Methods and apparatus for controlling photoresist line width roughness with enhanced electron spin control

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and an apparatus for controlling and modifying line width roughness (LWR) of a photoresist layer with enhanced electron spinning control. In one embodiment, an apparatus for controlling a line width roughness of a photoresist layer disposed on a substrate includes a processing chamber having a chamber body having a top wall, side wall and a bottom wall defining an interior processing region, a support pedestal disposed in the interior processing region of the processing chamber, and a plasma generator source disposed in the processing chamber operable to provide predominantly an electron beam source to the interior processing region.

1 . An apparatus for controlling a line width roughness of a photoresist layer disposed on a substrate, comprising:
 a processing chamber having a chamber body having a top wall, side wall and a bottom wall defining an interior processing region;   a support pedestal disposed in the interior processing region of the processing chamber; and   a plasma generator source disposed in the processing chamber operable to provide predominantly an electron beam source to the interior processing region.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a shield plate disposed in the processing chamber operable to filter ions from the plasma and pass electrons.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a control plate disposed in the processing region between the shield plate and the support pedestal.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a power source coupled to the control plate.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the control plate comprises a plurality of zones formed therein with at least two zones comprising different materials or different potential biases. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a power source coupled to the shield plate.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the shield plate comprises a plurality of zones formed therein with at least two zones comprising different materials or different potential biases. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the control plate is attached to the shield plate. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the control plate has a plurality of apertures formed therein. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the shield plate has a plurality of apertures formed therein. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a magnet or a group of one or more electromagnetic coils disposed around an outer circumference of the chamber body adjacent to the interior processing region of the chamber body. 
 
     
     
         12 . A method for controlling line width roughness of a photoresist layer disposed on a substrate comprising:
 providing a substrate having a patterned photoresist layer disposed thereon into a processing chamber;   supplying a gas mixture into the processing chamber;   generating a plasma in the gas mixture having electrons moving in a circular mode from the gas mixture;   generating a magnetic field to enhance the electrons in the plasma moving in the circular mode to a substrate surface; and   trimming an edge profile of the patterned photoresist layer disposed on the substrate surface with the enhanced electrons.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein generating the plasma further comprises:
 filtering ions from the plasma.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 directing the filtered electrons through the magnetic field.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein generating the magnetic field further comprises:
 applying a DC or AC power to one or more electromagnetic coils disposed around the outer circumference of the processing chamber.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the gas mixture comprises an oxygen containing gas. 
     
     
         17 . A method for controlling line width roughness of a photoresist layer disposed on a substrate comprising:
 supplying a gas mixture into a processing chamber having a substrate disposed therein, wherein the substrate has a patterned photoresist layer disposed thereon;   generating a plasma in the processing chamber from the gas mixture supplied in the processing chamber;   applying a voltage to a shield plate disposed in the processing chamber to filter ions from the plasma and leave mild reactive species;   directing the mild reactive species through a control plate;   applying a DC or AC power to a group of one or more electromagnetic coils disposed around an outer circumference of the processing chamber to generate a magnetic field;   enhancing movement of the mild reactive species in circular mode by passing through the filtered plasma in the magnetic field; and   trimming an edge profile of the patterned photoresist layer using the mild reactive species.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein directing the filter plasma further comprises:
 applying a power to the control plate.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein supplying the gas mixture further comprises:
 supplying an oxygen containing gas into the processing chamber.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the mild reactive species include neutral radicals and electrons.