Process for etching a semiconductor device using an improved protective etching mask

Claim 2

A process for etching a semiconductor device to form a predetermined etched pattern therein, comprising: providing a semiconductor device having a plurality of structural layers, the structural layers of the semiconductor device being formed on an underlying silicon structural substrate; forming a negative photoresist etch mask on a major surface of an outer structural layer, without substantial residual resist material remaining in areas that should be free of resist material and which would act as an impediment to the etching process, said resist mask comprising a plurality of photoresist lines arranged in a predetermined pattern which defines a plurality of spaces therebetween, said plurality of spaces exposing a plurality of areas of the major surface of the semiconductor device, and said photoresist lines and spaces therebetween have width dimensions of less than 3 microns; and selectively etching the plurality of exposed areas of the major surface of the outer structural layer with a chemical etchant system and forming an etched pattern in the outer structural layer thereby producing semiconductor devices having high resolution etched patterns.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1, wherein the resist lines and spaces therebetween have width dimensions of up to 2 microns.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1, wherein the resist lines and spaces therebetween have width dimensions of up to 1 micron.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1, wherein the resist lines and spaces therebetween have width dimensions of not more than 0.5 microns.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1, wherein the step of forming a negative photoresist etch mask on a major surface of the outer semiconductor device, which comprises: coating the major surface of the semiconductor device with a layer of a negative photosensitive resin; exposing said negative photosensitive resin to an optical image comprising a plurality of photoresist lines arranged in a predetermined pattern which defines a plurality of spaces therebetween, said exposed negative photosensitive resin producing an in situ catalyst at any sites contacted by the optical image; crosslinking the exposed negative photosenstive resin at the sites contacted by the optical image; and developing the crosslinked polymerized negative photosensitive resin with a photodeveloping agent to remove the non-crosslinked polymerized negative photosensitive resin and thereby forming said negative photoresist etch mask.

Claim 7

The process of claim 5, wherein the negative photosensitive resin comprises an acid-catalyzed photosensitive resin.

Claim 8

The process of claim 5, wherein the photodeveloping agent is a dilute hydroxide solution.

Claim 9

The process of claim 7, wherein the said dilute hydroxide solution is dilute tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide.

Claim 10

The process of claim 5, wherein the negative photosensitive resin comprises poly p-vinyl phenol resin.

Claim 11

The process of claim 6, wherein the acid-catalyzed photosensitive resin comprises a resin, an acid-activated crosslinking agent, and a photoacid generator.

Claim 12

A process for etching a semiconductor device to form a predetermined etched pattern therein, comprising: providing a semiconductor device having a plurality of structural layers, the structural layers of the semiconductor device being formed on an underlying silicon structural substrate; forming a said negative photoresist etch mask formation on a major surface of the outer semiconductor device, said negative photoresist etch mask comprising coating the major surface of the semiconductor device with a layer of a negative photosensitive resin, exposing said negative photosensitive resin to an optical image comprising a plurality of photoresist lines arranged in a predetermined pattern which defines a plurality of spaces therebetween, said exposed negative photosensitive resin producing an in situ catalyst at any sites contacted by the optical image, crosslinking the exposed negative photosensitive resin at the sites contacted by the optical image, developing the crosslinked polymerized negative photosenstive resin with a photodeveloping agent to remove the non-crosslinked polymerized negative photosensitive resin and thereby forming said negative photoresist etch mask without substantial residual resist material remaining in areas that should be free of resist material which would act as an impediment to the etching process; and selectively etching the plurality of exposed areas of the major surface of the outer structural layer with a chemical etchant system, and forming an etched pattern in the outer structural layer which produces semiconductor devices having high resolution etched patterns.

Claim 13

A process for etching a semiconductor device to form a predetermined etched pattern therein, comprising: providing a semiconductor device having a plurality of structural layers, the structural layers of the semiconductor device being formed on an underlying silicon structural substrate; forming a said negative photoresist etch mask formation on a major surface of the outer semiconductor device, said negative photoresist etch mask comprising coating the major surface of the semiconductor device with a layer of a negative photosensitive resin, exposing said negative photosensitive resin to an optical image comprising a plurality of photoresist lines arranged in a predetermined pattern which defines a plurality of spaces therebetween, said exposed negative photosensitive resin producing an in situ catalyst at any sites contacted by the optical image, crosslinking the exposed negative photosensitive resin at the sites contacted by the optical image, developing the crosslinked polymerized negative photosenstive resin with a photodeveloping agent to remove the non-crosslinked polymerized negative photosensitive resin and thereby forming said negative photoresist etch mask without substantial residual resist material remaining in areas that should be free of resist material which would act as an impediment to the etching process; and selectively etching the plurality of exposed areas of the major surface of the outer structural layer with a chemical etchant system, and forming an etched pattern in the outer structural layer which produces semiconductor devices having high resolution etched patterns.

