EUV ALDSELECTIVE ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION ALD OF PROTECTIVE CAPS TO ENHANCE EXTREME ULTRA-VIOLET EUV ETCH RESISTANCE

摘要

Disclosed is a method of selectively depositing a protective material on the top regions of patterned photoresist layers, such as patterned EUV photoresist layers, to provide a protective cap that reduces erosion damage during etch processes used for pattern transfer. Some deposition of the protective material on sidewalls of the patterned photoresist layer is acceptable, and any deposition of the protective material on an underlying layer below the patterned photoresist layer is preferably thinner than the deposition at the top of the photoresist pattern. Further, the selective deposition of protective caps can be implemented, for example, through application of high-speed rotations to spatial atomic layer deposition (ALD) techniques. The selective deposition of protective caps increases flexibility of options to improve etching resistance for various processes/materials.