GENERIC IC PROCESS SEQUENCE

Polycrystalline
Quartz MGS to EGS to Single Wafer
Crystal Processing

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Flow diagram for generic IC process sequence

 Film
Formation

LPE VPE MBE

CVD PVD

PECVD Evaporation Sputtering

Molecular Beam Epitaxy
 Merits Weaknesses

1. Controlled method of growing film of specified

1.Safety  large quantities of extremely toxic gases
thickness
VPE 2. Multi-structures growth is straightforward
2. Removal of by-products is problematic
3. High temperature process
3. Good adhesion

1. Poor surface/interface morphology

1.Thermal equilibrium growth
2. Run-to-run reproducibility of layer thickness and
2. Very low native defect density
LPE 3. Simple low-cost equipment and high throughput
composition
3. Difficult to control thickness of thin epitaxial layers
4.No toxic gases and easily handled solids
4. Difficult to grow lattice mismatched structures

1. Excellent surface/interface morphology and thickness

control
2. In-situ characterization tools (RHEED)
1. Ultra High Vacuum requirement
3. High purity elemental starting materials readily
MBE available
2. Low throughput due to Low growth rate (1μm/h)
3. Expensive Equipment
4. No toxic gases, easily handled solids
5. Low Temperature Process and precise control of
dopant`s profile
GENERIC IC PROCESS SEQUENCE

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Flow diagram for generic IC process sequence

 Introduction
Photolithography
• Temporarily coat photoresist on wafer
• Transfers designed pattern to photoresist
on the wafer surface
• Most important process in IC fabrication
• 40 to 50% total wafer process time
 IC Processing Flow
Materials IC Fab

Dielectric Test
Metallization CMP
deposition
Wafers

Thermal Etch Packaging

Implant
Processes PR strip
PR strip
Masks

Photo- Final Test

lithography

IC Design
 Applications of Photolithography
• Main application: IC patterning process
• Other applications: Printed electronic board, nameplate,
printer plate, micro chips, electronics circuits and et al.
Photolithography Requirements
• High Resolution
• High PR Sensitivity
• Precision Alignment
• Precise Process Parameters Control
• Low Defect Density
 Basic Steps of Photolithography
• Photoresist coating
• Alignment and exposure
• Development
 Photoresist
• Photo sensitive material
• Temporarily coated on wafer surface
• Transfer design image on it through
exposure
• Very similar to the photo sensitive
coating on the film for camera
 Photoresist

Negative Photoresist Positive Photoresist

• Becomes insoluble • Becomes soluble
after exposure after exposure
• When developed, • When developed,
the unexposed parts the exposed parts
dissolved. dissolved
• Cheaper • Better resolution
Negative and Positive Photoresists
Photoresist
Substrate

UV light
Mask/reticle
Photoresist Exposure
Substrate
Negative
Photoresist
Substrate After
Positive Development
Photoresist
Substrate
Photoresist Composition

• Polymer
• Sensitizers
• Solvents
• Additives
 Polymer

• Solid
  organic material
• () with complicated chain and ring structures
• Transfers designed pattern to wafer surface
• Changes solubility due to photochemical reaction when exposed to
UV light.
• Positive PR: from insoluble to soluble (PMMA,Novalic Resin)
• Negative PR: from soluble to insoluble (Polyisoprene Rubber)
 Sensitizers
• Sensitizers define the photosensitivity of the resist.
• Organic compound that Controls and/or modifies photochemical
reaction of resist during exposure.
• Determines exposure time and intensity
• In a typical resist, up to 20-40 wt% of the resist may be
the sensitizer
• Positive PR:  (DNQ) (C10H6N2O)
 Solvent
•  
Liquid that dissolves polymer and sensitizer
• Allow application of thin PR layers by spinning.
• Positive PR: Acetate-type solvents
• Negative PR: Xylene ()
 Additives
• Various added chemical to achieve desired process results,
such as dyes to reduce reflection.
• Dyes are used in both PRs.
 Negative Resist
• Most negative PR are polyisoprene type
• Exposed PR becomes cross-linked polymer
• Cross-linked polymer has higher chemical
etch resistance.
• Unexposed part will be dissolved in
development solution.
 Negative Photoresist

