Author:

Keywords:

22nm line, H-2 plasma treatment, LWR limitations, VUV plasma emission, Science & Technology, Physical Sciences, Physics, Applied, Physics, Fluids & Plasmas, Physics, Condensed Matter, Polymer Science, Physics, 0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics, 0306 Physical Chemistry (incl. Structural), 0912 Materials Engineering, Applied Physics, 3403 Macromolecular and materials chemistry, 4016 Materials engineering, 5106 Nuclear and plasma physics

Abstract:

© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. As the semiconductor industry pursues Moore's law, the demand to obtain smaller features continues. Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography remains one of the primary options for sub- 20 nm patterns. However, the technology struggles to meet the line width roughness (LWR) specifications. In this article, we present the significance of plasma treatment as a roughness smoothing technique. Two EUV photoresists with 22 nm lines are exposed to various plasma processes. We highlight the advantages of a hydrogen plasma treatment and its vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) emission as an optimal smoothing process and discuss the effect of photoresist thickness, initial LWR and the VUV plasma emission. Even though a H2 plasma treatment results in a successful reduction of LWR/LER, the target value of below 2nm is not yet achieved.