Lithography Method for Producing a Feature

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The invention is a lithography method for creating extremely small and closely spaced features on a substrate, using a layered system with both negative and positive photoresists. By precisely irradiating and developing these resist layers in a specific sequence, the method allows formation of structures with previously unattainable minimal distances—down to approximately 5 nanometers—between them. This approach utilizes the differing behaviors of the negative and positive resists under exposure and development to enable new, high-precision patterning possibilities for nanotechnology applications.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Fabrication of nano-scale electronic circuits and components in semiconductor manufacturing.
• Production of high-density memory devices and microprocessors.
• Creation of nanostructures for photonic and optoelectronic devices.
• Manufacturing of fine-featured masks for advanced patterning in microfabrication.
• Development of new types of sensors and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).
• Forming templates for nanoimprint lithography and related replication techniques.
• Mask making for etching, material deposition, or ion implantation in material science.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables production of features with extremely small sizes and minimal spacing (down to ~5 nm), surpassing previous lithographic limits.
• Reduces or eliminates proximity effect problems common in electron beam lithography, thus achieving higher resolution.
• Improves reproducibility and precision in nanostructure fabrication.
• Allows greater flexibility in the design and arrangement of complex nanostructures.
• Can be implemented with both electron beam and optical lithography, making it adaptable to various existing processes.
• Films formed by this method can act as highly precise masks for subsequent etching or deposition, enabling more advanced device architectures.
• Potentially reduces computation and process times compared with conventional proximity correction methods.

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Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a feature by means of lithography in a layer system, arranged above one another on a substrate, comprising at least two strata made of a negative resist and a positive resist. The method comprises the following steps: both resists are irradiated such that a relatively large area of the positive resist is modified as in the negative resist, both resists are developed, a feature whose dimensions are defined by the removed area of the positive resist minus the modified, unremoved area of the negative resist is formed. In this way, it is possible to obtain very closely adjacent features in the layer system.