US 11,892,771 B2
Methods for increasing the density of high-index nanoimprint lithography films
Andrew Ceballos, Santa Clara, CA (US); Rami Hourani, Santa Clara, CA (US); Kenichi Ohno, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Yuriy Melnik, San Jose, CA (US); and Amita Joshi, Fremont, CA (US)
Assigned to APPLIED MATERIALS, INC., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 29, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/136,959.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/012,691, filed on Apr. 20, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/012,688, filed on Apr. 20, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0325778 A1, Oct. 21, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G03F 7/00 (2006.01); H01L 21/28 (2006.01); C23C 16/04 (2006.01); C23C 16/455 (2006.01); G03F 7/20 (2006.01); B82Y 10/00 (2011.01)
CPC G03F 7/0002 (2013.01) [C23C 16/045 (2013.01); C23C 16/45527 (2013.01); C23C 16/45553 (2013.01); G03F 7/0005 (2013.01); G03F 7/2004 (2013.01); H01L 21/28123 (2013.01); B82Y 10/00 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A densified nanoim print film, comprising:
a base nanoimprint film comprising nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles comprise zirconium oxide, niobium oxide, tantalum oxide, hafnium oxide, chromium oxide, silicon nitride, or any combination thereof; and
a metal oxide disposed on the base nanoimprint film and in between the nanoparticles, wherein the metal oxide comprises niobium oxide, chromium oxide, scandium oxide, yttrium oxide, praseodymium oxide, magnesium oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, or any combination thereof, and wherein:
the nanoparticles and the metal oxide contain different materials; and
the refractive index of the densified nanoimprint film is about 2% to about 30% greater than the refractive index of the base nanoim print film.
 
11. A method of forming a nanoimprint film, comprising:
positioning a substrate comprising a porous nanoimprint film within a processing chamber, wherein the porous nanoimprint film comprises nanoparticles and voids between the nanoparticles, and wherein the nanoparticles comprise zirconium oxide, niobium oxide, tantalum oxide, hafnium oxide, chromium oxide, silicon nitride, or any combination thereof; and
depositing a metal oxide on the porous nanoimprint film and within at least a portion of the voids to produce an densified nanoimprint film during an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, wherein the metal oxide comprises niobium oxide, chromium oxide, scandium oxide, yttrium oxide, praseodymium oxide, magnesium oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, or any combination thereof, and wherein:
the nanoparticles and the metal oxide contain different materials; and
the refractive index of the densified nanoimprint film is about 2% to about 30% greater than the refractive index of the base nanoim print film.
 
20. An optical device with gratings, comprising:
a densified nanoimprint film, comprising:
a base nanoimprint film comprising nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles comprise zirconium oxide, niobium oxide, tantalum oxide, hafnium oxide, chromium oxide, silicon nitride, or any combination thereof; and
a metal oxide disposed on the base nanoimprint film and in between the nanoparticles, wherein the metal oxide comprises niobium oxide, chromium oxide, scandium oxide, yttrium oxide, praseodymium oxide, magnesium oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, or any combination thereof, and wherein:
the nanoparticles and the metal oxide contain different materials;
about 20% to about 90% of the volume occupied by the voids is filled with the metal oxide by the ALD process; and
the refractive index of the densified nanoimprint film is about 5% to about 30% greater than the refractive index of the base nanoimprint film.