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US5139974A
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Semiconductor manufacturing process for decreasing the optical refelctivity of a metal layer
Assignee: Micron Technology Inc
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Filing: 1991-01-25
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Granted: 1992-08-18
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Expires: 2011-01-25
Abstract
Abstract A semiconductor manufacturing process for increasing the optical absorptivity and decreasing the optical reflectivity of a metal film in order to reduce the effect of reflective notching and widen the process exposure window for photolithographic patterning. A metal film to be photopatterned is first deposited on a substrate and is then roughened to increase the surface area and to provide an irregular surface for reabsorbing scattered light. Surface roughening may be accomplished by dry etching or by simple ion bombardment during a reverse sputtering process. A second metal layer may also be deposited upon the roughened surface by sputter deposition to achieve a desired surface roughness.
Inventors
- 👤 Gurtej S. Sandhu
- 👤 Chang Yu
- 👤 Yauh-Ching Liu
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 22:17
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P95/00; H10P76/00; H10P76/20; H10P76/204; H10P76/2041; H10P76/2043
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
87 words
A semiconductor manufacturing process comprising: fabricating a semiconductor structure to be processed; depositing a metal film layer on a substrate of the structure; roughening the metal film layer in situ in a vacuum process chamber using a sputter etch process for a time sufficient to roughen a surface of the metal film layer but not etch through to the substrate in order to decrease the optical reflectivity and increase the optical absorptivity to widen the exposure window for photolithography; and performing photolithographic patterning of the metal surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
87 words
A semiconductor manufacturing process comprising: fabricating a semiconductor structure to be processed; depositing a metal film layer on a substrate of the structure; roughening the metal film layer in situ in a vacuum process chamber using a sputter etch process for a time sufficient to roughen a surface of the metal film layer but not etch through to the substrate in order to decrease the optical reflectivity and increase the optical absorptivity to widen the exposure window for photolithography; and performing photolithographic patterning of the metal surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process as recited in claim 1 and further comprising: depositing a second metal layer upon the roughened surface by a sputtering process.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process as recited in claim 2 and wherein: a barrier layer is deposited on the substrate prior to depositing the metal film layer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A process as recited in claim 2 wherein: the second metal layer is sputter deposited for a short time necessary to decrease reflectivity prior to an increase in reflectivity.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process as recited in claim 4 and wherein: the second metal layer has a thickness of from 10 to 100Å.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
A process as recited in claim 4 and wherein: the sputter etch process is performed with an etch power of about 20% of a maximum power of about 2 KW for about 20 seconds and a second metal deposition is at a power of about 20% of a maximum power of about 2 KW for about four seconds.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The process as recited in claim 6 and wherein: the roughened surface is formed with hillocks having a length of less than approximately 1 μm and a width approximately equal to a thickness of approximately 0.25 μm.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
103 words
A semiconductor manufacturing process comprising: fabricating a semiconductor structure to be processed; depositing a metal film layer on a substrate of the structure; roughening the metal film layer in situ in a vacuum process chamber by dry etching for a time sufficient to roughen a surface of the metal film layer but not etch through to the substrate in order to provide an increased surface area for light absorption and an irregular surface for reabsorbing scattered light in order to increase optical absorptivity and decrease optical reflectivity for widening an exposure window for photolithographic patterning; and performing photolithographic patterning of the metal layer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
103 words
A semiconductor manufacturing process comprising: fabricating a semiconductor structure to be processed; depositing a metal film layer on a substrate of the structure; roughening the metal film layer in situ in a vacuum process chamber by dry etching for a time sufficient to roughen a surface of the metal film layer but not etch through to the substrate in order to provide an increased surface area for light absorption and an irregular surface for reabsorbing scattered light in order to increase optical absorptivity and decrease optical reflectivity for widening an exposure window for photolithographic patterning; and performing photolithographic patterning of the metal layer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process as recited in claim 8 and wherein: roughening is accomplished by ion bombardment during a reverse sputtering process.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process as recited in claim 9 and wherein: a second metal layer is sputter deposited upon the roughened metal layer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
The process as recited in claim 10 and wherein: a second metal layer having a thickness of from about 10 to 100Å is deposited upon the roughened surface by sputter deposition.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process as recited in claim 10 and wherein: the metal layer is an Al alloy of AlSi (1%) Cu (5%) and the second metal layer is selected from a class consisting of Al or an Al alloy.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process as recited in claim 11 and wherein: process parameters are controlled to reduce the optical reflectivity of the metal layer to approximately 53%.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-08-18 | 1996-02-17 | 1996-08-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-08-18 | 2000-02-17 | 2000-08-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-08-18 | 2004-02-17 | 2004-08-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |