
Proceedings Paper
Plasma etching of high-resolution features in a fullerene molecular resistFormat | Member Price | Non-Member Price |
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Paper Abstract
As resist films become thinner, so as to reduce problems of aspect ratio related pattern collapse at high-resolution, it is
becoming increasingly difficult to transfer patterns with useful aspect ratio by directly etching the resist. It has become
common to use the photoresist to pattern an intermediate hardmask, which then protects the silicon substrate during
etching, allowing useful aspect ratios but adding process complexity. We have previously described a fullerene based
electron beam lithography resist capable of 20 nm halfpitch and 12 nm sparse features, at a sensitivity of less than 10
μC/cm2 at 20 keV. The fullerene resist has high etch durability - comparable to that of commercial novolac resists - and
has previously demonstrated an etch selectivity of 3:1 to silicon using electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma
etching with SF6. Here a study of the capabilities of this resist when using Inductively Coupled Plasma etching is
presented. Line-space patterns with half-pitches in the range 25 nm to 100 nm, together with sparse features (~20 nm
linewidth on a 200 nm pitch) were produced in ~30 nm thick resist films using electron beam lithography, and
transferred to silicon using an inductively coupled plasma etcher. Several combinations of SF6, CF4, CHF3 and C4F8process gases were explored. Etch selectivity and anisotropy were studied as a range of etching parameters, such as ICP
and RF power, gas flow rate, pressure and temperature were varied. Etch selectivities in excess of 9:1 were
demonstrated. Techniques for minimizing aspect ratio dependent etching effects in dense features, including the use of
ashing or high etching pressures were also examined.
Paper Details
Date Published: 15 April 2011
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 7972, Advances in Resist Materials and Processing Technology XXVIII, 79722N (15 April 2011); doi: 10.1117/12.879469
Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7972:
Advances in Resist Materials and Processing Technology XXVIII
Robert D. Allen; Mark H. Somervell, Editor(s)
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 7972, Advances in Resist Materials and Processing Technology XXVIII, 79722N (15 April 2011); doi: 10.1117/12.879469
Show Author Affiliations
J. Manyam, The Univ. of Birmingham (United Kingdom)
M. Manickam, The Univ. of Birmingham (United Kingdom)
J. A. Preece, The Univ. of Birmingham (United Kingdom)
M. Manickam, The Univ. of Birmingham (United Kingdom)
J. A. Preece, The Univ. of Birmingham (United Kingdom)
R. E. Palmer, The Univ. of Birmingham (United Kingdom)
A. P. G. Robinson, The Univ. of Birmingham (United Kingdom)
A. P. G. Robinson, The Univ. of Birmingham (United Kingdom)
Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7972:
Advances in Resist Materials and Processing Technology XXVIII
Robert D. Allen; Mark H. Somervell, Editor(s)
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