Neutral hard mask and its application to graphoepitaxy-based directed self-assembly (DSA) patterning

US9881793B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Sebastian U. Engelmann · White Plains, US
• Mahmoud Khojasteh · Poughkeepsie, US
• Deborah A. Neumayer · Danbury, US
• John M. Papalia · New York, US
• HsinYu Tsai · White Plains, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 23, 2015
• Grant date: Jan 30, 2018
• Expiry date: Dec 1, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03F7/094
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A material stack is formed on the surface of a semiconductor substrate. The top layer of the material stack comprises at least an organic planarization layer. A neutral hard mask layer is formed on the top of the organic planarization layer. The neutral hard mask layer is neutral to the block copolymers used for direct self-assembly. A plurality of template etch stacks are then formed on top of the neutral hard mask layer. After formation of the template etch stacks, neutrality recovery is performed on the neutral hard mask layer and the top portions of the template etch stacks, the vertical sidewalls of the template etch stacks being substantially unaffected by the neutrality recovery. A template for DSA is thus obtained.