Directed Self-Assembly (DSA) is being extensively evaluated for application in semiconductor process integration.1-7 Since 2011, the number of publications on DSA at SPIE has exploded from roughly 26 to well over 80, indicating the groundswell of interest in the technology. Driving this interest are a number of attractive aspects of DSA including the ability to form both line/space and hole patterns at dimensions below 15 nm, the ability to achieve pitch multiplication to extend optical lithography, and the relatively low cost of the processes when compared with EUV or multiple patterning options.
Tokyo Electron Limited has focused its efforts in scaling many laboratory demonstrations to 300 mm wafers. Additionally, we have recognized that the use of DSA requires specific design considerations to create robust layouts. To this end, we have discussed the development of a DSA ecosystem that will make DSA a viable technology for our industry, and we have partnered with numerous companies to aid in the development of the ecosystem. This presentation will focus on our continuing role in developing the equipment required for DSA implementation specifically discussing defectivity reduction on flows for making line-space and hole patterns, etch transfer of DSA patterns into substrates of interest, and integration of DSA processes into larger patterning schemes.
KEYWORDS: Etching, Silica, System on a chip, Photoresist processing, Photomasks, Extreme ultraviolet lithography, Scanning electron microscopy, Line edge roughness, Carbon, Particles
As part of the trend toward finer semiconductor design rules, the resist film thickness is getting thinner, and the etching
technology that uses resist masking is getting more difficult. To solve such a problem in recent years, the film structure
used in the resist process also is changing from the single-layer process (BARC and resist stacked film) to the multi-layer
process (Carbon hard-mask, middle layer and resist stacked film) The carbon hard-mask of multi-layer process can be
divided into two kinds, which are the CVD-carbon (CVD-C) that uses the chemical vapor deposition method and
Spin-on-carbon (SOC) that uses the spin-coating method. CVD-C is very attractive for ensuring the high etching
selection ratio, but still has major challenges in particle reduction, lower planarization of substrate and high process cost.
On the other hand, SOC is very attractive for low cost process, high level of planarization of substrate and no particles.
Against this background, we verify the development of the SOC that had the high etch selection ratio by improving
etching condition, material and SOC cure condition. Moreover, we can fabricate below 30nm SiO2 patterning and the
possibility of development with extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) was suggested.
This paper reports on the results of a comprehensive process evaluation of a SOC based multi-layer technology using
lithography clusters, etching tools.
EUV lithography is one of the most promising technologies for the fabrication of beyond 30nm HP generation devices.
However, it is well-known that EUV lithography still has significant challenges. A great concern is the change of resist
material for EUV resist process. EUV resist material formulations will likely change from conventional-type materials.
As a result, substrate dependency needs to be understood.
TEL has reported that the simulation combined with experiments is a good way to confirm the substrate dependency. In
this work the application of HMDS treatment and SiON introduction, as an underlayer, are studied to cause a footing of
resist profile. Then, we applied this simulation technique to Samsung EUV process. We will report the benefit of this
simulation work and effect of underlayer application.
Regarding the etching process, underlayer film introduction could have significant issues because the film that should be
etched off increases. For that purpose, thinner films are better for etching. In general, thinner films may have some
coating defects. We will report the coating coverage performance and defectivity of ultra thin film coating.
The development of double patterning processes/schemes are widely in progress for 2x nm node and beyond by using
193nm immersion lithography. It is realized that a resist shrink step is necessary in many double patterning process cases
due to the resolution limit of the 193nm immersion exposure tool.
As the development work progresses into the mass-product transition phase, the requirement for technical performances
has become more difficult to be achieved by existing resist shrink technologies.
In order to overcome these difficulties, we have developed "wet slimming" process based on our coater/developer
technologies including the platform. The process is optimized for CD uniformity and defectivity. The process also has
good robustness to the various possible resist materials and/or exposure conditions used by industry.
In this paper, we introduce the scheme of wet slimming process together with basic performance data such as CD
controllability, CD uniformity, defectivity and I-D bias. The evaluation data on actual double patterning processed
wafers is reported as well.
