Patent ID: 8338086

Claim:
A method of patterning a substrate comprising: forming a layer of radiation-sensitive material on a substrate; exposing said layer of radiation-sensitive material to pattern of radiation formed by a mask having a transparent region and an opaque region, wherein said pattern includes: a first region having a high radiation exposure, corresponding to the transparent region, a second region having a low radiation exposure, corresponding to the opaque region, and a third region having an exposure gradient ranging from about said high radiation exposure to about said low radiation exposure; performing a post-exposure bake following said exposing; performing positive-tone developing of said layer of radiation-sensitive material to remove said first region from said substrate to provide a developed layer of radiation-sensitive material; removing said exposure gradient of said third region by transforming said second region and said third region to a fourth region having a substantially uniform level of radiation exposure or de-protection, or a combination thereof; and slimming said fourth region, wherein said slimming comprises: performing a positive-tone developing of said layer of radiation-sensitive material to remove a portion of said fourth region, wherein a positive-tone developing solution is a dilute solution; performing a positive-tone developing of said layer of radiation-sensitive material to remove a portion of said fourth region, wherein said layer of radiation-sensitive material comprises a muting agent; or performing a positive-tone developing of said layer of radiation-sensitive material at an ultra-cold temperature to remove a portion of said fourth region, wherein said ultra-cold temperature is less than 25° C. and greater than a freezing point of a positive-tone developing solution.