Review of Directed Self-Assembly Material, Processing, and Application in Advanced Lithography and Patterning

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Semiconductor Manufacturing

Background:

• Directed self-assembly (DSA) lithography leverages block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly for advanced patterning.
• DSA integrates with existing lithography methods like extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and deep ultraviolet (DUV) to boost resolution and device density.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore novel Directed Self-Assembly (DSA) lithography techniques for enhanced nanoscale pattern fabrication.
• To improve feature size, pattern density, and uniformity in microelectronic device manufacturing.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing graphoepitaxy with topographic templates to guide BCP assembly.
• Employing chemoepitaxy with chemically patterned surfaces to direct BCP phase segregation.
• Combining DSA with established lithography (EUV, DUV, e-beam, nanoimprint).

Main Results:

• Achieved smaller feature sizes and higher pattern densities through novel DSA technology.
• Demonstrated miniaturization of hole and line patterns, enabling pitch multiplication.
• Improved pattern roughness and local critical dimension uniformity (LCDU).

Conclusions:

• Directed self-assembly lithography is a highly promising technique for advanced semiconductor fabrication.
• DSA enables significant improvements in resolution, density, and uniformity for nanoscale patterns.
• The technology is applicable to logic, memory, and optoelectronic device manufacturing.