Patent attributes
A polyelectrolyte solution for tuning a surface energy and a method for using the polyelectrolyte solution to manufacture an integrated circuit. A substrate is provided and a photosensitive material having a surface energy is formed over the substrate. The substrate may be polysilicon, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, metal, and the like. The photosensitive material is treated with a polyelectrolyte solution to change the surface energy of the photosensitive material. Treatment techniques for applying the polyelectrolyte solution may include spraying, bathing, rinsing, soaking, or washing. The polyelectrolyte adsorbs to the photosensitive material forming a polyelectrolyte polymer layer on the photosensitive material. The photosensitive material may be a photoresist or a photoresist having a topcoat formed thereon. The photosensitive material is exposed using lithography techniques and processed to form a patterned layer of photosensitive material for use in manufacturing the integrated circuit.
