Mirzafer Abatchev

Fundamental characterization of silicon-containing spin-on hardmask for 193nm photolithography

In this contribution, we have performed the fundamental characterization of silicon-containing spin-on hardmasks. There has been an interest in using these materials as part of multi-layer resist (MLR) technology to replace CVD films in order to improve lithographic performance and lower the overall process cost. However, not much is known about the characteristics of these materials in terms of their resist compatibility and etch performance, based on their composition. We have characterized these materials using a number of analytical techniques, including: FTIR, XPS, etc. We have also studied the effect of numerous etching chemistries, such as CF4 and SO2/O2, to determine their etch characteristics. Finally, we provide some after-dry-develop etch profiles.