Printing sublithographic images using a shadow mandrel and off-axis exposure
US6194268A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 30, 1998 |
| Grant date | Feb 27, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 30, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S438/944
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art to allow for the creation of smaller components for use in logic circuits. The invention provides a new method of defining and forming features on a semiconductor substrate by using a layer of material, referred to as a shadow mandrel layer, to cast a shadow. A trough is etched in the shadow mandrel layer. At least one side of the trough will be used to cast a shadow in the bottom of the trough. A conformally deposited photoresist is used to capture the image of the shadow. The image of the shadow is used to define and form a feature. This allows for the creation of images on the surface of a wafer without the diffraction effects encountered in conventional photolithography. This allows for a reduced device size and increased chip operating speed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.