Patent ID: 7018936

Claim:
An ion implant lithography method of processing a semiconductor substrate comprising: forming a layer to be etched over a semiconductor substrate; forming an imaging layer of a selected thickness over the layer to be etched; ion implanting selected regions of the imaging layer to change solvent solubility of implanted regions versus non-implanted regions of the imaging layer, said ion implanting forming innermost peak implant concentrations which are spaced elevationally outward from the layer to be etched; removing the ion implanted regions of the imaging layer to leave a pattern of openings in the imaging layer; and after the removing, etching the layer to be etched through the imaging layer openings using the imaging layer as an etch mask by first blanket etching the imaging layer and the layer to be etched using an etch chemistry that is substantially selective to the imaging layer and then etching into the layer to be etched substantially selectively to the imaging layer.