Patent ID: 8764999
Filing Date: 2014-07-01
Classification: G03F,H01L,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for patterning a substrate, comprising: preparing a pattern in a layer of radiation-sensitive material using a lithographic process, said lithographic process including developing said pattern with a first developing solution, and said pattern being characterized by a critical dimension (CD); following said preparing said pattern, performing a CD slimming process to reduce said CD to a reduced CD, said CD slimming process comprising applying a treatment compound containing an acid onto a surface of said pattern, baking said substrate to diffuse said acid from said surface into a surface region of said pattern to alter a solubility of said surface region of said pattern to a pre-determined depth such that said altered surface region becomes soluble in a second developing solution, and directly thereafter applying said second developing solution to said altered surface region by dispensing said second developing solution on said substrate to remove said surface region of said pattern to said pre-determined depth; conformally depositing a material layer over said pattern with said reduced CD; partially removing said material layer using an etching process to expose a top surface of said pattern, open a portion of said material layer at a bottom region between adjacent features of said pattern, and retain a remaining portion of said material layer on sidewalls of said pattern; and removing said pattern using one or more etching processes to leave a final pattern comprising said remaining portion of said material layer that remained on the sidewalls of said pattern.