How to Clean Tiny Chip Patterns Using a Special Chemical Developer
This patent describes a method for making advanced computer chips using extreme ultraviolet light and a special chemical developer that cleans away tiny metal leftover bits from the chip's patterns.
Original patent title: “Extreme ultraviolet photolithography method with developer composition”
This patent describes a method for making advanced computer chips using extreme ultraviolet light and a special chemical developer that cleans away tiny metal leftover bits from the chip's patterns. Granted to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC in 2020 with 23 claims and 5 forward citations, and it is expected to expire in 2037.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This method improves how tiny patterns are made on computer chips, especially for advanced manufacturing using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light. It starts by putting a special light-sensitive material, called a photoresist, onto a silicon wafer, where this photoresist contains metal. After exposing this photoresist to light to create a pattern, the process uses a unique chemical liquid, called a first developer, to wash away the unexposed parts. This first developer (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1) is mostly an organic solvent (at least 60% by weight) and includes a chemical additive, specifically a base, designed to remove any tiny metal residuals that might be left behind from the metal-containing photoresist. After this cleaning and patterning, the remaining photoresist acts like a stencil for etching the underlying material layer.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover lithography methods that use photoresists without a metal-containing chemical.
- Does not cover developers where the organic solvent makes up less than 60% of the developer's total weight.
- Does not cover developers that do not include a base as a chemical additive to remove metal residuals.
- Does not cover processes where the etching of the material layer happens before the first developing step.
- Does not cover a two-step developing process where the second developer also contains a chemical additive (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 7 specifies the second developer is 'free of additive').
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The innovation lies in precisely formulating the developer chemical. By combining a high percentage of organic solvent with a specific chemical additive (a base), the developer effectively cleans away tiny metal bits left over from the photoresist, which is critical for making extremely small and accurate patterns on chips.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes
EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) lithography for microchip fabrication
Manufacturing of high-performance CPUs and GPUs
Production of memory chips (DRAM, NAND flash)
Fabrication of logic chips for smartphones and data centers
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent is crucial for making the smallest, most powerful computer chips. As chips get smaller, the manufacturing process becomes incredibly precise, and even tiny leftover materials can cause defects. By effectively removing metal residuals during the patterning process, this invention helps ensure that advanced chips, like those made by TSMC, can achieve their intended performance and reliability.
Filed
June 8, 2017
Granted
December 15, 2020
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is a global leader in advanced semiconductor manufacturing and continues to push the boundaries of chip fabrication using EUV lithography. Other major chip manufacturers like Samsung and Intel, along with equipment suppliers such as ASML, are also deeply invested in and contribute to this field, constantly refining processes like the one described here to enable next-generation electronics.
Market impact
This patent contributes to the ongoing advancement of Moore's Law, allowing for the creation of smaller, more efficient transistors. By enabling cleaner and more precise patterning with EUV, it helps reduce manufacturing defects and increase chip yields. This directly impacts the performance and cost of consumer electronics, data centers, and AI hardware, making more powerful devices possible at scale.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This method improves how tiny patterns are made on computer chips, especially for advanced manufacturing using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light. It starts by putting a special light-sensitive material, called a photoresist, onto a silicon wafer, where this photoresist contains metal. After exposing this photoresist to light to create a pattern, the process uses a unique chemical liquid, called a first developer, to wash away the unexposed parts. This first developer (Claim 1) is mostly an organic solvent (at least 60% by weight) and includes a chemical additive, specifically a base, designed to remove any tiny metal residuals that might be left behind from the metal-containing photoresist. After this cleaning and patterning, the remaining photoresist acts like a stencil for etching the underlying material layer.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in precisely formulating the developer chemical. By combining a high percentage of organic solvent with a specific chemical additive (a base), the developer effectively cleans away tiny metal bits left over from the photoresist, which is critical for making extremely small and accurate patterns on chips.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover lithography methods that use photoresists without a metal-containing chemical.
- Does not cover developers where the organic solvent makes up less than 60% of the developer's total weight.
- Does not cover developers that do not include a base as a chemical additive to remove metal residuals.
- Does not cover processes where the etching of the material layer happens before the first developing step.
- Does not cover a two-step developing process where the second developer also contains a chemical additive (Claim 7 specifies the second developer is 'free of additive').
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
16/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$59K – $187K
Midpoint $117K · 10.7 yr remaining · industry ×1.5
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
23 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Cheng, J., Lin, C., Chang, C., & Zi, A. (2020). How to Clean Tiny Chip Patterns Using a Special Chemical Developer (U.S. Patent No. 10,866,511). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10866511/extreme-ultraviolet-photolithography-method-with-developer-composition
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How to Clean Tiny Chip Patterns Using a Special Chemical Developer cover?
This patent describes a method for making advanced computer chips using extreme ultraviolet light and a special chemical developer that cleans away tiny metal leftover bits from the chip's patterns.
Who owns patent US 10866511?
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC owns this patent, granted in 2020.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on June 8, 2037, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 10866511 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 5 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent is crucial for making the smallest, most powerful computer chips. As chips get smaller, the manufacturing process becomes incredibly precise, and even tiny leftover materials can cause defects. By effectively removing metal residuals during the patterning process, this invention helps ensure that advanced chips, like those made by TSMC, can achieve their intended performance and reliability.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover lithography methods that use photoresists without a metal-containing chemical.
Same assignee
More from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC
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