Miniaturization has driven the evolution of modern electronics, contributing to substantial performance improvements over the past decades. To maintain this progress, the semiconductor industry needs to create circuit patterns with finer features. By 2037, experts predict that semiconductor devices will require half-pitch sizes as small as 8 nanometers, necessitating advancements in lithographic processes.
Achieving these extremely detailed structures is a formidable challenge. One promising approach is directed self-assembly (DSA) using block copolymers (BCPs). BCPs are composed of two or more polymer blocks that can spontaneously arrange themselves into ordered patterns. While DSA is a powerful technique, creating sub-10 nanometer features has proven difficult.
In a study published on July 6, 2024, in 'Nature Communications', the Tokyo Tech research team, led by Professor Teruaki Hayakawa, introduced a new BCP derived from polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA). By incorporating poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) and modifying it with different thiols, the team created a new polymer, PS-b-PGFM, with improved self-assembly properties. This tailored BCP self-assembled into exceptionally small lamellar structures when applied as a thin film, as confirmed by atomic force microscopy.
"Thin-film aligned lamellar domains with a vertical orientation could be reliably and reproducibly obtained via directed self-assembly, yielding parallel line patterns that correspond to a half-pitch size of 7.6 nm," said Hayakawa. This is one of the smallest half-pitch sizes reported worldwide for thin-film lamellar structures without a top coating.
These findings could have a significant impact on semiconductor manufacturing technologies. "PS-b-PGFM BCPs are promising templates for use in lithography because they can produce fine patterns in DSA processes similar to the ones used for conventional PS-b-PMMA, with the potential to outperform them," added Hayakawa. The team plans to continue optimizing pattern-transfer processes using PS-b-PGFM thin films as templates.
This breakthrough could pave the way for advancements in electronics and artificial intelligence systems.
Research Report:Chemically tailored block copolymers for highly reliable sub-10-nm patterns by directed self-assembly
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