Patent · US Active

Method for increasing pattern density in self-aligned patterning schemes without using hard masks

US9786503B2 · kind B2 · utility

39Cited by
4References
20Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateApr 4, 2016
Grant dateOct 10, 2017
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 4, 2036

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/31138
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Provided is a method for increasing pattern density of a structure using an integration scheme and perform pitch splitting at the resist level without the use of hard mandrels, the method comprising: providing a substrate having a patterned resist layer and an underlying layer comprising a silicon anti-reflective coating layer, an amorphous layer, and a target layer; performing a resist hardening process; performing a first conformal spacer deposition using an atomic layer deposition technique with an oxide, performing a spacer first reactive ion etch process and a first pull process on the first conformal layer, performing a second conformal spacer deposition using titanium oxide; performing a second spacer RIE process and a second pull process, generating a second spacer pattern; and transferring the second spacer pattern into the target layer, wherein targets include patterning uniformity, pulldown of structures, slimming of structures, aspect ratio of structures, and line width roughness.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.