Process solutions containing surfactants
View Patent ↗Process solutions comprising one or more surfactants are used to reduce the number of defects in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. In certain embodiments, the process solution may reduce post-development defects such as pattern collapse or line width roughness when employed as a rinse solution either during or after the development of the patterned photoresist layer. Also disclosed is a method for reducing the number of defects such as pattern collapse and/or line width roughness on a plurality of photoresist coated substrates employing the process solution of the present invention.
1. A process rinse solution to reduce at least one defect selected from pattern collapse and line width roughness on the surface of a substrate that has been patterned and developed, the solution comprising an aqueous solvent, a non-aqueous solvent, and at least one surfactant selected from the group of surfactants having the formula (IVa), (IVb), (V), (VII), (IXc), (Xa), or (Xd):
wherein R, R 1 , R 4 , and R 12 are each independently a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms; R 5 is a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; R 10 is a hydrogen atom or a group represented by the formula
R 11 is a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 4 to 22 carbon atoms; W is a hydrogen atom or an alkynyl group; X and Y are each independently a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyl group; i, m, and n, are each independently a number that ranges from 0 to 20; r and s are each independently 2 or 3; t is a number that ranges from 0 to 2; j is a number that ranges from 1 to 5; and x is a number that ranges from 1 to 6.
2. The process solution of claim 1 wherein the non-aqueous solvent is miscible in the aqueous solvent.
3. The process solution of claim 1 wherein the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (IVa):
wherein R 1 and R 4 are each independently a straight or a branched alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms and r and s are each independently 2 or 3.
4. The process solution of claim 1 wherein the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (IVb):
wherein R 1 and R 4 are each independently a straight or a branched alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms and r is 2 or 3.
5. The process solution of claim 1 wherein the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (V):
wherein R 1 and R 4 are each independently a straight or branched alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms and X and Y are each independently a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyl group.
6. The process solution of claim 1 wherein the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (VIII):
wherein R 10 is a hydrogen atom or a group represented by the formula
R 11 is independently a straight, branched, or cyclic alkyl group having from 4 to 22 carbon atoms; r and s are each independently 2 or 3; and x is a number that ranges from 1 to 6.
7. The process solution of claim 1 wherein the at the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (IXc):
wherein R 1 , R 4 , and R 12 are each independently a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms.
8. The process solution of claim 1 wherein the at the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (Xa):
R 1 —NH(CH 2 CH 2 O) m H Xa
wherein R 1 is a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms; and m is a number that ranges from 0 to 20.
9. The process solution of claim 1 wherein the at the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (Xd):
wherein R is independently a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms; and i, m, and n are each independently a number ranging from 0 to 20.
10. The process solution of claim 1 wherein the non-aqueous solvent is at least one seleced from the group consisting of: ethylether, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, 2-methoxyethyl ether, a nitrile, lactates, pyruvates, diols, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, 1,4-dioxane, 1,3-dioxolane, ethyl acetate, cyclohexanone, acetone, 1-methyl-2-pyrodidianone, methyl ethyl ketone, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, N-methyl pyrrolidone, ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, glycerol and derivatives, acetic acid anyhydride, propionic acid and propionic acid anhydride, dimethyl sulfone, benzophenone, diphenyl sulfone, phenol, m-cresol, dimethyl sulfoxide, diphenyl ether, propylene glycol propyl ether, methanol, ethanol, 3-heptanol, 2-methyl-1-pentanol, 5-methyl-2-hexanol, 3-hexanol, 2-heptanol, 2-hexanol, 2,3-dimethyl-3-pentanol, propylene glycol methyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butyl ether, propylene glycol n-butyl ether, 1-butoxy-2-propanol, 2-methyl-3-pentanol, 2-methoxyethyl acetate, 2-butoxyethanol, 2-ethoxyethyl acetoacetate, 1-pentanol, and propylene glycol methyl ether.
11. The process solution of claim 1 further comprising at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of formula (I) and (II):
wherein p and q are each independently a number from 0 to 20.
