Pattern based mask process correction: impact on data quality and mask writing time

Emile Sahouria; Amanda Bowhill; Steffen Schulze

doi:10.1117/12.617133

28 June 2005 Pattern based mask process correction: impact on data quality and mask writing time

Emile Sahouria, Amanda Bowhill, Steffen Schulze

Proceedings Volume 5853, Photomask and Next-Generation Lithography Mask Technology XII; (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.617133
Event: Photomask and Next Generation Lithography Mask Technology XII, 2005, Yokohama, Japan

Abstract

The continuous drive of the semiconductor industry towards smaller features sizes requires mask manufacturers to achieve ever tighter tolerances for the most critical dimensions on the mask. CD uniformity requires particularly tight control. Equipment manufacturers and process engineers target their development to support these requirements. But as numerous publications indicate, more sophisticated data correction methods are still employed to compensate for shortcomings in equipment and process or to account for the boundary conditions in some layouts that contribute to process deviations. Among the corrected effects are proximity and linearity effects, fogging and etch effects, and pattern fidelity. Different designs vary by pattern size distribution as well as by pattern density distribution. As the implementation of corrections for optical proximity effects in wafer lithography has shown, breaking up the original polygons in the design layout for selective and environment-aware correction yields increased data volumes and can have an impact on the data quality of the mask writing data. The paper investigates the effect of various correction algorithms specifically deployed for mask process effects on top of wafer process related corrections. The impact of MPC flows such as rule-based linearity and proximity correction and density-based long range effect correction on the metrics for data preparation and mask making is analyzed. Experimental data on file size, shot count and data quality indicators including small figure counts are presented for different correction approaches and a variety of correction parameters.

Citation Download Citation

Emile Sahouria, Amanda Bowhill, and Steffen Schulze "Pattern based mask process correction: impact on data quality and mask writing time", Proc. SPIE 5853, Photomask and Next-Generation Lithography Mask Technology XII, (28 June 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.617133

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