In the field of photolithography, a variety of resolution enhancement techniques (RETs) are being applied under the mainstream technology of 193-mm water-based immersion lithography. The resolution performance of photoresist, however, is limited at 40 nm. Double patterning (DP) is considered to be an effective technology for overcoming this limiting resolution. Many double-patterning techniques have come to be researched such as litho-etch-litho-etch (LELE), litho-litho-etch (LLE), and self-aligned spacer DP, but as the pattern-splitting type of double patterning requires high overlay accuracy in exposure equipment, the self-aligned type of double patterning has become the main approach. This paper introduces the research results of various double-patterning techniques toward 22nm nodes and touches upon newly developed elemental technologies for double patterning.
It is supposed that double patterning process is one of the promising candidates for making mask pattern for dry etching
at 32nm and 22nm node. Currently, drastic improvement of overlay of scanner is considered to be the most important
challenge and much attention has been paid to sidewall spacer process since it can avoid that problem and also can
provide easier method to fabricate patterns repeatedly. In this paper, material option of core pattern, spacer pattern and
hard mask, which are main components of this process, is presented and 32nm gate pattern is actually fabricated after
process optimization. In addition, line-width-roughness (LWR), whose reduction is becoming more and more necessary,
is measured in each process step of spacer process.
Exposure wave length has been changing rapidly with the shrink of design rule. In 32nm node and beyond, it is predicted
that keeping good resolution performance of resist pattern with small dimension and high density will be more difficult
due to the drop of optical contrast in 193nm immersion lithography. EUV lithography and Double Patterning using
193nm immersion lithography are being investigated as alternative technologies, but it is currently difficult to keep
enough process margins in device fabrication. Resist slimming technology by dry process and exposure process is also
being investigated based on these technical backgrounds but many technical challenges have been reported. We started to
develop our original resist slimming technology in track process with the aim of overcoming technical challenges and
cost reduction, which is one of main challenges in double pattering. In this paper, we report the basic characteristics of
our resist slimming process (controllability of CD shrink, CD uniformity within wafer, LWR, and total process margin)
and also pattern transfer performance of CD and LWR after dry etching in order to apply this slimming technology to
Double Pattering.
Exposure wavelength has been changing dramatically as semiconductor design rules shrink, and for 32nm-node fine processes and beyond, it is predicted that the drop in optical contrast when using 193nm immersion lithography exposure technology will make it difficult to ensure good resolution performance in fine and dense resist patterns. To address this problem, studies have begun on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology and double patterning technology that uses 193nm immersion lithography as alternative technologies, but many problems have been reported at the present stage of development.
Against the above background, we investigated various process flows with the aim of reducing production processes and cost in double patterning technology that uses 193nm immersion lithography. We consequently developed an advanced process technique for use after 1st resist pattern formation and established a litho-litho-etch (LLE) process. The application of this technology decreases the number of total processes used in ordinary double patterning technology.
In this paper, we focus on double patterning technology in 193nm immersion lithography and report on the performance of our original advanced process technique and on our evaluation of double patterning technology.
As semiconductor design rules continue to shrink, studies have begun on the 32nm-node and 22nm-node generations in semiconductor lithography technology in conjunction with the development of various fine-processing technologies. Research has been especially active in the development of high-NA193nm immersion lithography and EUV lithography for 32nm processes and beyond, but at the present stage of development, many technical issues have been reported. For example, in the contact-hole and via-hole pattern formation process in 193nm immersion lithography, it is difficult to maintain good resolution performance and process margins compared to line and space patterns. Poor resolution and other defects in the lithography process are major factors behind reduced yields in semiconductor production lines, and to prevent such defects, studies have begun on double patterning technology and shrink technology applied after resist-hole-pattern formation. Here, however, the need for reducing production processes and production costs have become major issues.
In response to these technical issues, we evaluated a variety of hole-shrink processes as candidates for a fine-hole-pattern formation technology, and as a result of this study, we succeeded in applying an original hole-shrink technology to the formation of 40nm hole patterns and beyond.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.