Patent ID: 7157319
Filing Date: 2007-01-02
Classification: G02F,G03F,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A thin film patterning method comprising steps of: forming a pattern of an under layer on a substrate; forming at least two films to be etched; applying a resist on the films to be etched; exposing the resist by using a photomask having a transmitting portion C, a shielding portion A, a first partially transparent portion B 1 in a region where the under layer is present and having a first partially transmitting light amount, and a second partially transparent portion B 2 in a region where the under layer is not present and having a second transmitting light amount larger than the first transmitting light amount; developing the resist thus exposed to obtain at least three kinds of regions, namely a region in which the resist has a thickness of almost 0 (zero), a region in which the resist has a great thickness, and a region in which the resist has an intermediate thickness; and etching the films while carrying out ashing over the resist, wherein an amount of light transmission during the exposure in the region in which the under layer is present is smaller than an amount of light transmission during the exposure in the region in which the under layer is not present and in the region in which the resist has the intermediate thickness.