EP0911697A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
A fluorinated hard mask for micropatterning of polymers
Assignee: Imec
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Filing: 1998-05-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2018-05-18
Abstract
Abstract The present invention discloses the formation of a hard mask layer in an organic polymer layer by modifying at least locally the chemical composition of a part of said exposed organic low-k polymer. This modification starts from an exposed surface of the polymer and extends into the polymer thereby increasing the chemical resistance of the modified part of the polymer. As a result, this modified part can be used as a hard mask or an etch stop layer for plasma etching.
Inventors
- 👤 Mikhail Rodionovich Baklanov
- 👤 Serge Vanhaelemeersch
- 👤 Karen Maex
- 👤 Joost Waeterloos
- 👤 Gilbert Declerck
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 14:13
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/071; H10W20/074; G; G03; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/004; G03F7/09; G03F7/094; G03F7/26; G03F7/36; G03F7/38; G03F7/40; H10P; H10P50/00; H10P50/20; H10P50/28; H10P50/286; H10P50/287; H10P50/73; H10W20/081; H10W20/084; H10W20/086; H10W20/093; H10W20/096
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
83 words
A method for forming a patterned hard mask layer in an organic polymer film
comprising the steps of: fluorinating a part of an organic polymer film, said fluorinated part forming a
first hard mask layer; forming a patterned second hard mask layer on said film; patterning said first hard mask layer using said patterned second hard mask
layer as a mask; removing said second hard mask layer; and etching said organic polymer film using said patterned first hard mask layer as
a mask.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said organic polymer film is an organic
polymer comprising at least one phenyl group.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said organic polymer film comprising at least
one phenyl group is selected from a group comprising the benzocyclobutarenes, poly
arylene ether, aromatic hydrocarbon, and polyimides.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said fluorination of said organic polymer layer
is performed in an ambient comprising fluorine substantially without changing the
thickness of said organic polymer layer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method as recited in claim 4, wherein said fluorine is generated from a source
selected from the group comprising NF 3 , SF 6 , ClF 3 , F 2 , XeF 2 , and C x F y , x and y being
positive whole numbers greater than zero.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said second hard mask layer is selected from
the group comprising oxides, nitrides and oxynitrides.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for patterning an organic polymer film comprising the steps of : defining at least one first region and at least one second region in an organic
polymer film formed on a substrate, said first region being uncovered and said second
region being covered with a layer forming a diffusion barrier for fluorine; exposing said first and said second region to an ambient comprising fluorine
resulting in the fluorination of at least a part of said first region; removing said layer; selectively removing at least a part of said second region by etching, using said
first region as a mask.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as recited in claim 7, wherein said organic polymer film is an organic
polymer comprising at least one phenyl group.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as recited in claim 8, wherein said organic polymer film comprising at least
one phenyl group is selected from a group comprising the benzocyclobutarenes, poly
arylene ether, aromatic hydrocarbon, and polyimides.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as recited in claim 6, wherein said layer forming a diffusion barrier for
fluorine is selected from the group comprising resists, oxides, nitrides and oxynitrides.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
Use of the method as recited in claim 1 and claim 7 for the fabrication of devices
comprising interconnect structures.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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