Method for Manufacturing High-Quality Quadruple Patterning Materials via Hetero-element Alloying

TiO2 Quadruple Patterning Thin Film with Reduced Surface Roughness via Supercycle ALD Yttrium Doping

This technology involves forming a Y2O3-doped alloy thin film by repeating a supercycle that combines TiO2 ALD and Y2O3 ALD processes in a 16:1 ratio, creating a material suitable for quadruple patterning.

Double patterning has reached its limits in semiconductor micropatterning, and SiO2, used for quadruple patterning, fails to meet requirements for thin-film density and etch selectivity. While TiO2 is a promising alternative due to its high density, it suffers from increased surface roughness caused by crystallization during subsequent heat treatment.

This technology suppresses TiO2 crystallization through hetero-element alloying, reducing surface roughness from 1.92Å to 1.53Å even after 400℃ post-deposition annealing. It can be applied to patterning processes for ultra-fine logic devices and high-density memory, reliably supporting linewidth scaling beyond lithography limits.

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Key Features:

• A step of configuring a supercycle by repeating TiO2 ALD and Y2O3 ALD deposition on a substrate
• A step of forming a Y2O3-doped alloy thin film by executing a supercycle with a 16:1 ratio of TiO2 ALD to Y2O3 ALD processes
• A step of reducing surface roughness by performing post-deposition annealing on the manufactured multi-patterning thin film at 400℃ for one hour
• A configuration for forming a quadruple patterning thin film on a silicon substrate using TTIP and Y(iPrCp)2(N-iPr-amd) as precursors and ozone as a reactant gas

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This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for the development of SiN/SiO2 plasma atomic layer deposition processes and alternative technologies for gate spacers and multi-patterning.

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