Methods of patterning substrates

• US 9,177,794 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2012
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Millward, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, BINH X
• Application Number:
  US13/350,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20130183827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 438/696, 438/708, 438/725, 216/41, 216/46, 216/49
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0273 characterised by the treatment of photoresist layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0337 characterised by the process involved to create the mask, e.g. lift-off masks, sidewalls, or to modify the mask, e.g. pre-treatment, post-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31133 by chemical means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31138 by dry-etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/312 Organic layers, e.g. photoresist H01L21/3105, H01L21/32 take precedence; photoresists per se G03C

Abstract

A method of patterning a substrate includes forming spaced first features over a substrate. Individual of the spaced first features include sidewall portions of different composition than material that is laterally between the sidewall portions. A mixture of immiscible materials is provided between the spaced first features. At least two of the immiscible materials are laterally separated along at least one elevation between adjacent spaced first features. The laterally separating forms a laterally intermediate region including one of the immiscible materials between two laterally outer regions including another of the immiscible materials along the one elevation. The laterally outer regions are removed and material of the spaced first features is removed between the sidewall portions to form spaced second features over the substrate. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of patterning a substrate, comprising:

forming spaced first features over a substrate, individual of the spaced first features comprising sidewall portions of different composition than material that is laterally between the sidewall portions;

providing a mixture of immiscible materials between the spaced first features;

laterally separating at least two of the immiscible materials along at least one elevation between adjacent spaced first features, the laterally separating forming a laterally intermediate region comprising one of the immiscible materials between two laterally outer regions comprising another of the immiscible materials along the one elevation; and

removing the laterally outer regions and removing the material of the spaced first features between the sidewall portions to form spaced second features over the substrate, the spaced second features comprising a combination of the different composition material of the sidewall portions and the one immiscible material of the laterally intermediate regions.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising treating sidewalls of the sidewall portions to change interfacial energy of the one or the another of the immiscible materials relative to the sidewalls in comparison to the other of the one and another immiscible materials.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the mixture comprises unequal volumes of the one and another immiscible materials.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising forming the sidewall portions by anisotropically etching a layer deposited over the material received between the sidewall portions to form the sidewall portions to comprise sidewall spacers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the laterally separating forms the laterally intermediate and outer regions to each have exposed elevationally outermost surfaces.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the one and another immiscible materials have equal surface tensions with respect to an atmosphere in which each is received during the laterally separating, the one and another immiscible materials have equal interfacial energies with respect to a base between the adjacent spaced first features, and the another immiscible material has lower interfacial energy with respect to sidewalls of the sidewall portions than does the one immiscible material.

7. A method of patterning a substrate, comprising:

forming spaced first features over a substrate, individual of the spaced first features comprising sidewall portions of different composition than material that is laterally between the sidewall portions;

providing a mixture of immiscible materials between the spaced first features;

laterally separating at least two of the immiscible materials along at least one elevation between adjacent spaced first features, the laterally separating forming a laterally intermediate region comprising one of the immiscible materials between two laterally outer regions comprising another of the immiscible materials along the one elevation;

removing the laterally outer regions and removing the material of the spaced first features between the sidewall portions to form spaced second features over the substrate; and

the laterally separating forming the laterally intermediate region to be surrounded laterally on both sides and elevationally top and bottom by the another of the immiscible materials.

