Method for hardening a photoresist material formed on a substrate
US6121158A · kind A · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 13, 1997 |
| Grant date | Sep 19, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 13, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03F7/40
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method for hardening a photoresist material formed on a semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of coating a surface of a substrate of a wafer with a layer of photoresist material. Next, the layer of photoresist material disposed on the surface of the substrate of the wafer is masked, exposed, and developed to provide a patterned photoresist material. The patterned developed photoresist material layer is then inspected for critical dimensions, linewidths, and other dimensional characteristics. After the inspection, UV radiation is used to cure the patterned developed photoresist material layer to provide a hardened patterned developed photoresist material layer which is disposed on the surface of the substrate of the wafer. Next, the hardened patterned developed photoresist material layer is implanted from a first implant direction with an inert species material such as argon. Following the implantation step, the first implant direction is incremented 90 degrees to a second implant direction. The hardened patterned developed photoresist material layer is then implanted from the second implant direction with an identical dose of argon. Then, the second implant direction is in…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.