IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,650,379
Granted Patent B2
US 12,650,379 · App. 17/968,779 · Granted Jun 9, 2026

Tunable shrinkage and trim process for fabricating gratings

Inventors: Austin Lane (Snohomish, WA); Ankit Vora (Bothell, WA); Richard Farrell (Seattle, WA); Keren Zhang (Woodinville, WA)
Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
G01N21/4788G01N21/956G03F7/0005G03F7/0035G03F7/2022G03F7/40G03F7/70625G01N2021/95676
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,650,379
App. No.
17/968,779
Granted
Jun 9, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method is provided. The method includes forming a shrink material layer over a substrate including a photoresist pattern. The method also includes exposing the substrate with the shrink material layer to an activating radiation via a grey-tone mask that provides a predetermined light transmittance profile for the activating radiation. The method also includes removing at least a portion of the shrink material layer.

Claims (37)

1 . A method, comprising:

forming a shrink material layer over a substrate including a photoresist pattern;

exposing the substrate with the shrink material layer to an activating radiation via a grey-tone mask that provides a predetermined light transmittance profile for the activating radiation; and

removing at least a portion of the shrink material layer, wherein the shrink material layer reacts with the photoresist pattern at different selective portions of the photoresist pattern to vary a width of at least one photoresist line and vary a width of at least one trench in the photoresist pattern.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined light transmittance profile is a non-uniform light transmittance profile.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate includes a photosensitive material that is activated under the activating radiation to react with the shrink material layer.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the photoresist pattern includes the photosensitive material, or the photosensitive material is disposed between the photoresist pattern and the shrink material layer.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the shrink material layer includes a material including one or more amine functional groups and one or more amine protecting groups, and the photosensitive material includes a photoacid generator.

6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the shrink material layer includes monomers, and the photosensitive material includes an initiator for a photo-polymerization of the monomers.

7 . The method of claim 3 , wherein removing at least the portion of the shrink material layer comprises:

rinsing the substrate with the shrink material layer using a rinsing solution to remove a portion of the shrink material layer that has not reacted with the photoresist pattern.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein a portion of the shrink material layer remains on the photoresist pattern after the rinsing to increase the width of the at least one photoresist line included in the photoresist pattern.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the shrink material layer includes a photosensitive material that is activated under the activating radiation to react with the photoresist pattern.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the shrink material layer includes a material that is aqueous-soluble or organic solvent-soluble, and the photosensitive material includes a photoacid generator.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the photoacid generator included in the photosensitive material is a first photoacid generator with a first activating wavelength, the photoresist pattern includes a second photoacid generator with a second activating wavelength, and the first activating wavelength is greater than the second activating wavelength.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein removing at least the portion of the shrink material layer comprises:

developing the substrate with the shrink material layer using a developer base to remove the shrink material layer and a portion of the photoresist pattern that has reacted with the shrink material layer.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein removing the portion of the photoresist pattern that has reacted with the shrink material layer reduces the width of the at least one photoresist line included in the photoresist pattern.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein removing the portion of the photoresist pattern that has reacted with the shrink material layer reduces the width of the at least one trench in the photoresist pattern.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the photoresist pattern includes a plurality of photoresist structures that are slanted with respect to the substrate.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate with the shrink material layer has a uniform thickness.

17 . A method, comprising:

configuring a grey-tone mask to provide a non-uniform light transmittance profile for a radiation for creating a varying duty cycle profile in a grating to be fabricated;

applying a shrink material over a photoresist pattern;

exposing the photoresist pattern with the shrink material to the radiation transmitting through the grey-tone mask to cause a reaction between the shrink material and the photoresist pattern at selective portions of the photoresist pattern covered by the shrink material; and

removing at least a portion of the shrink material to form the grating, wherein the selective portions of the photoresist pattern varies in a width of at least one photoresist line and varies in a width of at least one trench in the photoresist pattern.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein removing at least the portion of the shrink material comprises at least one of:

rinsing the photoresist pattern with the shrink material using a rinsing solution to remove a portion of the shrink material that has not reacted with the photoresist pattern; or

developing the photoresist pattern with the shrink material using a developer base to remove the shrink material and a portion of the photoresist pattern that has reacted with the shrink material to reduce the width of the at least one photoresist line included in the photoresist pattern.

19 . A method, comprising:

forming a photoresist pattern through a lithography mask via a lithography process, the photoresist pattern including a first duty cycle profile;

applying a shrink material over the photoresist pattern;

exposing the photoresist pattern with the shrink material to a radiation through a grey-tone mask having a non-uniform light transmittance profile for the radiation, the non-uniform light transmittance profile corresponding to a second duty cycle profile that is different from the first duty cycle profile; and

removing at least a portion of the shrink material to form a grating having the second duty cycle profile, wherein the second duty cycle profile varies in a width of at least one photoresist line and varies in a width of at least one trench in the photoresist pattern.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein removing at least the portion of the shrink material to form the grating having the second duty cycle profile comprises at least one of:

rinsing the photoresist pattern with the shrink material using a rinsing solution to remove a portion of the shrink material that has not reacted with the photoresist pattern; or

developing the photoresist pattern with the shrink material using a developer base to remove the shrink material and a portion of the photoresist pattern that has reacted with the shrink material to reduce the width of the at least one photoresist line included in the photoresist pattern.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 28, 2023
From: LANE, AUSTIN; VORA, ANKIT; FARRELL, RICHARD; ZHANG, KEREN
To: META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 062519/0708 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63282160 · Nov 22, 2021
Related Publication 20230160820A1 · May 25, 2023
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