8. A method of patterning a substrate, comprising:

forming spaced first features over a substrate, individual of the spaced first features comprising sidewall portions of different composition than material that is laterally between the sidewall portions;

providing a mixture of immiscible materials between the spaced first features;

laterally separating at least two of the immiscible materials along at least one elevation between adjacent spaced first features, the laterally separating forming a laterally intermediate region comprising one of the immiscible materials between two laterally outer regions comprising another of the immiscible materials along the one elevation;

removing the laterally outer regions and removing the material of the spaced first features between the sidewall portions to form spaced second features over the substrate; and

the laterally separating-forming an elevationally outermost region comprising the one immiscible material which covers an elevationally innermost region comprising the another immiscible material, the elevationally outermost and innermost regions having a curved interface there-between that individually extends from one sidewall portion to another sidewall portion of immediately adjacent of the spaced first features.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein,

the interface is curved elevationally inward;

the elevationally outermost region comprises the one immiscible material and the elevationally innermost region comprises the another immiscible material; and

the removing is of the laterally intermediate region, the removing comprising;

removing all of the elevationally outermost region inwardly to expose an elevationally inward curving outer surface of the elevationally innermost region; and

after removing all of the elevationally outermost region, removing the another immiscible material of the elevationally innermost region elevationally inward to the substrate to form remnant of the laterally outer regions to be spaced from one another.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein,

the interface is curved elevationally inward;

the elevationally outermost region comprises the one immiscible material and the elevationally innermost region comprises the another immiscible material; and

the removing is of the laterally outer regions, the removing comprising;

removing the elevationally outermost region inwardly to expose the elevationally innermost region and forming the laterally intermediate region to comprise the one immiscible material elevationally over the another immiscible material; and

after exposing the elevationally innermost region, anisotropically etching the another immiscible material of the remaining of the laterally outer regions selectively relative to the one immiscible material.

11. A method of patterning a substrate, comprising:

forming spaced first features over a substrate, individual of the spaced first features comprising sidewall portions of different composition than material that is laterally between the sidewall portions;

providing a mixture of immiscible materials between the spaced first features;

laterally separating at least two of the immiscible materials along at least one elevation between adjacent spaced first features, the laterally separating forming a laterally intermediate region comprising one of the immiscible materials between two laterally outer regions comprising another of the immiscible materials along the one elevation;

removing the laterally outer regions and removing the material of the spaced first features between the sidewall portions to form spaced second features over the substrate; and

the laterally separating forming an elevationally outermost region comprising the one immiscible material which covers an elevationally innermost region comprising the another immiscible material, the elevationally outermost and innermost regions having a curved interface there-between, the interface being curved elevationally outward and the removing is of the laterally intermediate region, and comprising;

removing the elevationally outermost region inwardly to expose the elevationally innermost region and forming the lateral outer regions to comprise the one immiscible material elevationally over the another immiscible material; and

after exposing the elevationally innermost region, anisotropically etching the another immiscible material of the remaining of the laterally intermediate region selectively relative to the one immiscible material.

12. A method of patterning a substrate, comprising:

forming spaced first features over a substrate, individual of the spaced first features comprising sidewall portions of different composition than material that is laterally between the sidewall portions;

providing a mixture comprising two immiscible materials between the spaced first features, the mixture comprising equal volumes of the two immiscible materials;

laterally separating the two immiscible materials along at least one elevation between adjacent spaced first features, the laterally separating forming a laterally intermediate region comprising one of the two immiscible materials between two laterally outer regions comprising the other of the two immiscible materials along the one elevation, sum of volumes of the two laterally outer regions equaling volume of the laterally intermediate region; and

removing the laterally outer regions and removing the material of the spaced first features between the sidewall portions to form spaced second features over the substrate.

13. A method of patterning a substrate, comprising:

forming spaced first features over a substrate;

providing a mixture of immiscible materials between the spaced first features;

laterally separating at least two of the immiscible materials along at least one elevation between adjacent spaced first features, the laterally separating forming an elevationally outermost region comprising one of the immiscible materials which covers an elevationally innermost region comprising another of the immiscible materials, the elevationally outermost and innermost regions having a curved interface there-between that individually extends from one sidewall to another sidewall of immediately adjacent of the spaced first features; and

after the laterally separating, removing from between adjacent spaced first features one of a) a laterally intermediate region of the two immiscible materials, or b) laterally outer regions of the two immiscible materials that are laterally outward of the laterally intermediate region, to form spaced second features over the substrate.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the removing is of the laterally outer regions.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the removing comprises:

