Selective photoresist etching for bridge defect removal
View Patent ↗Disclosed are methods for removing bridge defects using an angled implant and selective photoresist etch. In one embodiment, a method includes providing a semiconductor device including plurality of photoresist lines on a stack of layers, wherein a bridge defect extends between two or more photoresist lines of the plurality of photoresist lines. The method may further include implanting a sidewall and an upper surface of the two or more photoresist lines with an ion beam disposed at an angle, the angle being a non-zero angle of inclination with respect to a perpendicular to a plane of the upper surface of the stack of layers. The method may further include etching the semiconductor device to remove the bridge defect.
1. A method comprising:
providing a semiconductor device including a plurality of photoresist lines on a stack of layers, wherein a bridge defect extends between two or more photoresist lines of the plurality of photoresist lines; and
implanting a sidewall surface and an upper surface of the two or more photoresist lines with an ion beam disposed at an angle, the angle being a non-zero angle of inclination with respect to a perpendicular to a plane of an upper surface of the stack of layers, wherein just the sidewall surface and the upper surface of the two or more photoresist lines are implanted without implanting the bridge defect.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising etching the semiconductor device to remove the bridge defect.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising removing the bridge defect selective to the upper surface of the stack of layers and to the plurality of photoresist lines.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein etching the semiconductor device comprises performing one of: an anisotropic reactive ion etch, and an isotropic reactive ion etch.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stack of layers comprises:
an optical planarization layer; and
an underlayer formed atop the optical planarization layer.
6. The method of claim 1 , forming a treated layer along the sidewall surface and the upper surface of the two or more photoresist lines.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bridge defect is formed on the upper surface of the stack of layers.
8. A method for removing photoresist defects:
providing a semiconductor device including plurality of photoresist lines on a stack of layers, wherein a bridge defect extends between two or more photoresist lines of the plurality of photoresist lines, and wherein the bridge defect is present along an upper surface of the stack of layers;
forming a treated layer along just a sidewall surface and an upper surface of the two or more photoresist lines by implanting just the sidewall surface and the upper surface of the two or more photoresist lines with an ion beam disposed at an angle, the angle being a non-zero angle of inclination with respect to a perpendicular to a plane of the upper surface of the stack of layers; and
etching the semiconductor device to remove the bridge defect.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising implanting just an exposed portion of the sidewall surface and the upper surface of the two or more photoresist lines without implanting the bridge defect.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising removing the bridge defect selective to the upper surface of the stack of layers and to the sidewall surface of the two or more photoresist lines of the plurality of photoresist lines.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the stack of layers comprises:
an optical planarization layer; and
an underlayer formed atop the optical planarization layer.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein etching the semiconductor device comprises performing one of: an anisotropic reactive ion etch, and an isotropic reactive ion etch.
13. A method for selectively removing photoresist defects:
providing a semiconductor device including plurality of photoresist lines on a stack of layers, wherein a bridge defect extends between two or more photoresist lines of the plurality of photoresist lines, and wherein the bridge defect is present along an upper surface of the stack of layers;
forming a treated layer along just a sidewall surface and an upper surface of the two or more photoresist lines by implanting the sidewall and the upper surface of the two or more photoresist lines with an ion beam disposed at an angle, the angle being a non-zero angle of inclination with respect to a perpendicular to a plane of the upper surface of the stack of layers, and the angle preventing the ion beam from implanting the bridge defect; and
etching the semiconductor device to remove the bridge defect.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising removing the bridge defect selective to the upper surface of the stack of layers and to the sidewall surface of the two or more photoresist lines of the plurality of photoresist lines.
15. The method of claim 13 , the stack of layers comprising:
an optical planarization layer; and
an underlayer formed atop the optical planarization layer.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein etching the semiconductor device comprises performing one of: an anisotropic reactive ion etch, and an isotropic reactive ion etch.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the etching is applied to the plurality of photoresist lines and the bridge defect, and wherein just the bridge defect is removed.
18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising providing the bridge defect just partially up the sidewall of the two or more photoresist lines.
19. The method of claim 13 , the implanting comprising implanting, at a first implant angle, a first side of the two or more photoresist lines, and implanting, at a second implant angle, a second side of the two or more photoresist lines.
20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising spacing the plurality of photoresist lines apart from one another by an approximately uniform distance, wherein the plurality of photoresist lines has an approximately uniform height from the upper surface of the stack of layers.