A novel plasma-assisted shrink process to enlarge process windows of narrow trenches and contacts for 45-nm node applications and beyond

Maaike Op de Beeck; Janko Versluijs; Zsolt Tőkei; Steven Demuynck; J.-F. De Marneffe; Werner Boullart; Serge Vanhaelemeersch; Helen Zhu; Peter Cirigliano; Elizabeth Pavel; Reza Sadjadi; Jisoo Kim

doi:10.1117/12.713401

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21 March 2007 A novel plasma-assisted shrink process to enlarge process windows of narrow trenches and contacts for 45-nm node applications and beyond

Maaike Op de Beeck, Janko Versluijs, Zsolt Tőkei, Steven Demuynck, J.-F. De Marneffe, Werner Boullart, Serge Vanhaelemeersch, Helen Zhu, Peter Cirigliano, Elizabeth Pavel, Reza Sadjadi, Jisoo Kim

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Proceedings Volume 6519, Advances in Resist Materials and Processing Technology XXIV; 65190U (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.713401
Event: SPIE Advanced Lithography, 2007, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

Limits to the lithography process window restrict the scaling of critical IC features such as holes (contact, via) and trenches (required for interconnects and double patterning applications). To overcome this problem, contacts or trenches can be oversized during the exposure, followed by the application of a shrink technique. In this work, a novel shrink process utilizing plasma-assisted polymer deposition is demonstrated: a polymer is deposited on the top and sidewalls of photoresist by alternating deposition and etch steps, reducing the dimension of the lithography pattern in a controlled way. Hence very small patterns can be defined with wide process latitudes. This approach is generic and has been applied to both contacts and trenches. The feasibility of the plasma-assisted shrink technique was evaluated through extensive SEM inspections after lithography, after shrink, and after etch, as well as through electrical evaluations.

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Maaike Op de Beeck, Janko Versluijs, Zsolt Tőkei, Steven Demuynck, J.-F. De Marneffe, Werner Boullart, Serge Vanhaelemeersch, Helen Zhu, Peter Cirigliano, Elizabeth Pavel, Reza Sadjadi, and Jisoo Kim "A novel plasma-assisted shrink process to enlarge process windows of narrow trenches and contacts for 45-nm node applications and beyond", Proc. SPIE 6519, Advances in Resist Materials and Processing Technology XXIV, 65190U (21 March 2007); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.713401

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