Understanding Brewer Science’s

Bottom Anti-Reflective Coatings

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 Overview

• Anti-reflective coating introduction

• Types of anti-reflective coating

• Advantages to anti-reflective coatings

• Advantages to bottom anti-reflective coatings

• Guide to products and compatibility

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
Anti-Reflective Coating Introduction
• Anti-reflective coatings (ARC) can do several things
– Absorb light entering the material by light absorbing compounds in material.
– If ARC is the correct thickness can cause destructive interference of reflected light.

Exposure
Energy

ARC

Substrate

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 Types of Anti-reflective Coatings
• Organic
– Applied like a photoresist
– Top anti-reflective coating (TARC)
– Applied after the photoresist
– Absorbs light to give little reflection at substrate/resist surface
– Bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC)
– Applied before the photoresist
– Absorbs light and uses destructive interference to give little reflection at the
resist/ARC interface

• Inorganic
– Deposited on substrate in special deposition chamber

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 Organic and Inorganic ARC
Property Organic ARC Inorganic ARC
Reflectivity and swing ratio ++ +++
reduction - 1st minimum
Reflectivity and swing ratio +++ 0
reduction - 2nd and higher minima
Etch rate 0 or + +++
Coating conformity 0 ++
Thickness tolerance + 0
Plasma damage +++ --
Refr. index reproducibility +++ 0
Throughput ++ +
Cost of Ownership + 0
Stack issues +++ -
Planarization capability ++ --
Rework capability +++ --

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
Advantages of Anti-Reflective Coatings

• Eliminates swing effect and standing waves in

photoresist
• Solves topography related lithography problems
• Provides ultimate critical dimension (CD)
control
• Expands process capabilities.

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
Topography Related Lithography Problems
• Light reflecting off underlying substrate reduced or eliminated
– Backscattering
– Reflective notching
– Standing Waves

Exposure Energy Exposure Energy

Reflective Standing Resist

Notching Wave
Resist
ARC®

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 Reflective Notching
Reflective Notching

Metal
Light Light line

Metal
Unexposed Line
photoresist Photoresist

Cross
Section

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 Reflective Notching
0.4µm on 2500Å steps using 1844Å XHRi

Competitor BARC

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 Swing Effects
• Dose to clear swing curve defined as the amount of light required
to completely expose photoresist
• Swing curves reduced with application of BARC
Dose to Clear Swing

100
95
90
No ARC
85
XHRi
80
Dose (mJ)

75
70
65
60
55
50

850 900 950 1000 1050

Resist Thickness (nm)

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 BARC Reflectivity Curve
1.00

0.90

0.80
Aluminum
0.70 GaAs
Poly
0.60 Tungsten

0.50

0.40

0.30

0.20

0.10

0.00
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
ARC®Thickness

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 Resist Profiles on Topography
0.4µm with 2500Å Steps with 1844Å ARC XHRi

High Area
Low Area

Transition
Flat Area

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 Advantages of organic BARC
• Can apply with existing photoresist application systems
• Do not need expensive deposition chambers
• Prevents chemical interaction between photoresist and substrate
– BARC acts as wall to nitrogen poisoning with chemically amplified photoresists

• Increases CD control
– Eliminates reflective notching
– Eliminates standing waves and scattered light

• Extends lithography process window

– Increases stepper focus latitude
– Maximizes photoresist exposure latitude
– Increases usage life of stepper.

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 Example Spin Speed Curve
2000
1800
DUV42-6
1600 DUV42-8
DUV42-11
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000
Spin Speed (RPM)

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
Lines With or Without BARC

PEK-103 0.20µm L/S Resist on DUV42

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 Guide to BSI BARC’s
• Exposure wavelength
– G-line, I-line, DUV, 193nm
• Planar or conformal BARC
– Worst case step height
– CD tolerances needed
• Wet or dry processing
– Depending on equipment availability, CD and wavelength
– Wet process BARC develops away with resist
– Dry process BARC requires a gas etcher
• Choose BARC based on resist chosen
– DUV resists have two chemistries
– ACETAL
– ESCAP/TBOC

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 Planar vs Conformal BARC
EQUAL
RESIST
THICKNESS THIN
RESIST

RESIST RESIST RESIST RESIST

EQUIVALENT
BARC
THICKNESS

PLANAR BARC BARC

CONFORMAL

SUBSTRATE SUBSTRATE

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 Wet or Dry Etch Processing
Inorganic Organic Organic
Developer Insoluble Developer Insoluble Developer Soluble

Exposure

Development

Etch

Stripping

Anti-reflective
Substrate Photoresist
Bottom coat

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 What is a Bake Window?

Stable Lines Spaces Clear

Space
Residue
CD Missing
Pattern

Bake Latitude

Stepper & Resist Resolution Limit

Bake Temperature

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
Wet or Dry Etch Patterning

0.35 µm Dense Lines

177°C Bake 205°C Bake

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 BSI BARC Product Families
• G-line (broadband material) • DUV
– Wet or dry process – Dry Process Only
– XLT – ESCAP/TBOC compatable
– XLX – DUV30 (planar)
• I-line – DUV42 (conformal)
– Wet or dry process – ACETAL compatable
– WiDE – DUV32 (planar)
– Dry process only – DUV44 (conformal)
– XHRi
– XHRiA
Planar BARC gives superior photo performance
Conformal BARC gives superior etch performance

Various viscosities available in each family

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 Etch Capabilities
• Successfully dry etched in various chemistries
– HBr

– O2

– Cl2, HCl

– CF4, C2F2

– N2

– Carrier gases: He, Ar

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 DUV42 Etch Performance

After He/O2 etch. After Cl2/O2 etch. After HBr/O2 etch.

∆CD = 0.024µm. ∆CD = 0.013µm. ∆CD = 0.026µm.
Selectivity = 1.04 Selectivity = 1.48 Selectivity = 0.85

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A
 Cleaning/Stripping Capability
• BARC can be removed by common photoresist
stripping processes
– Oxidizing plasma or oxidizing solvent strip processes

– Ozone Plasma Strip

– O2 Plasma

– Piranha

– RCA Clean

Brewer Science Inc., Rolla MO, USA

Effective Date: 0X/0X/02 DCIF: MKT00XX Doc. Control#: F.6.6.010X.A