The Application of Photoresist to the Wafer’s Surface.
Basic Steps
Photoresist Spin Coater
The Application of Photoresist to the Wafer’s Surface.
There are several methods used to coat the wafer (spin, spray and electrodeposition (ED)). The
goal of the coat process is to distribute a uniform thickness of resist across the wafer's surface
with a desired thickness. The resist thickness specification is dependent upon the device or
component being fabricated.
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Spin coating is the most common method for coating a wafer; therefore, the data and references
in this activity relate to a spin coat process. Here are the steps of that process:
The wafer is placed on a vacuum chuck.
Photoresist is applied either before the chuck begins to spin (static dispense), or when the
chuck starts to spin slowly (dynamic dispense).
The chuck quickly accelerates to a preprogrammed rpm to spread the resist across the
entire wafer.( ie The wafer is then subjected to high speed spinning at a rotational speed
from 1500 to 8000 rpm for 10 to 60 seconds. The speed is set depending on the type of
the resist, the desired thickness and uniformity of the resist coating.
At maximum spin speed (SS) the excess resist is thrown off the wafer and a uniform
resist thickness results.
The chuck continues to spin until most of the solvents in the resist have evaporated.
While the chuck is spinning, acetone is sprayed on the bottom edge of the wafer to
eliminate resist “beading” on the wafer’s edge (EBR =“edge bead removal”)
The final photoresist thickness is a factor of its viscosity and the final spin speed of the chuck
(the “casting speed”).
Typically the thickness is between 0.5 – 2 µm with ±5 nm variation.
Why is Photoresist Thickness Important?
Resist thickness is very important when creating small geometries. One way to think about this is
that a thin coating of film is either going to be anti-reflective or reflective. When the thickness is
correct, the film is anti-reflective and most of the ultraviolet (UV) light energy during the
exposure is absorbed by the photoresist. If the thickness is not correct, more of the light will be
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reflected, and less absorbed. Poor thickness uniformity across the wafer means that there are
different thicknesses of resist; therefore, some parts of the wafer will absorb more of the light
energy than other parts. The areas that absorb more light will result in thinner lines and larger
spaces (holes) when using positive photoresist. Recall that positive photoresist reproduces the
pattern on the photomask.
How does the absorption or reflection of light energy affect the outcome?
This is an important question! With positive resist,
the areas that absorb more light yield thinner geometries, while
the areas that reflect more light, hence, less exposure, yield wider geometries.
Photoresist Applying
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Edge Bead Removal (EBR)
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• PR spread to the edges and backside
• PR could flakes off during mechanical handling and causes particles
• Front and back chemical EBR
• Front optical EBR
Optical Edge Bead Removal
• After alignment and exposure
• Wafer edge expose (WEE)
• Exposed photoresist at edge dissolves during development
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Soft Bake
• Evaporating most of solvents in PR
• Solvents help to make a thin PR but absorb radiation and affect adhesion
• Soft baking time and temperature are determined by the matrix evaluations
• Over bake: polymerized, less photo-sensitivity
• Under bake: affect adhesion and exposure
Baking Systems
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Development
• Developer solvent dissolves the softened part of photoresist
• Transfer the pattern from mask or reticle to photoresist
Three basic steps:
– Development
– Rinse
– Dry
The same spinner may be used for development after exposure with dispensing
development solvent.
A rising distilled water follow the development.
Developers agent for +ve resistor are KOH or TMAH ((CH3)4NOH). And Xylene is the
agent for –ve resistors,
After development and the desired pattern in created in the substrate, a descumming
process takes place.
The process uses O2 plasma to remove the bulk of photoresist.
Postbaking to remove the residue of solvent at 120o C for 20 minutes.
Factors determine the final resist thickness in a photolithography process?
Spin Speed and photoresist viscosity.
Soft bake which occurs immediately after the resist spin deposition step, will also affect
the thickness.
A longer bake, or higher temperature will affect the thickness and the sensitivity to light.
Negative and Positive Photoresists
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Photoresist Composition
• Polymer
• Solvents
• Sensitizers
• Additives
Polymer
• Solid organic material
• Transfers designed pattern to wafer surface
• Changes solubility due to photochemical reaction when exposed to UV light.
• Positive PR: from insoluble to soluble
• Negative PR: from soluble to insoluble
Solvent
• Dissolves polymers into liquid
• Allow application of thin PR layers by spinning.
Sensitizers
• Controls and/or modifies photochemical reaction of resist during exposure.
• Determines exposure time and intensity
Additives
• Various added chemical to achieve desired process results.
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.
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Positive Photoresist
• Exposed part dissolve in developer solution
• Image the same that on the mask
• Higher resolution
• Commonly used in IC fabs
Negative and Positive types Photoresist
Negative Photoresist Positive Photoresist
• Becomes insoluble after exposure • Becomes soluble after exposure
• When developed, the unexposed parts dissolved. • When developed, the exposed parts dissolved
• Cheaper • Better resolution
Comparison of Photoresists
• Positive photoresist can achieve much higher resolution than negative photoresist, why?
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
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• Good adhesion
• Wider process latitude
– Higher tolerance to process condition change
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