22nm half-pitch patterning by CVD spacer self alignment double patterning (SADP)

Bencher, Chris; Chen, Yongmei; Dai, Huixiong; Montgomery, Warren; Huli, Lior

doi:10.1117/12.772953

Cited by 104 publications

(66 citation statements)

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“…Excellent examples of pitch division techniques that are self-aligned double patterning (SADP) and dual-tone development (DTD). Both approaches have successfully demonstrated pitch division [2][3][4]. SADP demonstrated sub-32 nm half pitch line patterns with excellent LER/CD control.…”

Section: Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Photobase generator assisted pitch division

Bates

Cho

et al. 2010

SPIE Proceedings

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The drive to sustain the improvements in productivity that derive from following Moore's law has led the semiconductor industry to explore new technologies that enable production of smaller and smaller features on semiconductor device. Pitch division techniques and double exposure lithography are approaches that print features beyond the fundamental resolution limit of state-of-art lenses by modifying the lithographic process. This paper presents a new technique that enables pitch division in the printing of gratings using only a single exposure that is fully compatible with the current manufacturing tools. This technique employs a classical photoresist polymer together with a photoactive system that incorporates both a photoacid generator (PAG) and a photobase generator (PBG). The PBG is added to the resist formulation in higher molar concentration than the PAG, but has a base production rate that is slower than the acid production rate of the PAG. The PBG functions as a dose-dependent base quencher, which neutralizes the acid in high dose exposure regions but not in the low dose regions. This photoactive system can be exploited in the design of both positive tone and negative tone resist formulations that provide a developed image of a grating that is twice the frequency of the grating on the mask. A simulation of this process was performed for a 52 nm line and space pattern using PROLITH and customized codes. The results showed generation of a 26 nm half pitch relief image after development. Through this new technique, a 45 nm half pitch line and space pattern was experimentally achieved with a mask that produces a 90 nm half pitch aerial image. This corresponds to a k 1 factor of 0.13. The principles, the materials design and the first lithographic evaluations of this system are reported.

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Section: Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…SADP demonstrated sub-32 nm half pitch line patterns with excellent LER/CD control. However, this approach requires many extra processing steps outside the exposure tool, which increases processing cost [3].…”

Section: Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photobase generator assisted pitch division

Bates

Cho

et al. 2010

SPIE Proceedings

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“…While the freezing process typically causes CD change, tight control is placed on different CD populations. Iterative spacer (Figure 2d) is a succession of the selfaligned sidewall spacer technology 5 . After the formation of the first spacer pattern, another layer of spacer material is deposited on top and forms a new spacer pattern with a total four times pitch division.…”

Section: Higher Order Pitch Division Lithographymentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of higher order pitch division for sub-32nm lithography

Xie

Smith

2009

SPIE Proceedings

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The three knobs of optical lithography, namely process factor k 1 , wavelength (λ) and numerical aperture (NA) have been constantly pushed to print smaller features. To get an equivalent k 1 value below the fundamental limit of 0.25, double patterning (DP) has recently emerged as a viable solution for the 32nm lithography node. Various DP techniques exist such as litho-etch-litho-etch (LELE), litho-freeze-litho-freeze (LFLF) and self-aligned sidewall spacer. In this paper, the potential of higher order pitch division (pitch/N, N>2) for sub-32nm lithography is analyzed. Compared to double patterning, higher order pitch division lithography offers higher resolution but also faces significant challenges such as added cost and tighter process control. Several process schemes are proposed and compared in terms of complexity, susceptibility to alignment error and CD uniformity control. It is shown that the overlay budget does not necessarily decrease compared to double patterning. The main challenge in higher order pitch division comes from controlling the key processing steps that directly form lines or spaces. In addition, line CD control is easier than space (gap) control in all four "positive-tone" processes studied, similar to the double patterning case. Among the proposed processes, a freezing assisted double spacer (FADS) process that is simpler than the common sidewall spacer approach shows promise for balanced process control.

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“…Immersion lithography, along with the development of multiple patterning techniques has allowed device manufacturers to realize half pitch designs as small as 15nm. Self-aligned double patterning (SADP) and self-aligned quadruple patterning (SAQP) processes were instrumental in accelerating the fabrication of new generations of NAND Flash memory, and the same patterning techniques are now being adopted for use in DRAM and logic devices [1,2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nanoimprint System for High Volume Semiconductor Manufacturing; Requirement for Resist Materials

Ito

Emoto

Takashima

et al. 2016

J. Photopol. Sci. Technol.

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Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) has been shown to be an effective technique for replication of nano-scale features. Jet and Flash* Imprint Lithography (J-FIL*) involves the field-by-field deposition and exposure of a low viscosity resist deposited by jetting technology onto the substrate. The patterned mask is lowered into the fluid which then quickly flows into the relief patterns in the mask by capillary action. Following this filling step, the resist is cross-linked under UV radiation, and then the mask is removed, leaving a patterned resist on the substrate.Criteria specific to any lithographic process for the semiconductor industry include overlay, throughput and defectivity. J-FIL technology requires a photo-curable chemical composition as a dedicated resist material which satisfies all the requirements of J-FIL technology. This includes jetting performance, resist spread and relief image filling, UV sensitivity, separation and post-process durability. Because the J-FIL resist material interacts much more strongly with the equipment via the mask than other conventional photo-resist materials, it plays a significant role in the overall J-FIL process and impacts criteria such as overlay, defectivity and throughput.The purpose of this paper is to describe the technology advancements made in overlay, throughput and defectivity and to introduce the FPA-1200NZ2C cluster system designed for high volume manufacturing of semiconductor devices. Included in the discussion are some of the key imprint resist characteristics that impact J-FIL performance. *Jet and Flash Imprint Lithography and J-FIL are trademarks of Molecular Imprints Inc.

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22nm half-pitch patterning by CVD spacer self alignment double patterning (SADP)

Cited by 104 publications

References 1 publication

Photobase generator assisted pitch division

Photobase generator assisted pitch division

Analysis of higher order pitch division for sub-32nm lithography

Nanoimprint System for High Volume Semiconductor Manufacturing; Requirement for Resist Materials

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