This U.S. non-provisional patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0109409, filed on Aug. 30, 2022, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Embodiments relate to a resist composition for photolithography used for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the same.
Photolithography may include an exposure process and a developing process. Performing the exposure process may include irradiating light of a specific wavelength to a resist layer to induce a change in a chemical structure of the resist layer. Performing the developing process may include selectively removing an exposed portion or an unexposed portion of the resist layer by using a difference in solubility between the exposed portion and the unexposed portion.
The embodiments may be realized by providing a resist composition including an organometallic compound, the organometallic compound including a central metal and ligands combined with the central metal; and an excess ligand compound, the excess ligand compound being combinable with the central metal via a coordination bond.
The embodiments may be realized by providing a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method including forming a photoresist layer by applying a resist composition on a lower layer; and performing an exposure process on the photoresist layer, wherein the resist composition includes an organometallic compound, the organometallic compound including a central metal and ligands combined with the central metal; and an excess ligand compound, the excess ligand compound being combinable with the central metal via a coordination bond.
The embodiments may be realized by providing a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method including forming a photoresist layer by applying a resist composition on a lower layer; and performing an exposure process using extreme ultraviolet on the photoresist layer, wherein the resist composition includes an organometallic compound, the organometallic compound including a central metal and ligands combined with the central metal; and an excess ligand compound, the excess ligand compound being combinable with the central metal via a coordination bond, and wherein a type and a ratio of ligands combined with the central metal of the organometallic compound are adjusted by selecting different types of the excess ligand compound and a ratio between the different types of the excess ligand compound in the resist composition.
Features will be apparent to those of skill in the art by describing in detail exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings in which:
In the present specification, an alkyl group may be a linear alkyl group, a branched alkyl group, or a cyclic alkyl group. In an implementation, a number of carbon atoms in the alkyl group may be, e.g., 1 to 20 carbon atoms. In an implementation, the alkyl group may include, e.g., a methyl group, an ethyl group, or a propyl group. As used herein, the term “or” is not an exclusive term, e.g., “A or B” would include A, B, or A and B.
In the present specification, a halogen group may include, e.g., fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), or iodine (I).
Referring to
The resist composition 10 may include an organometallic compound and a ligand compound. The organometallic compound may include, e.g., a central metal “M” and ligands “L” combining with the central metal “M”. The central metal “M” may include, e.g., tin (Sn), antimony (Sb), indium (In), tellurium (Te), hafnium (Hf), zinc (Zn), titanium (Ti), lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), beryllium (Be), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), barium (Ba), aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), germanium (Ge), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), lead (Pb), strontium (Sr), or manganese (Mn).
The ligands “L” may combine with the central metal “M” via a coordination bond. In an implementation, each of the ligands “L” may have at least one binding site capable of combining with the central metal “M” in one molecule via a coordination bond. Each of the ligands “L” may include a functional group, e.g., an alkyl (e.g., propyl, butyl, or the like), aryl (e.g., phenyl, benzyl, or the like), carboxylic acid (R—COOH, e.g., propionic acid, hexanoic acid, or the like), carboxylate (R—COO—), carbonic acid or carbonyl acid (H2CO3), carbonate (H[CO3]−, [CO3]−2), phosphoric acid (H3PO4)), phosphate (H2[PO4]31, H[PO4]−2, [PO4]−3), carbonyl group (R—CO—R1), amide (R—C(═O)NR2R3, R—S(═O)2NR2R3, R—P(═O)NR2R3), amine (R—NR2R3), diamine (H2N—R—NH2), sulfonic acid (R—S(═O)2OH), sulfonate, R—S(═O)2O−), alcohol, pyridine, phenol, or phenolate. In an implementation, the ligands “L” may be or include, e.g., a multidentate ligand (e.g., bipyridine, salen, porphyrin, malic acid, ethylene-diamine-tetraacetic acid, or the like) including two or more functional groups. In an implementation, “R may be, e.g., is an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms in which at least one hydrogen is substituted with a halogen group, an aryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms in which at least one hydrogen is substituted with a halogen group. “R1”, “R2”, and “R3” may each independently be or include, e.g., hydrogen, an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms in which at least one hydrogen is substituted with a halogen group, an aryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms in which at least one hydrogen is substituted with a halogen group.
