	US 11,862,430 B2
	Pattern formation method and template manufacturing method
Ryota Seki, Kawasaki Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to Kioxia Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by KIOXIA CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Aug. 3, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/392,571.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-136342 (JP), filed on Aug. 12, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0051871 A1, Feb. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. G03F 7/00 (2006.01); B29C 33/38 (2006.01); H01J 37/317 (2006.01)

CPC H01J 37/3175 (2013.01) [B29C 33/3842 (2013.01); G03F 7/0002 (2013.01); H01J 2237/31777 (2013.01)]

20 Claims

1. A pattern formation method, comprising:

placing an imprint resist film on a substrate;

imprinting a pattern in the imprint resist film, the pattern having a first loop section in a first end portion and a second loop section in a second end portion;

selectively irradiating the patterned imprint resist film between the first loop section and the second loop section; and

etching the imprint resist film under conditions leaving the selectively irradiated portion of the imprint resist film and removing the unirradiated portion of the imprint resist film.

9. A patterning method, comprising:

obtaining a first imprint template including a line and space pattern formed by a side wall transfer process, the line and space pattern including a first loop end portion at one end and a second loop end portion at another end;

performing an imprint lithography process on a substrate using the first imprint template to transfer the line and space pattern to an imprint resist on the substrate;

after the imprint lithography process, radiation hardening a portion of the imprint resist between the first loop end portion and the second loop end portion;

etching the imprint resist to remove the portions of the imprint resist that were not radiation hardened and leave the portions of the imprint resist that were radiation hardened; and

etching the substrate using the remaining portions of the radiation hardened imprint resist as a mask.

16. A template manufacturing method, comprising:

forming a hard mask film on a substrate;

forming a resist film on the hard mask film;

patterning the resist film to have a pattern including a first loop section in a first end portion of a line-space pattern and a second loop section in a second end portion of the line-space pattern;

irradiating the resist between the first loop section and the second loop section;

removing the portions of the resist not irradiated; and

etching the mask film and the substrate using the remaining resist film.