel-oriented half-cylinder lines extending in a perpendicular orientation from the ends of the third trench and in a parallel orientation to the floor and to the sidewalls for the length of the third trench.

20. A self-assembled block copolymer film within a plurality of trenches in a substrate,

each of the trenches having a length greater than a width, a floor, opposing first and second ends and opposing sidewalls, a length extending from the first end to the second end, and the sidewalls being parallel to each other for the length of the trench,

the self-assembled block copolymer film in a first trench comprising one or more lines of a parallel-oriented half-cylinder extending in a perpendicular orientation from the ends of the trench and in a parallel orientation to the floor of the first trench and extending in a parallel orientation to the sidewalls and the floor for the length of the first trench, and

the self-assembled block copolymer film in a second trench comprising one or more perpendicular-oriented cylinders extending in a perpendicular orientation from the floor of the second trench.

21. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 20, wherein the self-assembled block copolymer film in the second trench comprises a periodic hexagonal array of the perpendicular-oriented cylinders extending the length of the second trench.

22. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 21, wherein the second trench is rounded, angled or curved at the ends.

23. The self-assembled block copolymer film of claim 20, wherein the self-assembled block copolymer film in the second trench comprises a single row of the perpendicular-oriented cylinders extending the length of the second trench.

24. A substrate comprising a plurality of trenches and a self-assembled block copolymer film within the plurality of trenches,

each trench of the plurality of trenches having a floor, a length greater than a width, opposing first and second ends, the length extending from the first end to the second end, opposing sidewalls being parallel to each other for the length of a trench,

the self-assembled block copolymer film in a first trench comprising one or more lines of a parallel-oriented half-cylinder extending in a perpendicular orientation from the ends of the first trench and in a parallel orientation to the floor of the first trench and to the sidewalls for the length of the second trench, and

the self-assembled block copolymer film in a second trench comprising one or more perpendicular-oriented cylinders extending in a perpendicular orientation from the floor of the second trench and in a periodic array extending the length of the second trench.

25. The substrate of claim 24, wherein the self-assembled block copolymer film in the second trench comprises a periodic hexagonal array of the perpendicular-oriented cylinders.

26. The substrate of claim 25, wherein the second trench is rounded, angled or curved at the first and second ends.

27. The substrate of claim 24, wherein the self-assembled block copolymer film in the second trench comprises a single row of the perpendicular-oriented cylinders extending the length of the second trench.

28. A substrate comprising a plurality of trenches and a self-assembled block copolymer film within each of the trenches,

each of the trenches having a floor, a length greater than a width, opposing first and second ends, the length extending from the first end to the second end, opposing sidewalls being parallel to each other for the length of the trench,

the self-assembled block copolymer film in a first trench comprising a periodic hexagonal array of perpendicular-oriented cylinders extending in a perpendicular orientation from the floor of the first trench and the hexagonal array extending the length of the first trench, and

the self-assembled block copolymer film in a second trench comprising a single row of perpendicular-oriented cylinders extending in a perpendicular orientation from the floor and the single row extending the length of the second trench.

29. The substrate of claim 28, wherein the first trench is rounded, angled or curved at the first and second ends.