RESIST DEVELOPMENT MECHANISM STUDY - ITS EFFECT ON THE SUBMICRON MICROLITHOGRAPHY PROCESS WINDOW

The resist development mechanism of both spray puddle and stream puddl e methods was addressed in this paper. Two mechanisms were proposed: t he pressure effect in which the spray pressure contributes to the deve lopment rate of line/space structure layers, but has little influence on the developing mechanism of the contact hole; and the geometry effe ct in which the developer solution is more freely diffused in the line /space structure than in the contact hole. These mechanisms have been verified in this study.