| Hiromichi Kawasaki | Ome Technical Center, |
| Sukeyoshi Tsunekawa | Ome Technical Center, |
| Hiroyoshi Kawakami | Process Development Dept., Semiconductor Technology Headquarters, Device Development Center, |
| Norio Hasegawa | Process Development Dept., Semiconductor Technology Headquarters, Device Development Center, |
While semiconductor manufacturers continue to express concerns about the limitations of photolithography, revolutions in lithographic techniques have led to the formation of patterns with dimensions smaller than the wavelength of the light source. Also, due to the increasing cost of exposure systems, equipment related to the lithography process is beginning to constitute the bulk of plant investment in the field of semiconductor manufacture. Meanwhile, there seems to be no end to the demands for fine gate lengths in logic devices such as MPUs (micro-processing units) and LSIs (large-scale integrations). Technical innovations are thus being made in fields such as lithography in an effort to meet these growing demands. Although gate lengths at the 90 nm node have already been developed, industry is now calling for a reduction to 70 nm or less. However, structures as small as this are difficult to form, even when using resolution enhancement technologies in conjunction with ArF excimer laser exposure techniques. To resolve this deadlock, Hitachi has developed and commercialized a slimming system, which can produce fine patterns below the resolution limit of exposure systems by precisely slimming a resist pattern formed by lithography. In combination with existing exposure systems, this slimming system can produce ultra-fine patterns that take the lead in next-generation exposure systems.
slimming, ozone, fine pattern, lithography, trimming
