Patent Application
20220413380
The present application claims priority from European Patent Application No. 21182339.8, filed on Jun. 29, 2021, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to the field of providing different patterns on a single substrate. More specifically, it relates to a method for providing the different patterns without the need for a lithography mask for each different pattern.
In order to provide different patterns on a substrate, typically different lithography steps with different mask sets are required. This need for different lithography steps with different mask sets increases the cost significantly. In sensor applications, there is typically a need for different patterns on a substrate and these applications are typically cost sensitive.
The porosity/presence of pores on a semiconductor, for example, can have different application spaces like increasing photo-responsivity, increasing surface area for chemical reactions, decreasing thermal conductivity, etc. By providing different pitches/patterns on the same substrate, regions with different characteristics can be obtained.
In view of these, and other applications there is a need for a method for providing different patterns on a single substrate without the need for a lithography mask for each different pattern.
It is an object of embodiments of the present disclosure to provide a method for providing different patterns on a single substrate.
The above objective is accomplished by a method according to the present disclosure.
The present disclosure relates to a method for providing different patterns on a single substrate. The method comprises providing the substrate comprising a layer of interest and executing at least twice a sequence of the following steps:
In embodiments of the present disclosure, filling the transferred pattern may be done using atomic layer deposition.
For at least some of the sequences, the block copolymer pattern for one sequence is different from the block copolymer pattern of the other sequence and the predefined hardmask patterns are different for the different sequences.
The method, furthermore, comprises removing the material in the filled patterns, after executing the last sequence, by etching, thereby revealing the transferred patterns.
It is a benefit of embodiments of the present disclosure that different patterns can be transferred without the need for a lithography mask for each different pattern.
It is a benefit of embodiments of the present disclosure that by repeating the sequence a number of times multiple types of block copolymer patterns can be transferred on the wafer.
It is a benefit of embodiments of the present disclosure that the overall density of perforations on a wafer can be increased.
It is a benefit of embodiments of the present disclosure that different types of block copolymer pattern are transferred onto the layer of interest as it allows to add more functionality to the substrate.
A method according to embodiments of the present disclosure may comprise creating perturbations on the accessible portion of the layer of interest before spin coating the block copolymer and transferring its pattern to the layer of interest.
Particular aspects of the present disclosure are set out in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. Features from the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent claims and with features of other dependent claims as appropriate and not merely as explicitly set out in the claims.
These and other aspects of the present disclosure will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiment(s) described hereinafter.
Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.
In the different drawings, the same reference signs refer to the same or analogous elements.
The present disclosure will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings but the disclosure is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not correspond to actual reductions to practice of the disclosure.
The terms first, second and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking or in any other manner. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the disclosure described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.
Moreover, the terms top, under and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the disclosure described herein are capable of operation in other orientations than described or illustrated herein.
It is to be noticed that the term “comprising”, used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being restricted to the means listed thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. It is thus to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components as referred to, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression “a device comprising means A and B” should not be limited to devices consisting only of components A and B. It means that with respect to the present disclosure, the only relevant components of the device are A and B.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments.
Similarly it should be appreciated that in the description of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, various features of the disclosure are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various aspects of the disclosure. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, presently disclosed aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this disclosure.
Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the disclosure, and form different embodiments, as would be understood by those in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.
In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.
Block copolymers (BCP) have been used in tandem with advanced lithography process to pattern structures with a pitch of less than 50 nm. This process known as directed self-assembly (DSA) has been explored for different applications ranging from advanced CMOS nodes, to fabricating photonic crystals. Most of the advanced lithography processes (EUV, advanced scanners) are typically available in a 300 mm wafer fabrication facility. Typically BCPs are used for advanced patterning nodes for EUV, for fine print of very small lines or even vias.
In the present disclosure, the copolymer is used to add different functionalities beyond what is conventionally used. In the present disclosure, a method is proposed for exploiting BCPs to obtain different patterns on a single substrate. A method according to embodiments of the present disclosure can even be used in a 200 mm fab, but is not limited thereto.
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method 100 for providing different patterns on a single substrate.
A method, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, comprises providing 110 the substrate comprising a layer of interest 220 and executing at least twice a sequence of the following steps:
In embodiments of the present disclosure, for at least for some of the sequences, the block copolymer pattern for one sequence is different from the block copolymer pattern of the other sequence and the predefined hardmask patterns are different for the different sequences. Hence, different features can be patterned on one and the same substrate, without the need for a lithography step and a mask set for each pattern.
