Photoresist Curing Method

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the manufacture of optically delineated circuits and particularly to the curing of photoresists used in such manufacture by flash discharge arc lamps.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In the manufacture of integrated circuits, it is usual to slice a wafer from a semiconductor crystal, apply a photoresist to the surface of the wafer, illuminate the photoresist with a circuit pattern, develop the pattern (this is done by washing away the more soluble portions of the photoresist and may be either the illuminated or unilluminated portions depending on whether it is a positive or negative photoresist), curing the remaining photoresist, and treating the exposed wafer surface to form the desired circuit components and connections. The curing step is necessary to make the remaining photoresist impervious to the various treatment procedures.

For high resolution, ultraviolet sensitized photoresists are used with ultraviolet exposures. Curing is thus usually by ultraviolet also although other radiation and heat are usually present. Typical curing time has been one half hour and the curing process has produced two additional problems. One is a flowing of the photoresist reducing resolution. The other is erratic results in removal of the cured photoresist after completion of treating.

Curing or polymerization of various polymeric materials has been effected in the past with flash discharge arc lamps. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,782,889 and 4,167,669 of the present inventor describe methods and apparatus for that purpose. In these prior patents there were no resolution requirements. Xenon flash lamps were used that normally put out energy over a broad spectrum extending both above and below the visible spectrum. Portions of the spectral output can be emphasized depending on gas mixture in the lamp, fill pressure, current density, pulse width, bore size and envelope material. High infrared output was considered the least desirable for the present purposes since the high temperatures produced could be expected to cause melting and flow while the high rate of energy input has been known in the past to cause spattering as could be expected by fast thermal expansion in discrete surface areas.

Now, in accordance with the invention it has been found that post development cures of photoresist can be effected in less than one minute with negligible resolution loss by flash radiation from a xenon flash lamp operated with design parameters for emphasizing visible light output. Thus it is an object of the invention to provide a method of post development cure of photoresist using flash lamps. p Further objects and features of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following disclosure together with the drawing.

FIG. 1 is a plan view depicting flash curing according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross section through 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a spectral distribution graph showing xenon flash output radiation at a current density suitable for the invention and at a current density for high ultraviolet output.

The invention has its present greatest utility in integrated circuit manufacture. A waver of semiconductor crystal is sliced from a mother crystal and coated with ultraviolet-sensitive photoresist. An ultraviolet exposure is then made through an iterated pattern of the integrated circuit. For both compact size and economy, it is desirable to obtain as many of the circuits as possible from the single wafer. The wavelength of the radiation used in the photoexposure is a limiting factor on resolution. The shorter the wavelength, the higher the possible resolution. For this reason ultraviolet, with wavelengths shorter than visible light, is used. The ultraviolet photoexposure effects a partial cure of the photoresist so that the unexposed portion may be washed away in the following development step. Following development, the remaining photoresist receives a post development cure making it impervious to the complex treatment steps used in forming the integrated circuits.

Referring now to the drawing, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are plan and cross-sectional views of the post development cure. Wafer 10 is positioned on work table 11 with developed photoresist coating 12 facing flash lamp 14. Flash lamp 14 is flashed to effect the post development cure. The details of the method are best explained by example.

Semiconductor wafer 10 was 3 inches in diameter and carried a developed photoresist coating 1.5 microns thick of AZ-5000 a positive photoresist of AZ Photoresist Products, Somerville, N.J. Flash lamp parameters:

In this example, the spacing between the surface of photoresist 11 and the outside of the lamp envelope was 7.0 mm. The full time of exposure was two seconds. The spectral distribution of the lamp output was substantially that shown in solid curve 1 of FIG. 3. The photoresist was completely cured.

The parameters given in the above example are subject to considerable variation. Lamps have been made in a zig-zag and other shapes. Lamps may be operated in series, in parallel or in a combination. The spacing between the lamp and the photoresist is preferably in the range of 6.0 mm to 6.0 cm for efficiency. The pulse rate is most effective in the 1 to 10 pulses per second range. The electrical current density in the lamp should be in the 400 amps/cm.sup.2 to 2000 amps/cm.sup.2 range to obtain the correct spectral output. The pulse length, fill pressure and gas mixture are important in obtaining the desired spectral output. Variations can be used as long as they do not cause substantial changes in the spectral output. Exposure time ranges from 1/2 to 30 seconds.

In the sample above, there was negligible loss in resolution and after the integrated circuits had been formed, the photoresist removed cleanly in the removal step.

FIG. 3 depicts the spectral distribution curve (curve 1) that has produced the unexpected results and showing high output in the 800 to 1100 NM wavelength region. Curve 2 shows the spectral distribution curve that was expected to give improved results over past methods. Curve 2 with its high output in the 200 to 300 NM wavelength range is obtained with current densities of over 6000 amps/cm.sup.2. Obtaining questionable results and having high lamp failure rates operating at these current densities, the present inventor went against instructions and theory to experiment with lower current densities. The results obtained in accordance with the invention are still not fully explained. It is believed that the powerful magnetic field put out by the flash lamp, due to the heavy direct current discharge through it, is a significant factor. Since this belief has yet to be fully proven, it is not intended to be limiting on the invention.

While the invention has been described with relation to a specific embodiment, it is not intended to be limited thereby, but it is intended to cover the invention as set forth in the following claims.