Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device

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

forming a multilayer photoresist structure comprising a metal-containing photoresist over a substrate,

wherein the multilayer photoresist structure includes two or more metal-containing photoresist layers having different physical parameters,

wherein the metal-containing photoresist is a reaction product of a first precursor and a second precursor,

wherein the different physical parameters of the photoresist layer include different crosslinking densities or different photoresist layer thicknesses, and

wherein each layer of the multilayer photoresist structure is formed using different photoresist layer formation parameters,

wherein the different photoresist layer formation parameters are one or more selected from the group consisting of the first precursor, an amount of the first precursor, the second precursor, an amount of the second precursor, a length of time of each photoresist layer formation operation, and heating conditions of the photoresist layers;

selectively exposing the multilayer photoresist structure to actinic radiation to form a latent pattern; and

developing the latent pattern by applying a developer to the selectively exposed multilayer photoresist structure to form a pattern.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the actinic radiation is extreme ultraviolet radiation.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising after selectively exposing the multilayer photoresist structure to actinic radiation to form a latent pattern and before developing the latent pattern, post-exposure heating the multilayer photoresist structure at a temperature ranging from 50° C. to 250° C.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising heating each photoresist layer at a temperature ranging from 50° C. to 200° C. after forming each layer.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the multilayer photoresist structure is formed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or atomic layer deposition (ALD).

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the multilayer photoresist structure includes a first photoresist layer overlying the substrate, and a second photoresist layer overlying the first photoresist layer,

the photoresist layers are the reaction products of the first precursor and the second precursor,

the first photoresist layer is formed by combining the first precursor and the second precursor having a first concentration,

the second photoresist layer is formed by combining the first precursor and the second precursor having a second concentration, and

the first and second concentrations of the second precursor are different from each other.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising forming a third photoresist layer over the second photoresist layer,

wherein the third photoresist layer is formed by combining the first precursor and the second precursor having a third concentration, and

the third concentration is different from the first and second concentrations.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an amount of H 2 O present during the forming the multilayer photoresist structure over the substrate is varied to provide the two or more photoresist layers having different physical parameters.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the two or more photoresist layers have different thicknesses.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising performing a heating operation after each photoresist layer of the two or more photoresist layers is formed.

11. A method of forming a pattern, comprising:

forming a first resist layer having a first physical parameter over a substrate;

forming a second resist layer having a second physical parameter over the first resist layer, wherein the first and second physical parameters are different;

patternwise crosslinking the first and second resist layers; and

removing portions of the first and second resist layers not crosslinked to form a pattern in the first and second resist layers,

wherein the first and second resist layers are reaction products of a first metal-containing precursor and a second precursor,

wherein the first resist layer and the second resist layer are formed using different resist layer formation parameters,

wherein the different resist layer formation parameters are one or more selected from the group consisting of the first metal-containing precursor, an amount of the first metal-containing precursor, the second precursor, an amount of the second precursor, a length of time of each resist layer formation operation, and heating conditions of the resist layers.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising forming a third resist layer, having a third physical parameter over the second resist layer, wherein the third physical parameter is different from the first and second physical parameters.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the first and second physical parameters are crosslinking densities of the first and second resist layers.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the first and second physical parameters are thicknesses of the first and second resist layers.

15. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising heating the first and second resist layers after forming each of the resist layers.

16. A method of forming a pattern, comprising:

forming a first photoresist layer over a substrate by depositing a first photoresist composition in a first vapor phase deposition operation at a first deposition parameter;

forming a second photoresist layer over the first photoresist layer by depositing a second photoresist composition in a second vapor phase deposition operation at a second deposition parameter,

wherein the first deposition parameter is different from the second deposition parameter,

wherein the first deposition parameter and the second deposition parameter are one or more selected from the group consisting of an amount of the first photoresist composition, an amount of the second photoresist composition, a length of time of each photoresist layer formation operation, pressure, vapor flow rate, and heating conditions of the photoresist layers, and

wherein the first and second photoresist layers have different thicknesses or different crosslinking densities;

selectively exposing the first and second photoresist layers to actinic radiation to form a latent pattern; and

developing the latent pattern by applying a developer to the selectively exposed first and second photoresist layers to form the pattern.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the first and second vapor phase deposition operations are atomic layer deposition (ALD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

18. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising forming a third photoresist layer over the second photoresist layer by a third vapor phase deposition operation at a third deposition parameter,

wherein the third deposition parameter is different from the first and second deposition parameters.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein an amount of the third deposition parameter is between an amount of the first deposition parameter and an amount of the second deposition parameter.

20. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising after selectively exposing the first and second photoresist layers to actinic radiation to form a latent pattern and before developing the latent pattern, post-exposure heating the first and second photoresist layers at a temperature ranging from 50° C. to 250° C.