A method according to embodiments of the present disclosure, furthermore, comprises removing 190 the material in the filled patterns, after executing the last sequence, by etching, thereby revealing the transferred patterns 260. At the end of all sequences, the different patterns may be filled with the same fill material. If the fill material can be removed together, then all patterns that are made can be exposed in a single shot.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the pattern is transferred in the layer of interest. This layer of interest may be the substrate.
In embodiments of the present disclosure where reference is made to a glass/carbon layer, reference is made to a layer which comprises glass and/or carbon, or to a standalone layer comprising glass and/or a standalone layer comprising carbon. Such a layer or combination of layers may also be referred to as a SOG/SOC layer.
A flow chart of an exemplary method 100 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated in
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the composition of the polymers present in the block copolymer determine a pattern which will be transferred (the predefined block copolymer pattern). The transferred pattern may, for example, have a predefined pitch and a predefined shape (e.g. lines, spheres, cylinders, or pillars). See for example
As a first step, a hardmask material 230 may be deposited 120 on the layer of interest 220. This layer may be present on a substrate 210 (e.g. wafer). The hard mask material may then be patterned using a conventional photolithography process followed by a dry or wet etch. This may be followed by spinning 130 a SOG/SOC layer 240 on the hardmask 230. The resulting stack is schematically illustrated in the left drawing of
This may be followed by spin coating 140 a block copolymer 250 on the SOG/SOC layer 240, wherein the block copolymer material has a predefined pitch and/or shape. After spinning the block copolymer (BCP) as a whole layer, a thermal treatment may be applied for the block to self assemble itself. The resulting stack is schematically illustrated in the second drawing of
The pattern may then be transferred 150 onto the layer of interest using dry etch. Transferring 150 a predefined block copolymer pattern on the glass/carbon layer may be achieved by removing one of the blocks of the BCP. One of the blocks may be more susceptible to etching. Thus one of the blocks can be removed by selective etching. In a next step, the underlaying layer may be etched further by using the remaining block(s) as kind of a hard mask. This may be done using dry etching. Next the hardmask 230 may be removed. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the hardmask 230 can be removed by a resist strip process, and a wet/dry etch process. The resulting stack is schematically illustrated in the third drawing of
This is followed by filling 170 the transferred pattern 260 followed by CMP or etch back. Filling may be done using atomic layer deposition. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the choice of the ALD layer depends on the layer of interest in which the block copolymer pattern is transferred and from which the ALD material is removed, after the last sequence, by selective etching. The resulting stack is schematically illustrated in the fourth drawing of
By repeating the sequence ‘n’ number of times, multiple types of block copolymer patterns can be transferred on the wafer. In
After all patterns have been transferred, a final etch may be done to remove the material that was filled in the trenches to reveal the BCP patterns 260. The obtained stack is schematically illustrated in
A flow chart elucidating this sequence is illustrated in
It is a benefit of embodiments of the present disclosure that different structures can be patterned onto a layer of interest without the need for a guided assembly (i.e. no conventional lithography process is required).
It is a benefit of embodiments of the present disclosure that the number of defects in a next sequence can be reduced by chemical mechanical polishing in an earlier sequence.
It is a benefit of embodiments of the present disclosure that it can be a cost effective and scalable approach for providing different patterns on a single substrate. This is, for example, particularly beneficial for sensor and actuator applications, where cost/die is a key criterium.
It is a benefit of embodiments of the present disclosure that it enables patterning in older fabs (200 mm, MEMS wafer fabrication facilities) and can open technology enablement for different application domains in sensors and actuators. This can be achieved by avoiding usage of advanced lithography processes/masks associated with a 300 mm fab. Nevertheless, a method according to embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to 200 mm fabs, and can for example also be applied in 300 mm fabs, or others.
It is, moreover, a benefit that this technique is a faster alternative compared to electron beam lithography.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the transferred pattern (260) may for example be filled with a (high-k) dielectric material, with a metal, or with a semiconducting material. In fact, in case of ALD, any material can be used that can be deposited using ALD & can be polished/etched. ALD allows to fill the transferred pattern 260. The ALD deposited material should be selected such that it can be polished (CMP) or etched selectively to the layer of interest. Filling materials are, for example, Cu, W, TaN, TiN, SiO2, SiGe, high-k materials like HfOx, ZrOx, STO, Al2O3, Si3N4 etc.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, filling may alternatively be done with physical vapor deposition or with chemical vapor deposition. The deposition process development can be less extensive than what is deemed for a via, as, in the present disclosure, there is more tolerance to the presence of keyholes in the filling, as long as the keyholes are not revealed during polishing/etching back, as this would create additional topography.
