Predicting overlay performance for electron projection lithography masks

Phillip L. Reu; Cheng-Fu Chen; Roxann L. Engelstad; Edward G. Lovell; Michael J. Lercel; Obert R. Wood II; R. Scott Mackay

doi:10.1117/12.472280

Translator Disclaimer

1 July 2002 Predicting overlay performance for electron projection lithography masks

Phillip L. Reu, Cheng-Fu Chen, Roxann L. Engelstad, Edward G. Lovell, Michael J. Lercel, Obert R. Wood II, R. Scott Mackay

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 4688, Emerging Lithographic Technologies VI; (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.472280
Event: SPIE's 27th Annual International Symposium on Microlithography, 2002, Santa Clara, California, United States

Abstract

Minimizing mask-level distortions is critical to the success of Electron Projection Lithography (EPL) in the sub-100 nm regime. A number of possibilities exist to reduce mask fabrication and pattern transfer distortion including subfield correction, 'dummy' patterns, pattern splitting and film stress control. Finite element modeling was used to illustrate the advantages and capabilities of these correction schemes for a 100-mm stencil mask with 1 mm X 1 mm membrane windows. SRAM-type circuit features including both the interconnect and contact levels were used to simulate realistic circuit layouts with both cross-mask and intra-membrane pattern density gradients. With such correction techniques, it is possible to reduce the EPL mask-level distortions for 'worst-case' mixed pattern types to less than 1.0 nm.

Citation Download Citation

Phillip L. Reu, Cheng-Fu Chen, Roxann L. Engelstad, Edward G. Lovell, Michael J. Lercel, Obert R. Wood II, and R. Scott Mackay "Predicting overlay performance for electron projection lithography masks", Proc. SPIE 4688, Emerging Lithographic Technologies VI, (1 July 2002); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.472280

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE