Patent ID: 8846302
Filing Date: 2014-09-30
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A method of forming a semiconductor structure, comprising: forming a photoresist layer over a substrate, the photoresist layer including a first material removable by a removal process; converting the first material at a guard band portion of the photoresist layer along an edge portion of the photoresist layer to a second material that is not removable by the removal process, and avoiding converting the first material at the edge portion of the photoresist layer to the second material, the guard band portion being farther from a periphery of the substrate than the edge portion, and the converting the first material at the guard band portion to the second material comprising rotating the substrate; selectively exposing, by using a mask, an inner portion of the photoresist layer to electromagnetic radiation; and performing the removal process to concurrently remove the first material in the edge portion and in an unexposed portion of the inner portion after performing the converting operation and the selectively exposing operation, wherein a remaining portion of the inner portion after the removal process is configured as a layer of blocking material for construction of integrated circuit (IC) chips.