Patents by Inventor An-Ren Zi

An-Ren Zi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11971657
    Abstract: A photoresist developer includes a solvent having Hansen solubility parameters of 15<?d<25, 10<?p<25, and 6<?p<30; an acid having an acid dissociation constant, pKa, of ?15<pKa<4, or a base having a pKa of 40>pKa>9.5; and a chelate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: An-Ren Zi, Chin-Hsiang Lin, Ching-Yu Chang, Yahru Cheng
  • Patent number: 11942322
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a metallic photoresist layer is formed over a target layer to be patterned, the metallic photoresist layer is selectively exposed to actinic radiation to form a latent pattern, and the latent pattern is developed by applying a developer to the selectively exposed photoresist layer to form a pattern. The metallic photo resist layer is an alloy layer of two or more metal elements, and the selective exposure changes a phase of the alloy layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: An-Ren Zi, Chun-Chih Ho, Yahru Cheng, Ching-Yu Chang
  • Patent number: 11934101
    Abstract: A method of forming a photoresist pattern includes forming a photoresist layer including a photoresist composition over a substrate. The photoresist composition includes metal particles and a thermally stable ligand attached to the metal particles. The thermally stable ligand includes branched or unbranched, cyclic or non-cyclic, C1-C7 alkyl groups or C1-C7 fluoroalkyl groups. The C1-C7 alkyl or C1-C7 fluoroalkyl groups include one or more of —CF3, —SH, —OH, ?O, —S—, —P—, —PO2, —C(?O)SH, —C(?O)OH, —C(?O)O—, —O—, —N—, —C(?O)NH, —SO2OH, —SO2SH, —SOH, or —SO2—. The photoresist layer is selectively exposed to actinic radiation, and the photoresist layer is developed to form a pattern in the photoresist layer. In an embodiment, the method includes heating the photoresist layer before selectively exposing the photoresist layer to actinic radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: An-Ren Zi, Ching-Yu Chang
  • Publication number: 20240045327
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for lithography patterning in accordance with some embodiments. The method includes forming a photoresist layer over a substrate, wherein the photoresist layer includes a metal-containing chemical; performing an exposing process to the photoresist layer; and performing a first developing process to the photoresist layer using a first developer, thereby forming a patterned resist layer, wherein the first developer includes a first solvent and a chemical additive to remove metal residuals generated from the metal-containing chemical.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: An-Ren Zi, Joy Cheng, Ching-Yu Chang, Chin-Hsiang Lin
  • Publication number: 20230393474
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a photoresist underlayer including a photoresist underlayer composition over a semiconductor substrate and forming a photoresist layer comprising a photoresist composition over the photoresist underlayer. The photoresist layer is selectively exposed to actinic radiation, and the photoresist layer is developed to form a pattern in the photoresist layer. The photoresist underlayer composition includes: a first polymer having one or more of pendant acid-labile groups and pendant epoxy groups, a second polymer having one or more crosslinking groups, an acid generator, a quencher or photodecomposable base, and a solvent. The photoresist underlayer composition includes 0 wt. % to 10 wt. % of the quencher or photodecomposable base based on a total weight of the first and second polymers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: An-Ren ZI, Ching-Yu Chang
  • Publication number: 20230384670
    Abstract: A method of forming a photoresist pattern includes forming a photoresist layer including a photoresist composition over a substrate. The photoresist composition includes metal particles and a thermally stable ligand attached to the metal particles. The thermally stable ligand includes branched or unbranched, cyclic or non-cyclic, C1-C7 alkyl groups or C1-C7 fluoroalkyl groups. The C1-C7 alkyl or C1-C7 fluoroalkyl groups include one or more of —CF3, —SH, —OH, ?O, —S—, —P—, —PO2, —C(?O)SH, —C(?O)OH, —C(?O)O—, —O—, —N—, —C(?O)NH, —SO2OH, —SO2SH, —SOH, or —SO2—. The photoresist layer is selectively exposed to actinic radiation, and the photoresist layer is developed to form a pattern in the photoresist layer. In an embodiment, the method includes heating the photoresist layer before selectively exposing the photoresist layer to actinic radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: An-Ren Zi, Ching-Yu Chang
  • Publication number: 20230384679
