Integration of Block Copolymer Self-Assembly for EUVL Pattern Quality Rectification

Block copolymer self-assembly has been utilized in various nanotechnology applications, and one important application is Directed Self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymer films on guided substrates, which has garnered significant attention in semiconductor lithography. As Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL) alone faces limitations in achieving ultra-high-resolution, high-quality patterns, the combination with DSA has recently emerged as a potential solution. In this study, using coarse-grained simulations, we predict the self-assembly of cylinder-forming block copolymers on various EUVL patterns with defects, exploring methods to rectify defects including edge roughness, missing holes, placement errors, and size variation in EUVL patterns. Furthermore, we propose strategies to overcome the inherent limitations of linear block copolymer DSA by utilizing block copolymers with various chain architectures.