12. A process rinse solution to reduce at least one defect selected from pattern collapse and line width roughness on the surface of a substrate that has been patterned and developed, the solution consisting of an aqueous solvent, a non-aqueous solvent, and at least one surfactant selected from the group of surfactants having the formula (IVa), (lVb), (V), (VIII), (IXa), (IXb), (IXc), (Xa), (Xb), (Xc), or (Xd):
wherein R, R 1 , R 4 , and R 12 are each independently a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms; R 2 is a hydrogen atom or a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms; R 5 is a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; R 10 is a hydrogen atom or a group represented by the formula
R 11 is a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 4 to 22 carbon atoms; W is a hydrogen atom or an alkynyl group; X and Y are each independently a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyl group; i, m, and n are each independently a number that ranges from 0 to 20; r and s are each independently 2 or 3; t is a number that ranges from 0 to 2; j is a number that ranges from 1 to 5; and x is a number that ranges from 1 to 6.
13. The process solution of claim 12 wherein the non-aqueous solvent is miscible in the aqueous solvent.
14. The process solution of claim 12 wherein the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (IVa):
wherein R 1 and R 4 are each independently a straight or a branched alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms and r and s are each independently 2 or 3.
15. The process solution of claim 12 wherein the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (IVb):
wherein R 1 and R 4 are each independently a straight or a branched alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms and r is 2 or 3.
16. The process solution of claim 12 wherein the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (V):
wherein R 1 and R 4 are each independently a straight or branched alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms and X and Y are each independently a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyl group.
17. The process solution of claim 12 wherein the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (VIII):
wherein R 10 is a hydrogen atom or a group represented by the formula
R 11 is independently a straight, branched, or cyclic alkyl group having from 4 to 22 carbon atoms; r and s are each independently 2 or 3; and x is a number that ranges from 1 to 6.
18. The process solution of claim 12 wherein the at the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (IXa):
R 1 —NH 2 IXa
wherein R, is a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms.
19. The process solution of claim 12 wherein the at the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (IXb):
R 1 —N—R 4 IXb
wherein R 1 and R 4 are each independently a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms.
20. The process solution of claim 12 wherein the at the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (IXc):
wherein R 1 , R 4 , and R 12 are each independently a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms.
21. The process solution of claim 12 wherein the at the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (Xa):
R 1 —NH(CH 2 CH 2 O) m H Xa
wherein R 1 is a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms; and m is a number that ranges from 0 to 20.
22. The process solution of claim 12 wherein the at the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (Xb):
wherein R 1 and R 2 are each independently a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms; and m and n are each independently a number that ranges from 0 to 20.
23. The process solution of claim 12 wherein the at the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (Xc):
wherein R 1 and R 2 are each independently a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms; and m is a number that ranges from 0 to 20.
24. The process solution of claim 12 wherein the at the at least one surfactant is a surfactant having the following formula (Xd):
wherein R is independently a straight, a branched, or a cyclic alkyl group having from 3 to 25 carbon atoms; and i, m, and n are each independently a number ranging from 0 to 20.
25. The process solution of claim 12 wherein the non-aqueous solvent is at least one seleced from the group consisting of: ethylether, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, 2-methoxyethyl ether, a nitrile, lactates, pyruvates, diols, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, 1,4-dioxane, 1,3-dioxolane, ethyl acetate, cyclohexanone, acetone, 1-methyl-2-pyrodidianone, methyl ethyl ketone, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, N-methyl pyrrolidone, ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, glycerol and derivatives, acetic acid anyhydride, propionic acid and propionic acid anhydride, dimethyl sulfone, benzophenone, diphenyl sulfone, phenol, m-cresol, dimethyl sulfoxide, diphenyl ether, propylene glycol propyl ether, methanol, ethanol, 3-heptanol, 2-methyl-1-pentanol, 5-methyl-2-hexanol, 3-hexanol, 2-heptanol, 2-hexanol, 2,3-dimethyl-3-pentanol, propylene glycol methyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butyl ether, propylene glycol n-butyl ether, 1-butoxy-2-propanol, 2-methyl-3-pentanol, 2-methoxyethyl acetate, 2-butoxyethanol, 2-ethoxyethyl acetoacetate, 1-pentanol, and propylene glycol methyl ether.