Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080227293 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT FABRICATION - A method for defining patterns in an integrated circuit comprises defining a plurality of features in a first photoresist layer using photolithography over a first region of a substrate. The method further comprises using pitch multiplication to produce at least two features in a lower masking layer for each feature in the photoresist layer. The features in the lower masking layer include looped ends. The method further comprises covering with a second photoresist layer a second region of the substrate including the looped ends in the lower masking layer. The method further comprises etching a pattern of trenches in the substrate through the features in the lower masking layer without etching in the second region. The trenches have a trench width. | 09-18-2008 |
20100092891 | PITCH REDUCED PATTERNS RELATIVE TO PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY FEATURES - Differently-sized features of an integrated circuit are formed by etching a substrate using a mask which is formed by combining two separately formed patterns. Pitch multiplication is used to form the relatively small features of the first pattern and conventional photolithography used to form the relatively large features of the second pattern. Pitch multiplication is accomplished by patterning a photoresist and then etching that pattern into an amorphous carbon layer. Sidewall spacers are then formed on the sidewalls of the amorphous carbon. The amorphous carbon is removed, leaving behind the sidewall spacers, which define the first mask pattern. A bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) is then deposited around the spacers to form a planar surface and a photoresist layer is formed over the BARC. The photoresist is next patterned by conventional photolithography to form the second pattern, which is then is transferred to the BARC. The combined pattern made out by the first pattern and the second pattern is transferred to an underlying amorphous silicon layer and the pattern is subjected to a carbon strip to remove BARC and photoresist material. The combined pattern is then transferred to the silicon oxide layer and then to an amorphous carbon mask layer. The combined mask pattern, having features of difference sizes, is then etched into the underlying substrate through the amorphous carbon hard mask layer. | 04-15-2010 |
20100210111 | PITCH REDUCED PATTERNS RELATIVE TOPHOTOLITHOGRAPHY FEATURES - Differently-sized features of an integrated circuit are formed by etching a substrate using a mask which is formed by combining two separately formed patterns. Pitch multiplication is used to form the relatively small features of the first pattern. Pitch multiplication is accomplished by patterning an amorphous carbon layer. Sidewall spacers are then formed on the amorphous carbon sidewalls which are then removed; the sidewall spacers defining the first mask pattern. A bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) is then deposited to form a planar surface and a photoresist layer is formed over the BARC. The photoresist is next patterned by conventional photolithography to form the second pattern, which is transferred to the BARC. The combined pattern is transferred to an underlying amorphous silicon layer. The combined pattern is then transferred to the silicon oxide layer and then to an amorphous carbon mask layer. The combined mask pattern, is then etched into the underlying substrate. | 08-19-2010 |
20100317193 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT FABRICATION - A method for defining patterns in an integrated circuit comprises defining a plurality of features in a first photoresist layer using photolithography over a first region of a substrate. The method further comprises using pitch multiplication to produce at least two features in a lower masking layer for each feature in the photoresist layer. The features in the lower masking layer include looped ends. The method further comprises covering with a second photoresist layer a second region of the substrate including the looped ends in the lower masking layer. The method further comprises etching a pattern of trenches in the substrate through the features in the lower masking layer without etching in the second region. The trenches have a trench width. | 12-16-2010 |
20120193777 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT FABRICATION - A method for defining patterns in an integrated circuit comprises defining a plurality of features in a first photoresist layer using photolithography over a first region of a substrate. The method further comprises using pitch multiplication to produce at least two features in a lower masking layer for each feature in the photoresist layer. The features in the lower masking layer include looped ends. The method further comprises covering with a second photoresist layer a second region of the substrate including the looped ends in the lower masking layer. The method further comprises etching a pattern of trenches in the substrate through the features in the lower masking layer without etching in the second region. The trenches have a trench width. | 08-02-2012 |
20120256309 | Integrated Circuit Having Pitch Reduced Patterns Relative To Photolithography Features - An integrated circuit having differently-sized features wherein the smaller features have a pitch multiplied relationship with the larger features, which are of such size as to be formed by conventional lithography. | 10-11-2012 |
20130320552 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT FABRICATION - A method for defining patterns in an integrated circuit comprises defining a plurality of features in a first photoresist layer using photolithography over a first region of a substrate. The method further comprises using pitch multiplication to produce at least two features in a lower masking layer for each feature in the photoresist layer. The features in the lower masking layer include looped ends. The method further comprises covering with a second photoresist layer a second region of the substrate including the looped ends in the lower masking layer. The method further comprises etching a pattern of trenches in the substrate through the features in the lower masking layer without etching in the second region. The trenches have a trench width. | 12-05-2013 |
20160005601 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT FABRICATION - A method for defining patterns in an integrated circuit comprises defining a plurality of features in a first photoresist layer using photolithography over a first region of a substrate. The method further comprises using pitch multiplication to produce at least two features in a lower masking layer for each feature in the photoresist layer. The features in the lower masking layer include looped ends. The method further comprises covering with a second photoresist layer a second region of the substrate including the looped ends in the lower masking layer. The method further comprises etching a pattern of trenches in the substrate through the features in the lower masking layer without etching in the second region. The trenches have a trench width. | 01-07-2016 |