METHOD FOR PATTERNING A RADIATION SENSITIVE LAYER

• US 20020012884A1
• Filed: 01/12/2000
• Published: 01/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation Incorporated (Cornell University), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Semiconductor Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation Incorporated (Cornell University)
• Inventors: Gleason, Karen K., Ober, Christopher, Herr, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 6,509,138 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 430/313
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/167 from the gas phase, by plasma deposition G03F7/2035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/32 Liquid compositions therefor, e.g. developers
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/36 Imagewise removal not covered by groups G03F7/30 - G03F7/34, e.g. using gas streams, using plasma

Abstract

Provided is a process for lithographically patterning a material on a substrate comprising the steps of (a) depositing a radiation sensitive material on the substrate by chemical vapor deposition; (b) selectively exposing the radiation sensitive material to radiation to form a pattern; and (c) developing the pattern using a supercritical fluid (SCF) as a developer. Also disclosed is a microstructure formed by the foregoing process. Also disclosed is a process for lithographically patterning a material on a substrate wherein after steps (a) and (b) above, the pattern is developed using a dry plasma etch. Also disclosed is a microstructure comprising a substrate; and a patterned dielectric layer, wherein the patterned dielectric layer comprises at least one two-dimensional feature having a dimensional tolerance more precise than 7%. Also disclosed is a microelectronic structure comprising a substrate; a plurality of transistors formed on the substrate; and a plurality of conductive features formed within a dielectric pattern, wherein the plurality of conductive features include at least one two-dimensional feature having a dimensional tolerance more precise than 7%.

Claims

1. A process for lithographically patterning a material on a substrate comprising the steps of:

(a) depositing a radiation sensitive material on the substrate by chemical vapor deposition;

(b) selectively exposing the radiation sensitive material to radiation to form a pattern; and

(c) developing the pattern using a supercritical fluid (SCF) as a developer.

2. The process of claim 1 that is a direct dielectric patterning process.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises an underlying dielectric layer and a sacrificial resist layer on top of the underlying dielectric layer.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the radiation sensitive material after selective exposure to radiation results in a positive-type resist.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the radiation sensitive material after selective exposure to radiation results in a negative-type resist.

6. The process of claim 3 further comprising the step of transferring the pattern from the sacrificial resist layer to the underlying dielectric layer by etching, and stripping away the sacrificial resist layer.

7. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

including a photoacid generator in step (a).

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the chemical vapor deposition comprises pyrolytic chemical vapor deposition.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the radiation sensitive material has dielectric constant of less than about 3.0.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the dielectric constant of the radiation sensitive material ranges from about 1.9 to about 2.7.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the radiation sensitive material is selected from the group consisting of a fluorocarbon and an organosilicon compound.

12. The process of claim 11 wherein the fluorocarbon comprises poly(CF₂).

13. The process of claim 12 wherein the poly(CF₂) is made by polymerization of difluorocarbene (:

CF₂).

14. The process of claim 13 wherein the difluorocarbene is derived from hexafluoropropylene oxide.

15. The process of claim 11 wherein the organosilicon compound is selected from the group consisting of organosilanes and organosiloxanes.

16. The process of claim 11 wherein the organosilicon compound is derived from at least one member selected from the group consisting of hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane and octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane.

17. The process of claim 1 wherein the radiation used to form the pattern is selected from the group consisting of deep ultraviolet radiation (DUV), extreme ultraviolet radiation, ultraviolet radiation (JV), and x-rays and ion beam.

18. The process of claim 1 wherein the radiation used to form the pattern is electron beam radiation.

19. The process of claim 17 wherein the wavelength of the deep ultraviolet radiation is a member selected from the group consisting of 193 nm and 157 nm.

20. The process of claim 1 wherein the supercritical fluid (SCF) is supercritical carbon dioxide.

21. The process of claim 1 wherein the supercritical fluid (SCF) is a mixture of carbon dioxide and at least one member selected from the group consisting of propane, butane, 2,3-dimethylbutane, pentane, toluene, n-hexane, cyclohexane, acetonitrile, methanol, and ethanol.

22. The process of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a semiconductor substrate.

23. The process of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a silicon wafer.

24. The process of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises an epoxy material, a ceramic material, a magnetic disc, or a printed circuit board.

25. A process for lithographically patterning a material on a substrate comprising the steps of:

depositing a radiation sensitive material on the substrate by chemical vapor deposition;

selectively exposing the radiation sensitive material to radiation to form a pattern; and

developing the pattern using a dry plasma etch.

26. A microstructure formed by a process comprising the steps of:

depositing a radiation sensitive material on a substrate by chemical vapor deposition;

selectively exposing the radiation sensitive material to radiation to form a pattern; and

developing the pattern using a supercritical fluid (SCF) as a developer to form the microstructure;

wherein the process is direct dielectric patterning process.

27. A microstructure comprising:

a substrate; and

a patterned dielectric layer, wherein the patterned dielectric layer comprises at least one two-dimensional feature having a dimensional tolerance more precise than 7% of the dimension of the two-dimensional feature.

28. The microstructure of claim 27 wherein the patterned dielectric layer is formed by a direct patterning process.

29. The microstructure of claim 28 wherein the direct patterning process comprises depositing a radiation sensitive dielectric material on said substrate and selectively exposing the radiation sensitive dielectric material to radiation.

30. The microstructure of claim 27, wherein the patterned dielectric layer is formed by a solventless lithographic process.

31. The microstructure of claim 30, wherein the solventless lithographic process comprises using a supercritical fluid as a developer.

32. A microelectronic structure comprising:

a substrate;

at least one transistor formed on the substrate; and

at least one conductive two-dimensional feature formed within a dielectric pattern, wherein the conductive two-dimensional feature has a dimensional tolerance more precise than 7% of the dimension of the two-dimensional feature.

33. The microelectronic structure of claim 32, wherein the conductive feature further includes a plurality of transistors.

34. The microelectronic structure of claim 32 wherein the conductive feature comprise at least one metal line.

35. A microstructure comprising:

a substrate; and

a three-dimensional structure formed on the substrate, wherein the three dimensional structure is formed by a three-dimensional direct patterning process.

36. The microstructure of claim 35 wherein the three-dimensional direct patterning process comprises depositing a radiation sensitive dielectric material on the substrate and selectively exposing the radiation sensitive dielectric material to radiation using a three-dimensional imaging technique.

37. The microstructure of claim 36 wherein the three-dimensional direct patterning process further comprises using a supercritical fluid as a developer.

38. The microstructure of claim 36 wherein the three-dimensional imaging technique comprises two-photon patterning.

39. The microstructure of claim 36 wherein the three-dimensional imaging technique comprises holographic imaging.