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a photoresist under-layer including a photoresist under-layer composition over a semiconductor substrate, and forming a photoresist layer including a photoresist composition over the photoresist under-layer. The photoresist layer is selectively exposed to actinic radiation and the photoresist layer is developed to form a pattern in the photoresist layer. The photoresist under-layer composition includes a polymer having pendant acid-labile groups, a polymer having crosslinking groups or a polymer having pendant carboxylic acid groups, an acid generator, and a solvent. The photoresist composition includes a polymer, a photoactive compound, and a solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: An-Ren ZI, Chin-Hsiang Lin, Ching-Yu Chang
  • Publication number: 20230386840
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a metallic photoresist layer is formed over a target layer to be patterned, the metallic photoresist layer is selectively exposed to actinic radiation to form a latent pattern, and the latent pattern is developed by applying a developer to the selectively exposed photoresist layer to form a pattern. The metallic photo resist layer is an alloy layer of two or more metal elements, and the selective exposure changes a phase of the alloy layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: An-Ren ZI, Chun-Chih HO, Yahru CHENG, Ching-Yu CHANG
  • Publication number: 20230384668
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a resist layer including a resist composition over a substrate. The resist composition includes: a metal, a ligand, and a solvent. The solvent is mixture of a first solvent having a vapor pressure of at least 0.75 kPa, wherein the first solvent is one or more of an ether, an ester, an alkane, an aldehyde, or a ketone, and a second solvent different from the first solvent. Alternatively, the solvent is a third solvent, wherein the third solvent is a C4-C14 tertiary alcohol. The resist layer is patterned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: An-Ren ZI, Ching-Yu CHANG
  • Publication number: 20230384683
    Abstract: Methods and materials for making a semiconductor device are described. The method includes forming a photoresist over a substrate. The photoresist includes an acid-labile group (ALG) connected to a polar unit. The method also includes exposing the photoresist to a radiation beam, baking the photoresist and performing a developing process to the photoresist.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: An-Ren Zi, Ching-Yu Chang
  • Publication number: 20230375924
    Abstract: A photoresist layer is formed over a wafer. The photoresist layer includes a metallic photoresist material and one or more additives. An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography process is performed using the photoresist layer. The one or more additives include: a solvent having a boiling point greater than about 150 degrees Celsius, a photo acid generator, a photo base generator, a quencher, a photo de-composed base, a thermal acid generator, or a photo sensitivity cross-linker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: An-Ren Zi, Joy Cheng, Ching-Yu Chang
  • Patent number: 11822238
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for lithography patterning in accordance with some embodiments. The method includes forming a photoresist layer over a substrate, wherein the photoresist layer includes a metal-containing chemical; performing an exposing process to the photoresist layer; and performing a first developing process to the photoresist layer using a first developer, thereby forming a patterned resist layer, wherein the first developer includes a first solvent and a chemical additive to remove metal residuals generated from the metal-containing chemical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: An-Ren Zi, Joy Cheng, Ching-Yu Chang, Chin-Hsiang Lin
  • Patent number: 11822251
    Abstract: Methods and materials for making a semiconductor device are described. The method includes forming a photoresist over a substrate. The photoresist includes an acid-labile group (ALG) connected to a polar unit. The method also includes exposing the photoresist to a radiation beam, baking the photoresist and performing a developing process to the photoresist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: An-Ren Zi, Ching-Yu Chang
  • Publication number: 20230341773
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a photoresist layer over a substrate, exposing the photoresist layer to an EUV radiation, and developing the exposed photoresist layer. The photoresist layer has a composition including a solvent mixture and a metal-containing component dissolved in the solvent mixture. The solvent mixture includes a first solvent comprising primary alcohol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: An-Ren ZI, Ching-Yu CHANG
  • Patent number: 11796918
