GOALI: Interactions of Plasmas/Energetic Beams with Organic Masking Materials for Nanoscale Manufacturing

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

In this GOALI project, researchers at University of Maryland, UC Berkeley, Lam Research Corporation, Shipley Corporation, and ITC-Irst, Italy collaborate to address chemical and morphological stability of nanoscale features produced in organic materials exposed to plasma environments used for pattern transfer. The overall goal is to establish an atomistic understanding of the interactions of etching plasmas with organic materials used for patterning in nanoscale fabrication/manufacturing, and elucidating the physical/chemical prerequisites to prevent the introduction of feature surface and line edge roughness. The approach includes: 1)experiments with a broad set of relevant organic materials, supplied by Shipley, both model compounds and fully formulated resist systems to cover materials of interest for various lithographic approaches; 2)plasma processing of organic materials sets in a well-controlled, well-characterized and modeled reactor at U. MD; 3)complementary ionic and radical beam exposures at UC Berkeley; 4)comprehensive materials and surface and selected structure analysis at ITC IRST; 5)molecular dynamics simulations of the plasma surface interactions with model compounds at UC Berkeley; and 6)model formulation/verification, including runs in industrial plasma processing reactors at Lam Research. %%% The project addresses basic research issues in a topical area of electronic materials with high technological relevance. The interaction of reactive and/or energetic fluxes of particles with macromolecules defining geometric features of devices on a substrate is ubiquitous in nanofabrication, and in integrated circuits and related industries. This project seeks to develop a framework of macromolecular features required for optimized plasma-durability of organic mask images. Fundamental understanding gained is expected to guide the development of next-generation pattern transfer technology. The collaborative aspect of the project provides special opportunities for education. Students will be trained in a technologically relevant area, with a strong emphasis on fundamental, mechanistic aspects of scientific/technical issues. Through the industrial collaboration with Lam Research Corporation and Shipley Corporation students will acquire a strong background in plasma technology, and advanced organic materials and resist system design. The collaboration with ITC-Irst, Italy provides an International component to the project, and the ability to leverage advanced characterization facilities for material and surface analysis. The work at the two universities is complementary, encompassing advanced facilities in state-of-the-art processing, diagnostics, experimental and computer simulation of plasma-surface interactions. The students and researchers involved in this project will experience a teamwork-oriented research environment from both academic and industrial perspectives, where complementarity of competencies fosters a spirit of leveraging interdependency for empowered thinking. ***