Antireflection coating for highly reflective photolithographic layers comprising chromium oxide or chromium suboxide
US5672243A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 28, 1995 |
| Grant date | Sep 30, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 28, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S438/952
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An antireflection coating (116) for use in fabricating integrated circuits and electronic devices comprises a film of chromium oxide, CrO, or chromium suboxide, CrO.sub.x where x<1. An antireflection layer reduces the standing waves and topographic notching in a photoresist layer (118) when applied over a highly reflective layer (114). Highly reflective layers may be metals, such as aluminum or gold, silicides, or semiconductors, such as silicon. These coatings are preferably made by reactive sputtering of a chromium target with a partial pressure of oxygen in the sputtering chamber. The antireflection layer works primarily by absorptive, rather than wave matching, principles. This antireflection layer exhibits good adhesion and may be integrated into the device. Integrating the layer into the device may reduce stress in the underlying layers and improve device yields and reliability.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.