US 11,862,465 B2
Fine line patterning methods
Shih-Chun Huang, Hsinchu (TW); Chiu-Hsiang Chen, Hsinchu County (TW); Ya-Wen Yeh, Taipei (TW); Yu-Tien Shen, Tainan (TW); Po-Chin Chang, Taichung (TW); Chien-Wen Lai, Hsinchu (TW); Wei-Liang Lin, Hsinchu (TW); Ya Hui Chang, Hsinchu (TW); Yung-Sung Yen, New Taipei (TW); Li-Te Lin, Hsinchu (TW); Pinyen Lin, Rochester, NY (US); Ru-Gun Liu, Zhubei (TW); and Chin-Hsiang Lin, Hsinchu (TW)
Assigned to TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on Jan. 31, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/589,315.
Application 17/589,315 is a continuation of application No. 16/921,032, filed on Jul. 6, 2020, granted, now 11,239,078, issued on Feb. 1, 2022.
Application 16/921,032 is a continuation of application No. 16/178,417, filed on Nov. 1, 2018, granted, now 10,707,081, issued on Jul. 7, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/586,830, filed on Nov. 15, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0157605 A1, May 19, 2022
Int. Cl. H01L 21/033 (2006.01); H01L 21/027 (2006.01); H01L 21/311 (2006.01); H01L 21/02 (2006.01); H01L 21/265 (2006.01); H01L 21/3115 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/0338 (2013.01) [H01L 21/0217 (2013.01); H01L 21/0274 (2013.01); H01L 21/0332 (2013.01); H01L 21/0337 (2013.01); H01L 21/26586 (2013.01); H01L 21/31116 (2013.01); H01L 21/31144 (2013.01); H01L 21/31155 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pattern formation method, comprising:
forming a first pattern extending in a first direction and a second pattern extending in the first direction and spaced apart from the first pattern along a second direction crossing the first direction, over an underlying layer;
etching the first pattern and a part of the second pattern using a directional etching process along the second direction thereby removing the first pattern; and
patterning the underlying layer using the second pattern as an etching mask, wherein
the first pattern includes a first side face and a second side face opposite to the first side face, both of which extend in the first direction, and the second pattern includes a first side face and a second side face opposite to the first side face, both of which extend in the first direction, and the first side face of the second pattern faces the second side face of the first pattern, and
the directional etching is performed on the first side face of the first pattern and the first side face of the second pattern.