Freezing Materials For Double Patterning

Cost reduction of Double Patterning processes is one of the key areas of development for materials vendors. Among the various possible approaches, spin-on freeze coatings are particularly attractive since they can provide a combination of high imaging performance and high flexibility in terms of resist selection. This paper reports on the development of a new material for spin-on freeze double patterning, AZ(r) SOLIDTM Coating. A suggested mechanism of action is proposed based on FT-IR studies, and the performance of the material in terms of structure quality, process window, impact on LWR, CD uniformity, and resist compatibility is described.