PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY

OVERVIEW FOR
MICROSYSTEMS

Patterned Mask for

Photolithography
Expose

Photolithography Overview Learning Module

Unit Overview
Photolithography occurs several times during
the fabrication of a micro-sized device.
Micro-sized devices usually have several
layers and each layer requires the
photolithography step to identify the pattern for
that layer.
This unit provides an overview of the
Photolithography process and how patterns are
created for each layer.
Objectives
v  Develop an outline of the photolithography
process.
v  Describe each step of the photolithography
process.
Photolithography and MEMS

v  Microelectromechanical system
(MEMS) fabrication uses several
layers to build micro-sized
devices.
v  Layers include thin films of metal,
bulk silicon or polysilicon.
v  This linkage assembly illustrates
how each layer is a different
component of the device,
requiring a different pattern. MEMS Linkage Assembly
[Linkage graphic courtesy of Khalil Najafi, University of
v  Photolithography defines and Michigan]

transfers a pattern to its

respective layer.
Photolithography and MEMS

MEMS Linkage Assembly

[Linkage graphic courtesy of Khalil
Najafi, University of Michigan]

This linkage assembly requires "at least" five layers.

Can you see at least five layers?
(Hint: In MEMS fabrication, some layers are removed completely leaving
behind a void so that components can "float".)
Introduction – Photolithography Process

Photolithography transfers a pattern onto a wafer.

v  A light source is used to transfer an image on a mask to a
substrate covered with a photosensitive material.
v  This same pattern is later transferred into another layer using
a different process.
Photolithography vs. Photography

A twentieth century photographic process uses

exposed film to create a patterned mask
(negative). In a dark room, the negative is
placed between a light source and a
photosensitive paper.
v  The paper has been coated with a light-
sensitive emulsion.
v  The paper is exposed when the light
travels through the negative.
v  The exposed paper is placed in a liquid
developer which chemically reacts with the
emulsion, transferring the negative’s
Photographer/Painter: Jean-Pol
image to the photographic paper. (see Grandmont, shot and develop
(b&W) and scanner
picture right) [Courtesy of Jean-PolGrandmont]
Overview of Photolithography Steps

In the fabrication of MEMS,

photolithography is used several
times, any point in the process when
a pattern needs to be defined.

This unit provides an overview of the

three primary steps of the
photolithography process:
v  Coat
v  Expose
v  Develop
Pattern Transfer

Pattern Transfer to
Underlying Layer

Each layer of a MEMS or microsystems device has a unique pattern.

v  Photolithography transfers this pattern from a mask to a
photosensitive layer.
v  Another process transfers the pattern from the photosensitive layer
into an underlying layer.
v  After the pattern transfer, the resist is stripped (removed).
Three Steps of Photolithography

v  Coat - A photosensitive material (photoresist or resist) is

applied to the substrate surface.
v  Expose - The photoresist is exposed using a light source,
such as Deep UV (ultraviolet), Near UV or x-ray.
v  Develop - The exposed photoresist is dissolved with a
chemical developer.
Coat Step: Surface Conditioning

In most applications, surface conditioning precedes the photoresist.

Reasons for conditioning the wafer’s surface:

v  Presence of other molecules or particles create resist adhesion

problems and resist thickness uniformity.
v  Intermediates (i.e. HMDS) prepare the surface for adhesion by
allowing
q  an organic material (resist) to adhere to an inorganic surface
(substrate)
q  materials with different surface tensions to adhere to each other,
by creating a hydrophobic surface for the resist to adhere to
(which it likes to do).
v  The most commonly used intermediate is Hexamethyldisalizane
(HMDS).
Surface Conditioning

v  Photoresist adheres best to a

hydrophobic surface (a surface
devoid of water molecules).
v  It is the role of HMDS to provide
such a surface.
v  Before applying the HMDS, any
water molecules present on the Hotplates are used to remove moisture from
the wafer's surface or from coatings placed
wafer are removed by heating on the surface. When the wafer is placed on
the hotplate, the pins lower to provide
the wafer to 100°C. contact between the hotplate and the wafer.
Surface Conditioning

v  Prepares the wafer to accept the photoresist by

providing a clean surface.
v  Heats the wafer to remove water molecules on the
wafer surface.
v  Coats the wafer with an intermediate that boosts
adhesion of the photoresist to the wafer’s surface.
(Usually Hexamethyldisalizane or HMDS)
Surface Conditioning Steps

Three basic steps:

v  Wafer is baked to remove the water molecules on the wafer
surface
v  HMDS is applied (prime) to create a hydrophobic surface
v  Wafer is cooled to room temperature.
Photoresist (Resist)

v  A mixture of organic compounds

in a solvent solution.
v  There is negative or positive
photoresist (depending on how it
responds to light)
v  Negative resist - Exposed
materials harden. A negative
mask is left after develop.
v  Positive resist - Exposed regions
become more soluble. A positive
mask is left after develop.