The ligand compound may include a material that provides excess ligands Lex in the resist composition 10. The ligand compound may include the excess ligands Lex, and the excess ligands Lex may include functional groups capable of combining with the central metal “M” of the organometallic compound via a coordination bond. In an implementation, each of the excess ligands Lex may include a functional group, e.g., alkyl (e.g., propyl, butyl, or the like), aryl (e.g., phenyl, benzyl, or the like), carboxylic acid (R—COOH, e.g., propionic acid, hexanoic acid, or the like), carboxylate (R—COO—), carbonic acid or carbonyl acid (H2CO3), carbonate (H[CO3]−, [CO3]−2), phosphoric acid (H3PO4), phosphate (H2[PO4]31, H[PO4]−2, [PO4]−3), carbonyl group (R—CO—R1), amide (R—C(═O)NR2R3, R—S(═O)2NR2R3, R—P(═O)NR2R3), amine (R—NR2R3), diamine (H2N—R—NH2), sulfonic acid (R—S(═O)2OH), sulfonate (R—S(═O)2O−), alcohol, pyridine, phenol, or phenolate. In an implementation, the excess ligand Lex may be or may include, e.g., a multidentate ligand (e.g., bipyridine, salen, porphyrin, malic acid, ethylene-diamine-tetraacetic acid, or the like) including two or more functional groups.
In an implementation, at least some of the excess ligands Lex may be different from the ligands “L” combining with the central metal “M” (e.g., in the organometallic compound). In an implementation, at least some of the excess ligands Lex may have different functional groups from the ligands “L” combining with the central metal “M”. A type of the excess ligands Lex may be variously selected from within the above-described functional groups, and a ratio between (e.g., different types of) the excess ligands Lex may be variously adjusted.
In the resist composition 10, a molar ratio of the organometallic compound to the ligand compound may be in a range of about 1:0.1 to about 1:10.
Referring to
Referring to
Reactivity between the central metal “M” of the organometallic compound and water during the exposure process may be adjusted, depending on the type and ratio of the ligands “L” and Lex combining with the central metal “M” of the organometallic compound. As a result, an amount of light irradiation in the exposure process may vary. In an implementation, when the ratio of a ligand having a relatively large size (bulkiness) among the ligands “L” and Lex combining with the central metal “M” of the organometallic compound increases, reactivity between the central metal “M” and water may be reduced by steric hindrance, and thus an increase in light irradiation amount in the exposure process may be required. Accordingly, the type and ratio of the ligands “L” and Lex that combine with the central metal “M” of the organometallic compound may be adjusted, thereby adjusting the photosensitivity of the resist composition 10.
In an implementation, the resist composition 10 may be formed by adding the ligand compound to the organometallic compound. The organometallic compound may include tin compound having butyl group combined with tin. The ligand compound may include the excess ligands Lex, and the excess ligands Lex may include first excess ligands and second excess ligands that are different from each other. The first excess ligand and the second excess ligand may each have different functional groups among the functional groups described above. In an implementation, the bulkiness of the second excess ligand may be greater than the bulkiness of the first excess ligand. The first excess ligand may include propyl group, and the second excess ligand may include phenol group. The photosensitivity of the resist compositions 10 to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation or rays was evaluated depending on a ratio between the first ligand and the second ligand.
In Table 1, La is the first excess ligand and Lb is the second excess ligand.
Referring to Table 1, as the ratio of the second excess ligand Lb (having a relatively large bulkiness) increased, the dose of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) also increased. That is, as the ratio of the second excess ligand (Lb) having a relatively large bulkiness decreased, the dose of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) (e.g., to adequately expose the composition and cause the developing reaction to proceed) also decreased, and the photosensitivity of the resist composition 10 to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) increased. It may be seen that the photosensitivity of the resist composition 10 to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) may be adjusted depending on the selected ratio between the first excess ligand and the second excess ligand.
