Method of forming a directed self-assembled layer on a substrate
A method of forming a directed self-assembled (DSA) layer on a substrate by: providing a substrate; applying a layer comprising a self-assembly material on the substrate; and annealing of the self-assembly material of the layer to form a directed self-assembled layer by providing a controlled temperature and gas environment around the substrate. The controlled gas environment comprises molecules comprising an oxygen element with a partial pressure between 10-2000 Pa.
1. A method of forming a directed self-assembled (DSA) layer on a substrate comprising:
providing a substrate;
applying a layer comprising a self-assembly material on the substrate;
annealing the self-assembly material of the layer to form a directed self-assembled layer by providing a controlled temperature and controlled gas environment around the substrate; and
controlling the controlled gas environment to comprise vapor phase oxidant compound(s) with a partial pressure in a range of about 10-2000 Pa.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the partial pressure is in a range of about 50-1000 Pa.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the partial pressure is in a range of about 200-500 Pa.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vapor phase oxidant compound(s) include compounds selected from the group comprising oxygen (O 2 ), water (H 2 O), and nitrous oxide (N 2 O).
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises controlling the controlled gas environment to comprise an inert gas.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the inert gas comprises nitrogen (N 2 ), argon (Ar), or helium (He).
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein during annealing, the controlled temperature is controlled to a range between 100° C. and 400° C.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein during annealing, the controlled temperature is controlled to a range between 200° C. and 300° C.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the self-assembly material comprises a diblock copolymer wherein at least 1 of the blocks comprises polystyrene or PMMA.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the diblock copolymer comprises a poly(styrene-block-methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA).
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the annealing and the film deposition take place within different reaction chambers located on the same cluster tool.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reaction chamber is a batch system for processing substrates.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reaction chamber is configured to process multiple substrates.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the annealing is configured to induce directed self-assembly within the self-assembly material.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlled temperature is at least 25° C. higher than a temperature of the substrate during applying the film.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the temperature of the annealing step is 25-300° C. higher than the temperature of the substrate during applying the film.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the temperature of the annealing step is 100-250° C. higher than the temperature of the substrate during the applying the film.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the layer and annealing the layer take place within a single reaction chamber.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the layer and annealing the layer take place within different reaction chambers located in the same tool.
20. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises pre-annealing the self-assembly material on the substrate before annealing the self-assembly material by providing a pre-anneal controlled temperature and pre-anneal controlled gas environment around the substrate, controlling the pre-anneal controlled gas environment to comprise vapor phase oxidant compound(s) with a partial pressure in a range of about 10-2000 Pa.
21. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlled gas environment has a pressure around 100.000 Pa.
22. An apparatus constructed and arranged to form a directed self-assembled (DSA) layer on a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
a reaction chamber, the reaction chamber constructed and arranged to hold the substrate comprising a self-assembly material on the substrate;
a heating element configured to perform an annealing of the self-assembly material on the substrate; and
a gas control system configured to control the gas environment around the substrate in the reaction chamber to comprise vapor phase oxidant compound(s) with a partial pressure in a range of about 10-2000 Pa.
23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the heating element is constructed and arranged to control the temperature during annealing to a range between 100° C. and 400° C.
24. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the temperature during annealing is between 200° C. and 300° C.