Minimizing Linewidth Roughness for 22-nm node Patterningwith Step-and-Flash Imprint Lithography

摘要

Imprint lithography achieves high resolution patterning with low roughness by avoiding the tradeoff between patternquality and process throughput – a tradeoff that limits the capability of photolithography with chemically amplifiedresists. This work demonstrates the use of ZEP520A electron-beam resist for fabrication of imprint masks (templates).It is shown that high resolution, low roughness patterns can be robustly transferred from imprint mask to imprint resist,and from imprint resist through etch transfer into the underlying substrate. Through improvements to the electron-beampatterning process, 22 nm half-pitch patterns are routinely achieved with linewidth roughness (LWR) of just 2.6 nm, 36.