Photoresist - Positive vs. Negative

Coat Process

v  The coat process is the application of photoresist

to the wafer’s surface.
v  The resist must be
v  thick enough and durable enough to withstand the next
process steps and
v  uniform (evenly distributed) in order to prevent
problems during the expose process.
Spin Coating

The most common method for

coating a wafer.
v  Wafer is placed on a
vacuum chuck
v  A vacuum holds the wafer
on the chuck
v  Resist is applied
v  Chuck accelerates for
desired resist thickness
v  Chuck continues to spin to Spin Coating

dry film
Challenge Question

What could affect the uniformity of the photoresist

during the coat process?
Softbake

v  After the photoresist is

applied to the desired
thickness, a softbake is
used to remove the residual
solvents of the photoresist.
v  After the softbake, the
wafer is cooled to room
temperature.
Softbake after Applying Resist
Alignment

v  "Align" is one of the most critical

step in the entire microsystems
fabrication process.
v  Due to the microscopic size of
these devices, a misalignment of
one micron or smaller can destroy
the device and all the devices on
the wafer.
v  Each layer must be aligned
properly and within specifications Microscopic Hinge
[Photo courtesy of Sandia National
to the previous layers and Laboratories]

subsequent layers.
Misalignment

v  Take a look at the microscopic

hinge. Notice the 1µm scale in
the bottom right. Using this
scale, we might estimate the
width of the space between the
hinged component and its
enclosure (the loop) to be
approximately 0.5 µm or 500
nm.
Microscopic Hinge
v  What would be the result if the [Photo courtesy of Sandia National
Laboratories]
mask for the loop was
misaligned by 0.5 µm?
Mask vs. Reticle

v  A patterned mask (or reticle) is a

quartz or glass plate with the
desired pattern (usually in
chrome). The picture shows a
“mask” used to expose an entire
wafer.
v  Notice the repeating pattern
throughout the mask. Each
pattern is a “reticle” or pattern for
one device. Mask and Reticle (inset)

v  Expose equipment may use a

whole mask or a smaller quartz
plate with just a few reticles
(inset).
Align

v  The mask or reticle is locked into

the expose equipment and the
wafer is aligned to the mask
along the x and y coordinates.
v  The z-coordinate is adjusted to
define the focal plane of the
image.
v  When a mask is used, a single
pulse of light expose the entire
wafer. Quartz Mask
v  When a reticle is used, the reticle
is "stepped" around the wafer
exposing a small amount of the
wafer with each step.
Expose

v  The wafer is exposed by UV (ultraviolet) from a light source.

v  UV travels through the mask to the resist.
v  A chemical reaction occurs between the resist and the UV.
v  Only those areas not protected by the mask undergo a chemical
reaction.
Review Question

Remember positive vs. negative photoresist?

What happens when UV hits negative resist?
What happens when UV hits positive resist?
Develop

v  A chemical developer
dissolves portions of
photoresist.
v  With positive resist, the
exposed resist is dissolved
while the unexposed resist
remains on the wafer.
v  With negative resist, the
unexposed resist is dissolved
while the exposed resist
remains. The Develop Process

v  The develop process leaves a

visible pattern within the
resist.
Develop

v  Develop is a wet process.

v  Wafers are immersed in the
developer or the developer is
sprayed on a wafer.
v  Timing is critical. Too little or too
much time could affect the critical
dimensions of the pattern transfer.
v  To stop the chemical reaction of the
developer with the photoresist, the
wafers are rinsed with DI water then
spin-dried.
Hardbake

v  Post-develop hardbake
hardens the photoresist for the
next process.
v  The temperature of the
hardbake is higher than the
softbake after coat. However,
too high of a temperature could
cause the photoresist to reflow,
destroying the pattern.
v  After the hardbake, the wafer is Hardbake

cooled to room temperature.

Inspect

v  Wafers are inspected immediately after the photolithography

process.
v  Three critical parameters inspected are alignment, line widths
and defects.
v  Alignment – Is the pattern positioned accurately to the
previously layer?
v  Line width or critical dimension (CD) – Are pattern images in
focus and have the correct size (CD)?
v  Defects – Are there defects that could affect subsequent
processes or the operation of the device?
¤  e.g. particles, scratches, peeling (lifting) of the resist, holes in the resist,
scumming (an underdeveloped or underexposed pattern)
Inspect

v  High powered microscopic

equipment is used to inspect
wafers.
v  Software measures the width of a
printed structure and provides
information to the technician.
v  Alignment marks are designed
into the masks and reticles and
patterned into each layer as Wafer Inspect
reference points during inspect. [Photo courtesy of the MTTC,
University of New Mexico
This allows the overlay of a
subsequent step to be measured
against the previous step to
identify misalignment or CD.
Let’s Think About It

What are some of the critical parameters inspected during the

photolithography process and as a final inspection?

Critical dimensions are getting smaller. Objects are getting

smaller. In microsystems technology, some objects are
required to "float" above the substrate.

What do you think are some of the limitations, if any, of the

photolithography process described here when applied to
these advancing technologies?
Summary
Photolithography uses three basic process
steps to transfer a pattern from a mask to a
wafer: coat, develop, expose.
The pattern is transferred into the wafer’s
surface layer during a subsequent process.
In some cases, the resist pattern can also be
used to define the pattern for a deposited thin
film.
Disclaimer
The information contained herein is considered
to be true and accurate; however the
Southwest Center for Microsystems Education
(SCME) makes no guarantees concerning the
authenticity of any statement. SCME accepts
no liability for the content of this unit, or for the
consequences of any actions taken on the
basis of the information provided.
 Acknowledgements
Made possible through grants from the National Science Foundation Department of
Undergraduate Education #0830384, 0902411, and 1205138.
Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material
are those of the authors and creators, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the
National Science Foundation.

Southwest Center for Microsystems Education (SCME) NSF ATE Center

© 2010 Regents of the University of New Mexico
Content is protected by the CC Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license.

Website: www.scme-nm.org

March 2017