Differently-sized features of an integrated circuit are formed by etching
a substrate using a mask which is formed by combining two separately
formed patterns. Pitch multiplication is used to form the relatively
small features of the first pattern and conventional photolithography
used to form the relatively large features of the second pattern. Pitch
multiplication is accomplished by patterning a photoresist and then
etching that pattern into an amorphous carbon layer. Sidewall spacers are
then formed on the sidewalls of the amorphous carbon. The amorphous
carbon is removed, leaving behind the sidewall spacers, which define the
first mask pattern. A bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) is then
deposited around the spacers to form a planar surface and a photoresist
layer is formed over the BARC. The photoresist is next patterned by
conventional photolithography to form the second pattern, which is then
is transferred to the BARC. The combined pattern made out by the first
pattern and the second pattern is transferred to an underlying amorphous
silicon layer and the pattern is subjected to a carbon strip to remove
BARC and photoresist material. The combined pattern is then transferred
to the silicon oxide layer and then to an amorphous carbon mask layer.
The combined mask pattern, having features of difference sizes, is then
etched into the underlying substrate through the amorphous carbon hard
mask layer.