Lithographic Processes

Pattern generation and transfer

Circuit design  Pattern data  Master mask set 
Working mask set  Pattern on wafers

Increasing device density  reducing minimum feature size

 Through-put consideration
Wafer with IC Chips
 Patterning by lithography and wet etching
Cr patterned film Etching of Al film
Mask transparent glass

photoresist
Al film Si
SiO2 film

Si Pattern transfer
to photoresist
UV exposure
Develop solution
Si

Si Si
 Photoresists
Chemical/texture change upon exposure to light (UV), X-ray, e beam

Sensitivity

Adhesive

Etch resistance

Resolution
 Negative resists: long-chain organic polymers, cross-linked
upon UV exposure
Kodak Microneg 747: polyisoprene rubber + photoactive agent
Thickness 0.3 – 1 m, feature size  2 m due to solvent-induced
swelling effect, hard to remove after using

 Positive resist: a mixture of alkali-soluble resin, photoactive

dissolution inhibitor, and solvent
PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate)
Thickness 1 - 3 m, no solvent-induced swelling effect, feature
size  2 m, easy to remove after using

 UV Sources:
Hg-Xe lamp,  ~ 250-290 nm
Excimer lasers, deep UV,   200 nm (e.g. ArF,  = 193 nm )
Pathways for pattern transfer
 Optical or e- Reticle Projection printing, Working
Design beam writing
pattern masks step-and-repeat masks
× 5-20 ×1

E-beam pattern
generation
No diffraction
limitation, minimum
feature size ~ 0.15 m
Reducing the back-
scattering effects
(proximity effects) by
reducing beam energy
Raster scan mode
Vector scan mode
 Pattern transfer to wafer: Printing
 Contact printer: highest resolution (minimum feature size ~ 0.15
m), but damages to masks and/or wafer limit mask lifetime
Mask UV
photoresist

SiO2 film
Si
Si
 Proximity gap printer: 2.5-25 m gap, compromising resolution
(r  d), minimum feature size  1 m

 Projection: flexible, no damage, limited resolution in single projection

 Step-and-repeat projection: high resolution in reduced area,
acceptable throughput due to short exposure time of each frame
 A complete lithographic process
Wafer with Photoresist
Prebake Mask
mask film (e.g. coating (spin
(softbake) alignment
SiO2, Al) coating)

Removal of
Develop-
exposed Postbake Exposure
ment
photoresist

Etching of Removal of Next process

mask film unexposed (e.g. implantation,
resist deposition)
 Contact to a diode

(a) Lithography
(b) Metallization
(c),(d) lithography
 Lift-off Process
 Positive resist
patterning

 Metal deposit

 Removal of
resist and metal
film above

 Capable of forming thick and narrow metal lines

 little damage to oxide surfaces
 Move to EUV
Source Name Wavelength (nm) Application feature size (nm)
Mercury lamp G-line 436 500
H-line 405
I-line 365 350 to 250
Excimer XeF 351
Laser
XeCl 308

KrF 248 (DUV) 250 to 130

ArF 193 150 to 70
Fluorine laser F2 157 < 100
Multilayer Resists Contrast enhancement

R1, R2 sensitive to 1, 2

 Phase-Shifting Masks

Resolution improvement ~ 2-4 times, pattern-dependent

 Electron
Projection
Printing
System

Direct e-beam
writing: ~ 0.15m,
sequential, only for the
smallest features
 X-ray printing system

Difficulties: photoresist and optical systems for X-ray