High NA EUV lithography has become a reality. The high NA EUV scanner (EXE:5000) produces exposure fields of 26x16.5 mm2 which is twice smaller than standard fields on other scanners. For certain use cases (e.g. when a die is larger than the High NA field) stitching between two exposure fields might be required. Stitching of vertical lines across two exposure fields has already been demonstrated in several publications. In this publication, we pay attention to photomask related aspects of stitching which are multifold. We draw attention to the need for mask resolution enhancement which will enable advanced OPC at stitching. We will show stitching behavior on both Tantalum and low-n masks and demonstrate low-n absorber reflectivity suppression by means of sub-resolution gratings which is required for stitching. We explore the behavior of the exposure field black border (BB) edge and formulate recommendations for specifications on BB edge control as well as pattern placement and pattern fidelity at the black border. Finally, we conclude that the mask performance is a key enabler of High NA stitching.
Mask stacks comprising of alternative absorber materials with various optical properties (n and k values) may allow further improvements in EUV imaging. In a strive towards dose reduction and advancement of resolution limits in EUV lithography, such masks are brought up for consideration. In this work, we evaluate a novel low-n absorber mask with a low EUV absorber reflectivity for dark field Line/Space (LS) printing and compare it to a traditional Ta-based absorber mask. For the novel low-n mask, we experimentally confirm the reflectivity vs. the Ta-based reference mask. Through simulations and experiments at 0.33 numerical aperture (NA), we evaluate the LS imaging performance in terms of best focus through pitch. At the anchor LS pitch 28nm, we report the exposure latitude and the Mask Error Enhancement Factor (MEEF) and compare these metrics to the imaging performance of a Ta-based mask. This work adds understanding to the patterning benefits and limitations of alternative absorber mask stacks in the case of Metal direct print applications.
The combination of High NA EUV anamorphic projection optics and unchanged mask-blank size result in a “High NA field” with a maximum size of 26x16.5 mm² at wafer level. Therefore, to create a die larger than the High NA full field, two images are stitched together. So-called in-die stitching is enabled by a combination of design, mask, OPC, process, and scanner solutions. We present an overview of our learnings about at-resolution stitching based on a representative experimental study at NA=0.33, in preparation for tomorrow’s NA=0.55. For a pitch 28nm vertical line-space, optimum conditions are confirmed experimentally to create a robust stitch. A P28 LS is measured post-stitching utilizing either a Ta absorber or a low-n absorber. For the latter, the higher reflectivity is experimentally mitigated by using sub-resolution-gratings. We also quantify the imaging impact of the transition between the absorber and the black border in the stitching region.
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