Methods of producing structures using a developer-soluble layer with multilayer technology

• Main Authors: WASHBURN CARLTON ASHLEY, FURSE JUSTIN LEE, LAMB, III JAMES E, SMITH BRIAN A, WANG HEPING
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.11.2014
• Subjects: APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; ELECTROGRAPHY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HOLOGRAPHY; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES,e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTORDEVICES; PHYSICS; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

Methods of forming microelectronic structures using multilayer processes are disclosed. The methods comprise the use of a developer-soluble protective layer adjacent the substrate surface in a multilayer stack to protect the substrate during pattern transfer. After etching, the pattern is transferred into the developer-soluble protective layer using a developer instead of etching required by previous methods. Conventional developer-soluble anti-reflective coatings and gap-fill materials can be used to form the protective layer. Custom layers with developer solubility can also be prepared. Microelectronic structures formed by the above processes are also disclosed.