Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device

1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming a first protective layer over an edge portion of a first main surface of a semiconductor substrate;

forming a metal-containing photoresist layer over the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate;

removing the first protective layer;

selectively exposing the metal-containing photoresist layer to actinic radiation;

forming a second protective layer over the edge portion of the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate;

developing the selectively exposed metal-containing photoresist layer to form a patterned photoresist layer; and

removing the second protective layer.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a first heating of the selectively exposed metal-containing photoresist layer and the second protective layer at a temperature of 100° C. to 200° C. for 10 seconds to 5 minutes.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the semiconductor substrate is placed on a heated surface during the first heating.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein a gas at a temperature of 100° C. to 190° C. is flowed over the selectively exposed metal-containing photoresist layer and the second protective layer during the first heating.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a second heating of the first protective layer at a temperature of 40° C. to 120° C. before forming the metal-containing photoresist layer.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a third heating of the first protective layer and the metal-containing photoresist layer before removing the first protective layer.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing photoresist layer includes one or more of Cs, Ba, La, Ce, In, Sn, or Ag.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a concentration of metal in the metal-containing photoresist layer ranges from 10 wt. % to 80 wt. % based on a total weight of the metal-containing photoresist layer.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first protective layer and the second protective layer comprise organic material.

10. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming a first protective layer over an edge portion of a first main surface of a semiconductor substrate;

forming a photoresist layer over the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate;

removing the first protective layer;

selectively exposing the photoresist layer to actinic radiation;

forming a second protective layer over the edge portion of the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate; and

first heating the selectively exposed photoresist layer and the second protective layer in a heating chamber,

wherein during the first heating the selectively exposed photoresist layer and second protective layer one or more parameters are controlled, wherein the parameters are selected from: gas flow into the heating chamber, exhaust gas flow from the heating chamber, temperature of the gas flowing into the heating chamber, and relative humidity in the heating chamber.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising developing the selectively exposed photoresist layer to form a patterned photoresist layer.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the photoresist layer comprises 10 wt. % to 80 wt. % of a metal based on a total weight of the photoresist layer.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein an inlet temperature of the gas flowing into the heating chamber ranges from 100° C. to 190° C.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein a flow rate of the gas flowing into the heating chamber ranges from 5 L/min to 40 L/min during the first heating.

15. The method according to claim 10 , wherein a flow rate of exhaust gas from the heating chamber ranges from 10 L/min to 50 L/min during the first heating.

16. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the relative humidity in the heating chamber ranges from 1% to 50% during the first heating.

17. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising a second heating of the first protective layer at a temperature of 40° C. to 120° C. before forming the photoresist layer.

18. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising a third heating of the first protective layer and the photoresist layer before removing the first protective layer.

19. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming a first protective layer over an edge portion of a first main surface of a semiconductor substrate;

forming a first metal-containing photoresist layer over the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate;

removing the first protective layer;

selectively exposing the first metal-containing photoresist layer to actinic radiation to form a first plurality of latent pattern features extending along a first direction and arranged along a second direction;

forming a second protective layer over the edge portion of the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate;

developing the selectively exposed first metal-containing photoresist layer to form a patterned photoresist layer including a first plurality of pattern features extending along a first direction and arranged along a second direction;

forming a second metal-containing photoresist layer over the first plurality of pattern features;

removing the second protective layer;

selectively exposing the second metal-containing photoresist layer to actinic radiation to form a second plurality of latent pattern features extending along the second direction and arranged along the first direction;

forming a third protective layer over the edge portion of the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate; and

developing the selectively exposed second metal-containing photoresist layer to form a patterned photoresist layer including a second plurality of pattern features.

20. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising removing the third protective layer.