DUV Photolithography and Materials

Synonyms

193-nm lithography; 248-nm lithography; DUV lithography; Photolithography

Definition

Deep Ultraviolet (DUV) Photolithography is the process of defining a pattern in a thin photosensitive polymer layer (photoresist) using controlled 254–193-nm light such that the resulting polymer pattern can be transferred into or onto the underlying substrate by etching, deposition, or implantation. The exposing light is passed through a chrome-on-quartz photomask, whose opaque areas act as a stencil of the desired pattern. The exposed polymer is then subjected to a chemical development process where the unwanted areas of polymer are removed, leaving the target areas unprotected from subsequent processing.

In semiconductor manufacturing, the light sources used are typically excimer lasers and produce either 248-nm or 193-nm light. The light is usually passed through the photomask and then through a reduction lens which reduces the pattern size by a factor of 5 or 4 times.

Introduction

The...