April 2007 | Issue 8
Photolithography Solutions
Shifting the Lithography Paradigm with Innovative Technologies
As a leading supplier to the global electronics industry, Air Products continues to leverage our experience and expertise to develop new solutions to the challenges facing the lithography industry.
Our latest innovations – OptiPattern® Surface Conditioners – are surface treatment formulations proven to eliminate line pattern collapse and reduce line width roughness, two complex challenges that arise with next generation sub-65 nm processing, particularly immersion and EUV lithography.
Best of all, Air Products’ OptiPattern Surface Conditioners are easily implemented using your current semiconductor manufacturing equipment and can help you achieve multiple ITRS Roadmap goals.
Air Products’ surface conditioners include OptiPattern Smooth and OptiPattern Clear Surface Conditioners. Both OptiPattern Clear and OptiPattern Smooth Surface Conditioners widen the non-collapse process window by eliminating pattern collapse resulting from capillary forces between the resist lines that occur during spin drying. In addition, OptiPattern Smooth surface conditioner simultaneously reduces line width roughness for critical layers such as the polysilicon gate structure of a transistor, resulting in smoother post-etch lines.
Eliminate Pattern Collapse
OptiPattern Clear Surface Conditioner eliminates resist line collapse across multiple process nodes while widening the usable process window.
| 193 nm Wet (50 nm L/S ) |
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DI Water Treatment Only |
OptiPattern Clear
Surface Conditioner |
| 193 nm Dry (80 nm L/S) |
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DI Water Treatment Only |
OptiPattern Clear
Surface Conditioner |
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Expands Non-Collapse Process Window |
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Smooth Lines
OptiPattern Smooth Surface Conditioner reduces resist line edge roughness resulting in smoother post-etch lines while widening the non-collapse process window.
Reduces Resist Line
Edge Roughness |
Resulting in Smoother
Post-Etch Lines |
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Expands the Process Window |
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LER < 6.5nm Process Window |
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For additional information on our photoresist ancillaries, please feel free to contact Steve Rogers or Manny Jaramillo.
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