Radiation imagery chemistry: process – composition – or product th – Color imaging process – Laser or radiation exposure other than visible light
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-30
2001-09-04
Chaudhuri, Olik (Department: 2814)
Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th
Color imaging process
Laser or radiation exposure other than visible light
C438S949000, C355S053000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06284443
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to semiconductor device manufacture. In particular, the present invention relates to methods for exposing photosensitive material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As time goes on, semiconductor devices continue to shrink in size and grow in density and complexity. This has driven a migration towards a “System on a Chip” where different devices are built in to a single computer chip. For example, logic structure and memory structures may be included in one chip. Along these lines, one chip could include logic, DRAM, SRAM, NVRAM and/or SiGe features.
As the complexity in manufacturing these semiconductor chips increases, there is often a need to optimize conflicting needs from different devices. For example, while logic portions of a chip may require changing channel length to tradeoff speed against yield, this variability in channel length may have a negative impact on the storage parts of chips.
Also, many semiconductor devices are very sensitive to feature size differences across a chip or wafer. As feature sizes continue to decrease and the number of features on a single chip increases, line width uniformity specifications become tighter with each generation. A variety of methods may be employed to improve uniformity and decrease line width variation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method for variably exposing photosensitive material. According to the method, a semiconductor wafer is provided. A first target region and a second target region are identified on a semiconductor wafer. Photosensitive material is provided on the semiconductor wafer. An illuminating system comprising a source of illumination is provided. A mask is provided between the source of illumination and the photosensitive material. The photosensitive material is illuminated through the mask with the illuminating system to provide in a single step of a illuminating system a first illumination goes to the first target region and a second illumination goes to the second target region. The first illumination dose differs from the second illumination dose, wherein no further dose is provided to equalize the first illumination dose and the second illuminating dose.
The present invention also includes a method for variably exposing photosensitive material. The method includes identifying at least two target regions on the photosensitive material. The photosensitive material is illuminated in one step with at least two illumination doses to the at least two target regions. At least some of the illumination doses differ from each other, wherein no further illumination doses are provided to equalize the illumination doses.
The present invention also includes a semiconductor device formed according to a process that includes applying a photosensitive material to a semiconductor substrate, identifying at least two target regions on the photosensitive material, and illuminating the photosensitive material in one step with at least two illumination doses to the at least two target regions. At least some of the illumination doses differ from each other, wherein no further illuminating is provided to equalize the illumination doses.
Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein it is shown and described only the preferred embodiments of the invention, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
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Anderson Brent A.
Hibbs Michael S.
Iyer Subramian S.
Chaudhuri Olik
Connolly Bove & Lodge & Hutz LLP
International Business Machines - Corporation
Leas, Esq. James M.
Peralta Ginette
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