Selective deposition of carbon on photoresist layer for lithography applications

1. A method for etching a hardmask layer, comprising:

forming a photoresist layer comprising an organometallic material on a hardmask layer comprising a metal-containing material;

exposing the photoresist layer to ultraviolet radiation through a mask having a selected pattern, creating irradiated areas and un-irradiated areas of the photoresist layer;

removing the irradiated or the un-irradiated areas of the photoresist layer to pattern the photoresist layer;

forming a passivation layer comprising a carbon-containing material only on a top surface of the patterned photoresist layer; and

etching the hardmask layer exposed by the removed irradiated or un-irradiated areas of the patterned photoresist layer having the passivation layer formed thereon.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organometallic material comprises one or more metal elements and organic ligands.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more metal elements comprise tin (Sn).

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the organic ligands are selected from the group consisting of alkyls, alkenyls, and carboxylates.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the passivation layer comprises:

supplying deposition gas comprising a gas selected from the group consisting of CO and CH 4 onto the patterned photoresist layer.

6. A method for etching a film stack, comprising:

forming a bottom anti-reflective coating layer on a film stack;

forming a hardmask layer comprising a metal-containing material on the bottom anti-reflective coating layer;

forming a photoresist layer comprising an organometallic material on the hardmask layer;

exposing the photoresist layer to ultraviolet radiation through a mask having a selected pattern, creating irradiated areas and un-irradiated areas of the photoresist layer;

removing the irradiated or the un-irradiated areas of the photoresist layer to pattern the photoresist layer;

forming a passivation layer comprising a carbon-containing material only on a top surface of the patterned photoresist layer;

etching the hardmask layer exposed by the removed irradiated or un-irradiated areas of the patterned photoresist layer having the passivation layer formed thereon to pattern the hardmask layer;

etching the bottom anti-reflective coating layer exposed by the patterned hardmask layer to pattern the bottom anti-reflective coating layer; and

etching the film stack exposed by the patterned bottom anti-reflective coating layer.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the organometallic material comprises one or more metal elements and organic ligands.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more metal elements comprise tin (Sn).

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the organic ligands are selected from the group consisting of alkyls, alkenyls, and carboxylates.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the forming of the passivation layer comprises:

supplying deposition gas comprising a gas selected from the group consisting of CO and CH 4 onto the patterned photoresist layer.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the metal-containing material of the hardmask layer comprises tin (Sn).

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal-containing material of the hardmask layer is selected from the group consisting of tin oxide (SnO), tin silicon oxide (SnSiO), indium tin oxide (InSnO), and any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein the bottom anti-reflective coating layer comprises a carbon-containing material.

14. A method for selectively forming a passivation layer on a patterned photoresist layer, comprising:

exposing a photoresist layer comprising an organometallic material to ultraviolet radiation through a mask, creating irradiated areas and un-irradiated areas of the photoresist layer;

removing the irradiated or the un-irradiated areas of the photoresist layer; and

forming a passivation layer comprising a carbon-containing material only on a top surface of the photoresist layer.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the organometallic material comprises one or more metal elements and organic ligands.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more metal elements comprise tin (Sn).

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more metal elements are selected from the group consisting of tin (Sn), antimony (Sb), and indium (In), and any combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the organic ligands are selected from the group consisting of alkyls, alkenyls, and carboxylates.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

heating the patterned photoresist layer.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the forming of the passivation layer comprises:

supplying deposition gas comprising a gas selected from the group consisting of CO and CH 4 onto the patterned photoresist layer.