Analysis of pattern features

Abstract

The embodiments disclose a method for an electron curing reverse-tone process, including depositing an etch-resistant layer onto a patterned imprinted resist layer fabricated onto a hard mask layer deposited onto a substrate, curing the etch-resistant layer using an electron beam dose during etching processes of imprinted pattern features into the hard mask and into the substrate and using analytical processes to quantify reduced pattern feature placement drift errors and to quantify increased pattern feature size uniformity of imprinted pattern features etched.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for an electron curing reverse-tone process, comprising:
 depositing an etch-resistant layer onto a patterned imprinted resist layer fabricated onto a hard mask layer deposited onto a substrate;   curing the etch-resistant layer using an electron beam dose during etching processes of imprinted pattern features into the hard mask and into the substrate; and   using analytical processes to quantify reduced pattern feature placement drift errors and to quantify increased pattern feature size uniformity of imprinted pattern features etched.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the depositing of an etch-resistant layer includes hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) and is configured to include deposition processes including spin coating. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electron beam curing is configured to increase mechanical stability by molecularly transforming etch-resistant layer materials including hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) including material densification and a reduction in its volume and an increase in its refractive index n to reduce pattern feature placement drift errors and increase pattern feature size uniformity. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein curing includes using irradiation including thermal, ion beam, electron beam, x-ray, photon, UV, DUV, VUV, plasma, microwave, or other types of irradiation controlled to a predetermined energy and dose determined using analytical processes to analyze size and placement distribution. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hard mask layer is patterned using an etch process including reactive ion etching (RIE) including using oxygen gas (O 2 ). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein etching a pattern down to the substrate using a 2-step reverse-tone etching process includes a reactive ion etching (RIE) including using Tetrafluoromethane (CF 4 ) and a reactive ion etching (RIE) including using oxygen gas (O 2 ). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an etch-back of the cured etch-resistant layer and imprinted resist layer includes using a reactive ion etching (RIE) including using Tetrafluoromethane (CF 4 ). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electron curing electron beam dose is performed before a first reactive ion etching (RIE) and alternatively performed after a first reactive ion etching (RIE) and before a second reactive ion etching (RIE). 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electron curing reverse-tone process can reduce pattern feature placement drift errors and increase pattern feature size uniformity in processes replicating semiconductors and stacks including bit patterned media. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus, comprising:
 means for curing an etch-resistant layer deposited onto a pattern imprinted resist layer deposited onto a substrate with a hard mask layer deposited thereon;   means for etching the cured pattern imprinted resist layer features into the hard mask layer and substrate; and   means for analyzing distributions of placement drift errors and pattern feature size uniformity of the etched, cured, imprinted, resist layer pattern features.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  10 , further comprising means for controlling the electron beam dose curing using a predetermined voltage and dose of irradiation including thermal, ion beam, electron beam, x-ray, photon, UV, DUV, VUV, plasma, microwave, or other types of irradiation determined using a statistical size and placement distribution quality analysis. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  10 , further comprising means for structurally changing the properties and transforming etch-resistant layer materials including hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) including material densification, a reduction in its volume and an increase in its refractive index n. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  10 , further comprising means for etching the hard mask and substrate using the 2-step reverse-tone etching process including using a reactive ion etching (RIE) including a first reactive ion etching (RIE) using Tetrafluoromethane (CF 4 ) and a second reactive ion etching (RIE) using oxygen gas (O 2 ). 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  10 , further comprising means for using an electron beam dose to cure an etch-resistant layer includes changing the etch-resistant layer material on a molecular level including causing an atomic redistribution reaction to create a cross-linked “network” structure. 
     
     
         15 . An electron beam curing process, comprising:
 using doses of electron beams to cure etch-resistant materials deposited onto an pattern imprinted resist layer to create mechanical stability;   employing a reverse-tone etching process including using etching processes to etch the electron beam cured mechanically stabilized imprinted resist layer patterned features into a hard mask layer and into a substrate; and   using analytical processes to predetermine the electron beam curing doses.   
     
     
         16 . The electron beam curing process of  claim 15 , wherein the electron beam curing is controlled to regulate voltage and dose based on the type and thicknesses of imprinted resist materials, etch-resistant materials, hard mask layer and substrate and analytical processes results. 
     
     
         17 . The electron beam curing process of  claim 15 , wherein the curing includes irradiation including thermal, ion beam, electron beam, x-ray, photon, UV, DUV, VUV, plasma, microwave, or other types of irradiation used at a predetermined energy and dose determined using a statistical size and placement distribution quality analysis. 
     
     
         18 . The electron beam curing process of  claim 15 , wherein the hard mask patterned template using a 2-step reverse-tone etching process includes using a first etch including a reactive ion etching (RIE) using Tetrafluoromethane (CF 4 ) and using a second etch including reactive ion etching (RIE) using oxygen gas (O 2 ). 
     
     
         19 . The electron beam curing process of  claim 15 , wherein the electron beam curing of the etch-resistant materials creates mechanical stability to reduce pattern feature placement drift errors and increase pattern feature size uniformity. 
     
     
         20 . The electron beam curing process of  claim 15 , wherein the electron beam curing is configured to structurally change the properties and transform materials used for the etch-resistant layer including hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) including material densification, a reduction in its volume and an increase in its refractive index n.