抄録
Surface-imaged resist (SIR) technology is a potentially attractive scheme for deep submicron lithography to overcome depth of focus (DOF) limitations in high NA steppers and increased resist absorption at lower wavelengths. However, the degree of process complexity is greater than with conventional resist processes. Specifically, understanding the resist interaction with silylation and plasma etch processes is of critical importance for deriving the full benefits of this technology. This requires optimizing both the resist chemistry for high silylation contrast, and the etch process to minimize mask erosion and "grass" formation. The present study investigates the silylation characteristics of commercially available resist materials and the pattern transfer fidelity using two novel etchers-magnetically confined reactor (MCR) in a triode configuration and electron cyclotron resonance etcher (ECR). Key plasma parameters which have a major effect on the pattern transfer in each type of etcher have been identified. Feasibility of sub-0.5 micron resolution with minimal residue formation have been successfully demonstrated in both etchers.
