Patent ID: 8110496

Claim:
A structure formation method, comprising: providing a structure including: (a) a hole layer having a top hole layer surface, (b) a BARC (bottom antireflective coating) layer on the top hole layer surface, and (c) a patterned photoresist layer on top of the BARC layer, wherein the patterned photoresist layer comprises a photoresist hole in the photoresist layer such that a top BARC surface of the BARC layer is exposed to the surrounding ambient at a bottom wall of the photoresist hole, and wherein the top BARC surface and the top hole layer surface are in different planes and are parallel to each other; after said providing the structure, extending the photoresist hole by removing a portion of the BARC layer directly beneath the bottom wall of the photoresist hole such that an area of the top hole layer surface is exposed to the surrounding ambient via the extended photoresist hole, wherein said extending the photoresist hole is performed before any deposition of any layer on the patterned photoresist layer; and depositing a hole shrinking film (i) on the patterned photoresist layer, (ii) on a side wall of the extended photoresist hole, and (iii) on the bottom wall of the extended photoresist hole after said extending the photoresist hole is performed.