Claim 14

The process of claim 11, wherein the resist lines and spaces therebetween have width dimensions of up to 2 microns.

Claim 15

The process of claim 11, wherein the resist lines and spaces therebetween have width dimensions of up to 1 micron.

Claim 16

The process of claim 11, wherein the resist lines and spaces therebetween have width dimensions of not more than 0.5 microns.

Claim 17

The process of claim 11, wherein the negative photosensitive resin comprises an acid-catalyzed negative photosensitive resin.

Claim 18

The process of claim 15, wherein said acid-catalyzed negative photosensitive resin includes a resin, an acid-activated crosslinking agent, and a photoacid generator.

Claim 19

The process of claim 11, wherein the photodeveloping agent is a dilute hydroxide solution.

Claim 20

The process of claim 17, wherein the said dilute hydroxide solution is dilute tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide.

Claim 21

The process of claim 11, wherein the negative photosensitive resin comprises poly p-vinyl phenol resin.

Claim 22

The process of claim 16, wherein the acid-activated crosslinking agent comprises a melamine compound, and said photoacid generator comprises a material which releases an acid that promotes cross-linking of said melamine compound.

Claim 23

A process for etching a semiconductor device to form a predetermined etch pattern therein, comprising: providing a semiconductor device having a plurality of conductive film structural layer formed on an underlying silicon structural substrate, said semiconductor device having a re-entrant profile which causes residual positive photoresist material to remain therewithin after formation of an etch mask of said positive photoresist material; forming a negative photoresist etch mask on a major surface of the outer conductive film structural layer which comprises a plurality of photoresist lines arranged in a predetermined pattern which defines a plurality of spaces therebetween, said plurality of spaces exposing a plurality of areas of the major surface of the semiconductor device, the formation of said negative photoresist etch mask formation on a major surface of the outer semiconductor device comprising coating the major surface of the semiconductor device with a layer of a negative photosensitive resin, exposing said negative photosensitive resin to an optical image comprising a plurality of photoresist lines arranged in a predetermined pattern which defines a plurality of spaces therebetween, said exposed negative photosensitive resin producing an in situ catalyst at any sites contacted by the optical image, crosslinking the exposed negative photosensitive resin at the sites contacted by the optical image, and developing the crosslinked polymerized negative photosensitive resin with a photodeveloping agent to remove the non-crosslinked polymerized negative photosensitive resin and thereby forming said negative photoresist etch mask; and selectively etching the plurality of exposed areas of the major surface of the outer structural layer with a chemical etchant system, and forming an etched pattern in the outer structural layer which produces said semiconductor device having high resolution etched patterns.

Claim 24

A process for etching a semiconductor device to form a predetermined etch pattern therein, comprising: providing a semiconductor device having a plurality of conductive film structural layer formed on an underlying silicon structural substrate, said semiconductor device having a re-entrant profile which causes residual positive photoresist material to remain therewithin after formation of an etch mask of said positive photoresist material; forming a negative photoresist etch mask on a major surface of the outer conductive film structural layer which comprises a plurality of photoresist lines arranged in a predetermined pattern which defines a plurality of spaces therebetween, said plurality of spaces exposing a plurality of areas of the major surface of the semiconductor device, the formation of said negative photoresist etch mask formation on a major surface of the outer semiconductor device comprising coating the major surface of the semiconductor device with a layer of a negative photosensitive resin, exposing said negative photosensitive resin to an optical image comprising a plurality of photoresist lines arranged in a predetermined pattern which defines a plurality of spaces therebetween, said exposed negative photosensitive resin producing an in situ catalyst at any sites contacted by the optical image, crosslinking the exposed negative photosensitive resin at the sites contacted by the optical image, and developing the crosslinked polymerized negative photosensitive resin with a photodeveloping agent to remove the non-crosslinked polymerized negative photosensitive resin and thereby forming said negative photoresist etch mask; and selectively etching the plurality of exposed areas of the major surface of the outer structural layer with a chemical etchant system, and forming an etched pattern in the outer structural layer which produces said semiconductor device having high resolution etched patterns.

Claim 25

The process of claim 21, wherein said semiconductor device comprises a stacked capacitor Dram memory device.