Photoresist edge correction
US6872513B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 26, 2002 |
| Grant date | Mar 29, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 1, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03F7/2026
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The sloped edges of patterned photoresist material are made more vertical by treating the exposed and developed photoresist pattern to an edge correction process. A layer of acid-based material is deposited on the photoresist pattern. The layer is then exposed to acid-neutralizing light to create a top-to-bottom gradient of acidity. The structure is then exposed to heat to cause the acid to diffuse into the edge of the photoresist in amounts roughly proportional to the gradient. A subsequent development process removes the acid-based layer and also reshapes the photoresist edge in proportion to the acid diffusion, leaving a more vertical edge.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.