Mask 3D effect on 45-nm imaging using attenuated PSM

Kazuya Sato; Masamitsu Itoh; Takashi Sato

doi:10.1117/12.710549

26 March 2007 Mask 3D effect on 45-nm imaging using attenuated PSM

Kazuya Sato, Masamitsu Itoh, Takashi Sato

Proceedings Volume 6520, Optical Microlithography XX; 65201J (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.710549
Event: SPIE Advanced Lithography, 2007, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

In the exposure using ArF immersion exposure tool, under the conditions in which the mask pattern pitch is smaller than several times the exposure wavelength, diffraction light distribution cannot be predicted correctly by the Kirchhoff approximation mask model, and therefore, rigorous electromagnetic field analysis, or 3D mask model, is required. In particular, in the dense line and space (L/S) formation using oblique illumination and an attenuated phase shifting mask (att-PSM), the intensity of 0th and 1st diffraction lights changes as pitch shrinks. In dense L/S formation, it is necessary to reduce a mask error enhancement factor (MEF) and to obtain sufficient exposure latitude. We consider the following three contrast control "knobs" (CCKs): (1) Mask bias, (2) Transmittance of attenuating mask material (absorber), (3) Thickness of absorber. We also considered the effect of illumination angle of incidence on 3D mask. We performed a simple optimization for exposure latitude of dense L/S pattern, reflecting consideration of the mask 3D model for half pitch (hp) 45nm L&S imaging using att-PSM and oblique illumination. The important image characteristics are normalized image log slope (NILS) and dose- MEF for obtaining sufficient exposure latitude. We carried out an experiment of attenuated PSM exposure using hyper-NA exposure tools and compared the results with the 3D mask simulation. The degree of agreement between the experiment and the 3D mask simulation, and the practical effectiveness of the CCKs are discussed in this paper.

Citation Download Citation

Kazuya Sato, Masamitsu Itoh, and Takashi Sato "Mask 3D effect on 45-nm imaging using attenuated PSM", Proc. SPIE 6520, Optical Microlithography XX, 65201J (26 March 2007); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.710549

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