Referring to
According to embodiments, the excess ligands Lex may be in the resist composition 10, and an exchange reaction in which at least one of the ligands “L” combining with the central metal “M” of the organometallic compound is substituted with at least one of the excess ligands Lex may proceed. The addition reaction (e.g., the reaction with water) may be inhibited by using the exchange reaction as a competitive reaction. Accordingly, stability of the resist composition 10 may increase, and a change in size of resist patterns formed using the resist composition 10 may decrease.
Referring to
The photoresist layer 120 may be formed using the resist composition 10 according to embodiments. As described with reference to
Forming the photoresist layer 120 may include applying the resist composition 10 on the lower layer 100. The applying of the resist composition 10 may be performed using, e.g., a spin coating method, an aerosol coating method, or the like. The forming of the photoresist layer 120 may further include performing a heat treatment process (e.g., a soft bake process) on the applied resist composition 10.
Referring to
In the first portion 122 of the photoresist layer 120, as described with reference to
In the second portion 124 of the photoresist layer 120, as described with reference to
Referring to
Referring to
According to an embodiment, the resist composition 10 may include the organometallic compound and the excess ligands Lex. The organometallic compound may include the central metal “M” and the ligands “L” combining with the central metal “M”, and the excess ligands Lex may include the functional groups capable of combining with the central metal “M” of the organometallic compound via coordination bond. At least one of the ligands “L” combining with the central metal “M” of the organometallic compound may be replaced with at least one of the excess ligands Lex. The type of the excess ligands Lex and the ratio between the (e.g., different types of) excess ligands Lex may be adjusted, the type and ratio of ligands “L” and Lex combining with the central metal “M” of the organometallic compound may be adjusted. Accordingly, the photosensitivity of the resist composition 10 may be adjusted.
In addition, the addition reaction in which the central metal “M” of the organometallic compound reacts with the water in the resist composition 10, and the exchange reaction in which at least one of the ligands “L” combining with the central metal “M” of the organometallic compound is replaced with at least one of the excess ligands Lex may proceed. The addition reaction may be inhibited by using the exchange reaction as a competitive reaction. Accordingly, the stability of the resist composition 10 may increase, and the change in size of the resist patterns formed using the resist composition 10 may decrease.
Accordingly, the resist composition 10 having improved stability and easily controlling photosensitivity, and the method of manufacturing the semiconductor device using the same may be provided.
By way of summation and review, a semiconductor device may be highly integrated and miniaturized, and a critical dimension of a pattern in the semiconductor device may be miniaturized. For a formation of fine patterns, improving resolution and sensitivity of a resist pattern formed by photolithography has been considered.
According to an embodiment, the resist composition may include the organometallic compound and the excess of ligands. The organometallic compound may include the central metal and the ligands combining with the central metal, and the excess ligands may include the functional groups capable of combining with the central metal of the organometallic compound. At least one of the ligands combining with the central metal of the organometallic compound may be substituted with at least one of the excess ligands. The type of the excess ligands and the ratio between the (e.g., different types of) excess ligands may be adjusted, and thus the type and ratio of ligands combining with the central metal of the organometallic compound may be adjusted. Accordingly, the photosensitivity of the resist composition may be adjusted.
In addition, the addition reaction in which the water reacts with the central metal of the organometallic compound in the resist composition, and the exchange reaction in which at least one of the ligands combining with the central metal of the organometallic compound is replaced with at least one of the excess ligands may proceed. The addition reaction may be inhibited by using the exchange reaction as the competitive reaction. Accordingly, the stability of the resist composition may be increased, and the change in size of the resist patterns formed using the resist composition may be reduced.
Accordingly, the resist composition having the improved stability and easily controlling photosensitivity, and the method of manufacturing the semiconductor device using the resist composition may be provided.
One or more embodiments may provide a resist composition having improved stability and easily controlling photosensitivity.
Example embodiments have been disclosed herein, and although specific terms are employed, they are used and are to be interpreted in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purpose of limitation. In some instances, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art as of the filing of the present application, features, characteristics, and/or elements described in connection with a particular embodiment may be used singly or in combination with features, characteristics, and/or elements described in connection with other embodiments unless otherwise specifically indicated. Accordingly, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2022-0109409 | Aug 2022 | KR | national |