Alternating PSM balancing characterization: a comparative study using AIMS and wafer print data

Martin Sczyrba; Roderick Köhle; Karsten Bubke; Mario Hennig; Rainer Pforr; Ralf Neubauer

doi:10.1117/12.656222

21 March 2006 Alternating PSM balancing characterization: a comparative study using AIMS and wafer print data

Martin Sczyrba, Roderick Köhle, Karsten Bubke, Mario Hennig, Rainer Pforr, Ralf Neubauer

Proceedings Volume 6154, Optical Microlithography XIX; 615448 (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.656222
Event: SPIE 31st International Symposium on Advanced Lithography, 2006, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

Alternating Phase-Shifting masks (altPSM) are known to provide high contrast imaging combined with a low Mask Error Enhancement Factor (MEEF) at low k1. At feature sizes close to 60nm half-pitch and less the impact of mask topography effects increases. This applies in particular for altPSM. This is due to the quartz etch which is required for every second mask aperture to obtain the 180 degrees phase shift. It enlarges the mask profile height significantly. The influence of the quartz trench profile on the transmission and phase balancing performance has already been studied extensively. Basically it has been shown, that tighter quartz trench profile control, specifically for etch depth and width, is required with decreasing mask feature half pitch. The desired mask pattern geometry optimization is currently based on an evaluation of the printed resist pattern over defocus. However, a mask process engineer can use instead only AIMS measurements of the mask features. Therefore there is a mature interest to check, how good such measurements can replace resist pattern measurements. In the paper therefore it is evaluated how accurate AIMS measurements can describe the real printing performance of an alternating PSM in resist. Impact of differences of the image formation is investigated by use of analytical expressions. Furthermore, the influence of tool imperfections and the presence of resist are discussed. The theoretical results are compared to experimental data taken from AIMS measurements and wafer prints.

Citation Download Citation

Martin Sczyrba, Roderick Köhle, Karsten Bubke, Mario Hennig, Rainer Pforr, and Ralf Neubauer "Alternating PSM balancing characterization: a comparative study using AIMS and wafer print data", Proc. SPIE 6154, Optical Microlithography XIX, 615448 (21 March 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.656222

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available

Members: $17.00

Non-members: $21.00 ADD TO CART

PROCEEDINGS
15 PAGES

DOWNLOAD PAPER SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

GET CITATION

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Get copyright permission Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace

KEYWORDS

Photomasks

Scanners

Semiconducting wafers

Diffraction

Phase shifts

Cadmium sulfide

Critical dimension metrology

Show All Keywords

Keywords/Phrases

Search In:

Publication Years