removing all of the elevationally outermost region inwardly to expose an elevationally outward curving outer surface of the elevationally innermost region; and

after removing all of the elevationally outermost region, removing the another immiscible material of the elevationally innermost region elevationally inward to the substrate to remove remaining of the laterally outer regions and leave a remnant of the laterally intermediate region.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the interface is curved elevationally outward.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the another immiscible material has greater surface tension than the one immiscible material with respect to an atmosphere in which each is received during the laterally separating, the another immiscible material has lower interfacial energy with respect to a base between the adjacent spaced first features than does the one immiscible material, and the one immiscible materials has lower interfacial energy with respect to sidewalls of the first features than does the another immiscible material.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the removing is of the laterally intermediate region.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the interface is curved elevationally inward.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the another immiscible material has greater surface tension than the one immiscible material with respect to an atmosphere in which each is received during the laterally separating, the another immiscible material has lower interfacial energy with respect to a base between the adjacent spaced first features than does the one immiscible material, and the another immiscible material has lower interfacial energy with respect to sidewalls of the first features portions than does the one immiscible material.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein,

the elevationally outermost region comprises the one immiscible material and the elevationally innermost region comprises the another immiscible material;

and

the removing is of the laterally outer regions, the removing comprising;

removing the elevationally outermost region inwardly to expose the elevationally innermost region and forming the laterally intermediate region to comprise the one immiscible material elevationally over the another immiscible material; and

after exposing the elevationally innermost region, anisotropically etching the another immiscible material of the remaining of the laterally outer regions selectively relative to the one immiscible material.

22. A method of patterning a substrate, comprising:

forming spaced first features over a substrate;

providing a mixture of immiscible materials between the spaced first features;

laterally separating at least two of the immiscible materials along at least one elevation between adjacent spaced first features, the laterally separating forming an elevationally outermost region comprising one of the immiscible materials which covers an elevationally innermost region comprising another of the immiscible materials, the elevationally outermost and innermost regions having a curved interface there-between;

after the laterally separating, removing from between adjacent spaced first features one of a) a laterally intermediate region of the two immiscible materials, or b) laterally outer regions of the two immiscible materials that are laterally outward of the laterally intermediate region, to form spaced second features over the substrate;

the interface being curved elevationally outward;

the removing being of the laterally intermediate region; and

comprising;

removing the elevationally outermost region inwardly to expose the elevationally innermost region and forming the lateral outer regions to comprise the one immiscible material elevationally over the another immiscible material; and

after exposing the elevationally innermost region, anisotropically etching the another immiscible material of remaining of the laterally intermediate region selectively relative to the one immiscible material.

23. A method of patterning a substrate, comprising:

forming spaced first features over a substrate;

providing a mixture of immiscible materials between the spaced first features;

laterally separating at least two of the immiscible materials along at least one elevation between adjacent spaced first features, the laterally separating forming an elevationally outermost region comprising one of the immiscible materials which covers an elevationally innermost region comprising another of the immiscible materials, the elevationally outermost and innermost regions having a curved interface there-between;

after the laterally separating, removing from between adjacent spaced first features one of a) a laterally intermediate region of the two immiscible materials, or b) laterally outer regions of the two immiscible materials that are laterally outward of the laterally intermediate region, to form spaced second features over the substrate;

the interface being curved elevationally inward;

the elevationally outermost region comprises the one immiscible material and the elevationally innermost region comprises the another immiscible material; and

the removing is of the laterally intermediate region, the removing comprising;

removing all of the elevationally outermost region inwardly to expose an elevationally inward curving outer surface of the elevationally innermost region; and

after removing all of the elevationally outermost region, removing the another immiscible material of the elevationally innermost region elevationally inward to the substrate to form remnant of the laterally outer regions to be spaced from one another.