Patent ID: 6872510
Filing Date: 2005-03-29
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
1. A photolithographic method for fabricating openings in a semiconductor memory device, the method comprising: forming a photoresist layer having a plurality of images of openings transferred to the photoresist layer using a photomask and arranged in a row direction along a row axis, wherein images of neighboring openings in the row direction have a predetermined pitch along the row axis, and wherein the distance between centers of the images of neighboring openings is larger than the pitch, each of the images of openings of the photoresist layer having a length and a width; reducing the length and the width of the images of openings of the photoresist layer by flowing the photoresist layer; and forming reduced size openings in an underlying layer of the semiconductor memory device by using the reduced images of the openings of the flowed photoresist layer as a mask, wherein the pitch in the row direction is less than a threshold pitch in the row direction, the threshold pitch being a smallest distance at which the images of neighboring openings in the row direction are sufficiently spaced for successful operation of the step of reducing the length and width of the images of the openings by flowing the photoresist layer.