Method of improving the etch resistance of chemically amplified photoresists by introducing silicon after patterning

US6379869B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Infineon Technologies AG · DE

Inventors

• Uwe Schroeder · Fishkill, US
• Gerhard Kunkel · Radebeul, DE
• Alois Gutmann · Poughkeepsie, US
• Bruno Spuler · Wappingers Falls, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 31, 1999
• Grant date: Apr 30, 2002
• Expiry date: Mar 31, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03F7/405
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A photoresist system is provided that is easily structurable and is suitable for deep ultraviolet range patterning. An increased etching resistance to oxygen-containing plasma is produced in a lithographically generated photoresist structure by treatment with an etch protectant. The etch protectant includes a silylating agent for chemical reaction with reactive groups of the photoresist. In an embodiment, the photoresist includes a base resin initially containing no aromatic groups. Silylating agents include silicon tetrachloride, silicon tetrafluoride, trichlorosilane, dimethylchlorosilane and hexamethyldisilazane.