Bell Labs Scientists Develop 1-Layer Photoresist

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For immediate release

Bell Labs Scientists Develop 193-nm Single-Layer Photoresist

Murray Hill, N.J. ñ A group of Bell Laboratories scientists have developed a 193-nanometer single-layer photoresist that will support the manufacture of integrated circuits with features just 0.13 microns wide.

The scientists, reporting to the 213th annual meeting of the American Chemical Society Meeting April 13-17, 1997 in San Francisco, discuss their investigation on the design, formulation, and processing of the resist based on alternating copolymers of cycloolefins with maleic amhydride.

ìWe believe we have developed the first 193-nm resist that can be employed using current manufacturing technologies to support the microelectronics industryís move toward smaller and smaller design rules,î explained Elsa Reichmanis, one of the authors. ìThe resist can support 0.18- and 0.15-micron design rules, and with additional development, the resist will support 0.13-micron design rules,î said Reichmanis.

The paper, ìDesign Concepts for Solution Developed 193-nm Lithographic Materials,î is written by Reichmanis, Om Nalamasu, F. H. Houlihan, A. E. Novembre, all of Bell Labs; and T. Wallow, formerly of Bell Labs and now at IBMís Almaden Research Center in San Jose, Calif. The authors have identified novel functionalities that can lead to robust, aqueous-base developable 193-nm resist materials.
ìCurrent research efforts related to 193-nm lithographic materials involve the design of new chemistries that provide for aqueous base solubility, etching resistance, resolution, photospeed, and process latitude,î the authors said.

ìResists formulated using cycloolefins as the key building block are compatible with 0.262 N tetramethylammonium developers, have excellent adhesion, sensitivity, etch resistance, and thermal flow properties,î they reported. In addition, they said, ìBased on the results, high contrast formulations were evaluated on a 193-nm ISI microstepper and were shown to exhibit 0.16-microm L/S pair resolution with excellent photosensitivity.î

ICs are made of alternating, patterned layers of conductors, dielectrics, and semiconductor films. These layers are individually patterned in a lithographic process by coating microscopic-thin film ñ the resist ñ onto a silicon wafer. The resist is exposed to ultraviolet light, baked, and then developed, which creates the pattern.

The semiconductor industry has been following what is known as Mooreís Law ñdoubling the number of components on an IC every two years to increase the speed, functionality, and power of a chip. The shorter the wavelength in the lithography process, the smaller the IC features possible, and thus, the more powerful the device. Bell Labsí new 193-nm resist is compatible with existing manufacturing technologies to make these ever smaller devices.

The industry generally is expected to be using 193-nm resists to make devices in a research and development environment by 1998, and to move the technology into manufacturing by the year 2000.

Bell Labs is the research and development arm of Lucent Technologies (NYSE:LU). Lucent designs, builds, and delivers a wide range of public and private networks, communications systems and software, consumer and business telephone systems, and microelectronics components. Lucent Technologies was formed as a result of AT&Tís restructuring and became a fully independent company ñ separate from AT&T ñ on Sept. 30, 1996.

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