    Abstract: A method includes providing a layered structure on a substrate, the layered structure including a bottom layer formed over the substrate, a hard mask layer formed over the bottom layer, a material layer formed over the hard mask layer, and a photoresist layer formed over the material layer, exposing the photoresist layer to a radiation source, developing the photoresist layer, where the developing removes portions of the photoresist layer and the material layer in a single step without substantially removing portions of the hard mask layer, and etching the hard mask layer using the photoresist layer as an etch mask. The material layer may include acidic moieties and/or acid-generating molecules. The material layer may also include photo-sensitive moieties and crosslinking agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: An-Ren Zi, Wei-Han Lai, Ching-Yu Chang
  • Publication number: 20230333477
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a photoresist layer over a substrate and applying a base composition to the photoresist layer, the base composition includes non-organic base, organic base, thermal base generator, or photobase generator. The photoresist layer is selectively exposed to actinic radiation to form latent pattern. The latent pattern is developed by applying developer composition to selectively exposed photoresist layer to form pattern in photoresist layer. The base composition is applied to photoresist layer during one or more operations selected from group consisting of applying base composition to substrate as underlayer before photoresist layer is formed and the composition is subsequently absorbed by photoresist layer, a pre-exposure baking operation, after photoresist layer is selectively exposed and before developing latent pattern, and after developing latent pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: Ching-Yu CHANG, An-Ren ZI, Chin-Hsiang LIN
  • Publication number: 20230324806
    Abstract: A photoresist layer is coated over a wafer. The photoresist layer includes a metal-containing material. An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography process is performed to the photoresist layer to form a patterned photoresist. The wafer is cleaned with a cleaning fluid to remove the metal-containing material. The cleaning fluid includes a solvent having Hansen solubility parameters of delta D in a range between 13 and 25, delta P in a range between 3 and 25, and delta H in a range between 4 and 30. The solvent contains an acid with an acid dissociation constant less than 4 or a base with an acid dissociation constant greater than 9.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: An-Ren Zi, Joy Cheng, Ching-Yu Chang
  • Publication number: 20230305396
    Abstract: A photoresist includes a core group that contains metal, and one or more first ligands or one or more second ligands attached to the core group. The first ligands each have a following structure: The second ligands each have a following structure: represents the core group. L? represents a chemical that includes 0~2 carbon atoms saturated by Hydrogen (H) or Fluorine (F). L represents a chemical that includes 1~6 carbon atoms saturated by H or F. L? represents a chemical that includes 1~6 carbon atoms saturated by H. L? represents a chemical that includes 1~6 carbon atoms saturated by H or F. Linker represents a chemical that links L? and L? together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: An-Ren Zi, Chen-Yu Liu, Ching-Yu Chang
  • Patent number: 11762296
    Abstract: A method of forming a masking element is provided. The method includes forming a photoresist material having a polymer backbone over a substrate, where the polymer backbone includes a linking group that links a first polymer segment to a second polymer segment, each of the first and the second polymer segments having an ultraviolet (UV) curable group. The method includes exposing the photoresist material under a first UV radiation to break the link between the first polymer segment and the second polymer segment. The method includes exposing the photoresist material under a second UV radiation different from the first UV radiation to form a patterned resist layer. And the method includes developing the patterned resist layer to form a masking element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: An-Ren Zi, Ching-Yu Chang
  • Publication number: 20230288807
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a multilayer photoresist stack over a substrate, in which the multilayer photoresist stack has a first photoresist layer and a second photoresist layer over the first photoresist layer, and the second photoresist layer is less reactive to hydrogen than the first photoresist layer, exposing the multilayer photoresist stack to an EUV radiation, and developing the exposed multilayer photoresist stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: An-Ren ZI, Cheng-Han WU, Ching-Yu CHANG