Methods for fabricating patterned features utilizing imprint lithography
View Patent ↗One embodiment of the present invention is a method for generating patterned features on a substrate that includes: (a) forming a first layer on at least a portion of a surface of the substrate, the first layer comprising at least one layer of a first material, which one layer abuts the surface of the substrate; (b) forming a second layer of a second material on at least a portion of the first layer, which second layer is imprinted with the patterned features; (c) removing at least portions of the second layer to extend the patterned features to the first layer; and (d) removing at least portions of the first layer to extend the patterned features to the substrate; wherein the first layer and the second layer may be exposed to an etching process that undercuts the patterned features, and the first material may be lifted-off.
1. A method for generating patterned features on a substrate that comprises:
forming a first layer on at least a portion of a surface of the substrate, the first layer comprising at least one layer of a first material, which one layer abuts the surface of the substrate;
forming a second layer of a second material on at least a portion of the first layer, which second layer is imprinted with the patterned features;
removing at least portions of the second layer to extend the patterned features to the first layer; and
removing at least portions of the first layer to extend the patterned features to the substrate;
wherein the first layer and the second layer may be exposed to an etching process that undercuts the patterned features, and the first material may be lifted-off.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the etching process causes etching of the first material and no etching of the second material.
3. The method of claim 1 method wherein the etching process causes etching of the first material and etching of the second material at a slower rate than a rate at which the first material is etched.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second layer does not intermix with the first layer.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of removing at least portions of the second layer comprises dry etching.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of removing at least portions of the first layer to extend the patterned features to the substrate does not remove second material.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first layer and the second layer are selectively etchable.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the second layer comprises a silicon-containing material and the first layer comprises a non-silicon containing material.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of removing at least portions of the second layer to extend the patterned features to the first layer comprises an anisotropic halogen etch.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the anisotropic halogen etch is an anisotropic halogen reactive ion etch comprising a fluorine-containing precursor.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of removing at least portions of the first layer to extend the patterned features to the substrate comprises an oxygen plasma etch.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein step of forming the second layer comprises dispensing an acrylic-based polymerizable fluid.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the acrylic-based polymerizable fluid includes (a) isobomyl acrylate; (b) n-hexyl acrylate; (c) ethylene glycol diacrylate; and (d) 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-1-one.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the acrylic-based polymerizable fluid further includes a surfactant.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein the acrylic-based polymerizable fluid includes (a) isobomyl acrylate; (b) acryloxymethyltrimethylsilane; (c) (3-acryloxypropyltristrimethylsiloxy)silane; (d) ethylene glycol diacrylate; and (f) a UV photoinitiator.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the acrylic-based polymerizable fluid further includes a surfactant.
17. The method of claim 15 wherein the UV initiator comprises 2-hydroxy-2-methyt-1-phenyl-propan-1-one.
18. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming the first layer comprises coating a polymer containing a poly(dimethylglutarimide) (“PMGI”) structure.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein coating comprises spin coating.
20. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming the first layer comprises coating a high molecular weight polyhydroxystyrene.
21. The method of claim 1 wherein the first layer comprises the one layer and another layer of another material disposed on the one layer, and the second layer does not intermix with the another layer.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein the etching process causes etching of the first material and no etching of the another material.
23. The method of claim 21 method wherein the etching process causes etching of the first material and etching of the another material at a slower rate than a rate at which the first material is etched.
24. The method of claim 21 wherein the another layer is a BARC layer.
25. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
exposing the first layer and the second layer to an etching process that undercuts the patterned features.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein the step of forming the first layer comprises coating a polymer containing a poly(dimethylglutarimide) (“PMGI”) structure.
27. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of exposing comprises exposing the first and second layer to tetramethylammonium hydroxide.
28. A method for generating patterned features on a substrate that comprises:
forming a first layer on at least a portion of a surface of the substrate, the first layer comprising at least one layer of a first material, which one layer abuts the surface of the substrate, with forming the first layer comprising coating a polymer containing a poly(dimethylglutarimide) (“PMGI”) structure;
forming a second layer of a second material on at least a portion of the first layer, which second layer is imprinted with the patterned features;
removing at least portions of the second layer to extend the patterned features to the first layer; and
removing at least portions of the first layer to extend the patterned features to the substrate;
wherein the first layer and the second layer may be exposed to an etching process that undercuts the patterned features, and the first material may be lifted-off.
29. The method of claim 28 wherein coating comprises spin coating.
30. A method for generating patterned features on a substrate that comprises:
forming a first layer on at least a portion of a surface of the substrate, the first layer comprising at least one layer of a first material, which one layer abuts the surface of the substrate, with forming the first layer comprising coating a high molecular weight polyhydroxystyrene;
forming a second layer of a second material on at least a portion of the first layer, which second layer is imprinted with the patterned features;
removing at least portions of the second layer to extend the patterned features to the first layer; and
removing at least portions of the first layer to extend the patterned features to the substrate;
wherein the first layer and the second layer may be exposed to an etching process that undercuts the patterned features, and the first material may be lifted-off.
31. A method for generating patterned features on a substrate that comprises:
forming a first layer on at least a portion of a surface of the substrate, the first layer comprising at least one layer of a first material, which one layer abuts the surface of the substrate, with forming the first layer comprising coating a polymer containing a poly(dimethylglutarimide) (“PMGI”) structure;
forming a second layer of a second material on at least a portion of the first layer, which second layer is imprinted with the patterned features;
removing at least portions of the second layer to extend the patterned features to the first layer;
removing at least portions of the first layer to extend the patterned features to the substrate; and
exposing the first layer and the second layer to tetramethylammonium hydroxide that undercuts the patterned features, and the first material may be lifted off.