Lateral oxidation process flows

摘要

Methods of laterally oxidizing features of a patterned substrate are described. A capping layer may be disposed above lateral features to laterally confine the oxidation. The oxidizable features may be material patterned near the optical resolution of a photolithography system using a high-resolution photomask. The oxidizable features may be wider than the spaces between the oxidizable features and may be about three times the width of the spaces. Oxidized portions may be formed on either side of repeated oxidizable features. The unoxidized portions may then be removed as part of a self-aligned double patterning (SADP) process. A gapfill layer deposited thereon may be etched or polished back to form alternating fill and non-sacrificial features.

主权项

1. A method of forming features on a substrate, the method comprising:
forming a layer of sacrificial structural material on the substrate; patterning the layer of sacrificial structural material using a photolithography process to form a plurality of cores; wherein at least one of the plurality of cores has a first linewidth and the plurality of cores are separated by first trenches and spaced according to a first pitch; laterally oxidizing the plurality of cores to form a plurality of oxidation spacers around a plurality of unoxidized cores, wherein at least one of the plurality of unoxidized cores has a second linewidth and the at least one of the plurality of caps retains the first linewidth; and removing the plurality of cores leaving the plurality of oxidation spacers separated by second trenches and spaced according to a second pitch that is less than the first pitch, wherein at least one of the plurality of oxidation spacers has a third linewidth.