Etch developments in response to DSA challenges

Directed self-assembly (DSA) has emerged as one of the most promising, cost-effective paths to continue scaling semiconductor devices down to the sub-10nm regime. While the lithographic guidelines and thermodynamic properties of the block co-polymers ultimately dictate the pitch (typically 20nm+), for full realization of the potential within high volume manufacturing (HVM), all of the nanometer-level resolution requirements still need to be met by dry etch. This talk will summarize the current impediments faced regarding critical dimensions (CDs), line roughness, and defectivity as well as ongoing work to overcome these obstacles.