Mask
Negative
Photoresist
Expose

Development
 Negative Photoresist

• Polymer absorbs the development solvent

• Poor resolution due to PR swelling
• Environmental and safety issues due to the
main solvents xylene.
 Positive Photoresist
• Novolac resin polymer
• Acetate type solvents
• Sensitizer cross-linked within the resin
• Energy from the light dissociates the
sensitizer and breaks down the cross-links
• Resin becomes more soluble in base solution
 Comparison of Photoresists
- PR + PR
Film Film

Substrate Substrate

•high sensitiveness •excellent resolution

•fair adhesion •stable against developers
•excellent resistance against etch or implantation•can be developed in aqueous developers
processes •bad resistance in etching or implantation processe
•cheaper than positive resists •bad adhesion on the wafer
•lower resolution
•organic developers are needed (toxic)
 Question
• Positive photoresist can achieve much higher
resolution than negative photoresist, why
didn’t people use it before the 1980s?
Chemically Amplified Photoresists
• Deep ultraviolet (DUV), l  248 nm
• Light source: excimer lasers
• Light intensity is lower than I-line (365 nm)
from high-pressure mercury lamp
• Need different kind of photoresist
Chemically Amplified Photoresists
• Catalysis effect is used to increase the effective
sensitivity of the photoresist
• A photo-acid is created in PR when it exposes to
DUV light
• During PEB, acid diffusion causes amplification
in a catalytic reaction
• Acid removes protection groups
• Exposed part will be removed by developer
Chemically Amplified Photoresist

Before PEB After PEB

Exposed PR Exposed PR
Heat
+ H+ + + H+

Protecting Groups Protecting Groups

 Requirement of Photoresist
• High resolution
– Thinner PR film has higher the resolution
– Thinner PR film, the lower the etching and ion implantation
resistance
• High etch resistance
• Good adhesion
• Wider process latitude
– Higher tolerance to process condition change (varying spin rates,
baking temperature and exposure flux)
 Photoresist Physical Properties
• Photoresist must be able to withstand
process conditions

• Coating, spinning, baking, developing.

• Etch resistance
• Ion implantation blocking
 Photoresist Performance Factor
• Resolution
• Adhesion
• Expose rate, Sensitivity and Exposure Source
• Process latitude
• Pinholes
• Particle and Contamination Levels
 Resolution Capability
• The smallest opening or space that can
produced in a photoresist layer.
• Related to particular processes including
expose source and developing process.
• Thinner layer has better resolution.
• Etch and implantation barrier and pinhole-free
require thicker layer
• Positive resist has better resolution due to the
smaller size of polymer.
 Photoresist Characteristics
Summary
Parameter Negative Positive
Polymer Polyisoprene Novolac Resin
Photo-reaction Polymerization Photo-solubilization
Provide free radicals Changes film
Sensitizer for polymer cross-
to base soluble
link
Additives Dyes Dyes
Photolithography Process
 Basic Steps of Photolithography
• Photoresist coating
• Alignment and exposure
• Development
 Basic Steps, Old Technology
• Wafer clean
• Dehydration bake
PR coating
• Spin coating primer and PR
• Soft bake
• Alignment and exposure
• Development
• Pattern inspection Development
• Hard bake
 Basic Steps, Advanced Technology
• Wafer clean
• Pre-bake and primer coating
• Photoresist spin coating PR coating
Track- • Soft bake
stepper • Alignment and exposure
integrated • Post exposure bake
system • Development
Development
• Hard bake
• Pattern inspection
Previous
Process Clean Surface
PR coating Soft bake
preparation Alignmen
t
Hard bake Development &
PEB
Exposure
Track system
Photo cell
Rejected
Strip
PR Inspection
Photo Bay
Approved

Etch Ion
Implant
 Wafer Clean
• Remove contaminants
• Remove particulate
• Reduce pinholes and other defects
• Improve photoresist adhesion
• Basic steps
– Chemical clean
– Rinse
– Dry
 Wafer Clean
Process

Chemical Clean Rinse Dry

 Photolithography Process,
Clean
• Older ways
– High-pressure nitrogen blow-off
– Rotating brush scrubber
– High-pressure water stream