A method 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure may comprise creating 125 perturbations on the accessible portion of the layer of interest 220 before spin coating 140 the block copolymer and transferring 150 its pattern to the layer of interest. An exemplary flow chart of such a method is illustrated in
It is a benefit of a method in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure that it enables guided self-assembly of BCP without using a conventional lithography process. This can be achieved by creating perturbations on the accessible portion of the layer of interest before spin coating the block copolymer. The obtained perturbations can serve as guiding pattern to align the block copolymer when spin coating the block polymer.
Different stacks obtained using an exemplary method in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure are schematically illustrated in
Creating 125 the perturbations may comprise:
An exemplary flow chart of such a sequence is illustrated in
spinning a SOG/SOC layer 240 on the hardmask 230 and on the accessible portion of the layer of interest 220 on which the perturbations are provided;
spin coating 140 a block copolymer 250 on the glass/carbon layer 240;
transferring 150 a predefined block copolymer pattern onto the layer of interest 220 thereby obtaining a transferred pattern 260; and
removing 160 the hard mask.
removing 160 the hardmask;
filling 170 the transferred pattern and doing CMP or etching back, thus obtaining a filled pattern 270;
depositing 120 a hardmask 230 for starting a new sequence; and
beginning a new sequence with creating 125 the perturbations (not necessarily each sequence must start with creating perturbations).
In embodiments of the present disclosure, spin coating 125b the block copolymer for creating the perturbations may be done with a larger pitch than spin coating 140 the block copolymer for creating the pattern on the substrate. The larger pitch may for example be 90 nm and the smaller pitch 30 nm.
The perturbations may, for example, have a pitch between 30 nm and 100 nm. In embodiments of the present disclosure, spin coating 140 the block copolymer for creating the pattern, may have as effect that it will collapse around the perturbations in a ring format. Thus, the BCP will align with the perturbations, and a regular pattern can be transferred in the layer of interest by creating these perturbations in a regular pattern before providing the block copolymer for creating the pattern. The perturbations serve as a guiding structure. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the pitch of the perturbations may be tailored.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the deposited hard mask material is a dielectric or a metal. In case of a dielectric, it may for example be Al2O3. In case of the metal it may be, for example, TiN, TaN, Ru, etc.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the predefined block copolymer pattern of one sequence can have a different pitch than the predefined block copolymer pattern of another sequence.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the predefined block copolymer pattern of one sequence can have a different shape than the predefined block copolymer pattern of another sequence.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the number of sequences is at least 3.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the method comprises a baking step after spin coating the block copolymer. The baking step may be done at 200-220° C., in N2 ambient.
A method according to embodiments of the present disclosure can be used to create a sensor device. It is a benefit of embodiments of the present disclosure that sensor devices with different characteristics can be obtained on one and the same substrate by providing different patterns on different locations on the substrate (the difference in characteristics can for example be optical, thermal, or electrical). Thus, a cost effective, wafer scale solution for enabling newer applications is obtained and/or the performance of existing sensor devices can be improved.
A method according to embodiments of the present disclosure can, for example, be used for thermal conductivity reduction and thermal management in sensor devices (e.g. by decreasing the amount of bulk material, the thermal conductivity decreases). Thus, bolometers and thermopiles with an enhanced performance can be fabricated. A method according to embodiments of the present disclosure can also be used to modulate thermal cross talk between different device elements, and may have applications in memory, holography and machine learning chips. As a method according to embodiments of the present disclosure enables small critical dimensions, some of the life science applications may also benefit (e.g. DNA sequencing). Also, the porosity of pores can be made different on different areas of the layer of interest. This can have applications in batteries, and in applications where chemical reactions at a surface are required.
In summary, this present disclosure discloses a method for patterning different types of block copolymers on a single substrate, thereby having different patterns on the same wafer. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the method may even comprise defining a guide pattern using one type of block copolymer, which is then used to align a second block copolymer pattern. It is a benefit that no advanced lithography processes are required, making it an interesting process alternative for a wide range of semiconductor fabs.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21182339.8 | Jun 2021 | EP | regional |
