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Tighter requirements on mask resolution, CD and image positioning accuracy at and beyond the 45 nm technology node
push the development of improved photomask blanks. One such blank for attenuated phase-shift masks (att-PSM)
provides a thinner chrome film, named TF11, with higher chrome etch rate compared to the previous generation Att-
PSM blank (NTAR5 chrome film) from the same supplier. Reduced stress in the chrome film also results in less image
placement error induced by the material. FEP-171 is the positive chemically amplified resist (PCAR) that is most
commonly used in advanced mask manufacturing with both 50 keV variable shaped e-beam (VSB) and DUV laser
pattern generators. TF11 allows an FEP-171 resist film down to about 2000 Å thickness with sufficient etch resistance,
while the standard resist thickness for NTAR5 is around 3000 Å.
This work has experimentally evaluated the use of TF11 chrome and FEP-171 resist together with a 248 nm DUV laser
pattern generator, the Sigma7500. First, patterning performance in resist with thicknesses from 2000 Å to 2600 Å, in
steps of 100 Å, was tested with respect to swing curve and basic lithographic parameters including resolution, CD
linearity, CD iso-dense bias and dose sensitivity. Patterning results on mask showed a swing minimum at around 2200 Å
and a swing maximum at around 2500 Å, which correspond to reflectivity measurements for 248 nm wavelength
performed by the blank supplier. It was concluded that the overall patterning performance was best close to the swing
maximum. Thereafter the patterning performance using TF11 at two resist thicknesses, 2000 Å and 2550 Å, was studied
in more detail and compared to performance using NTAR5 with 3200 Å resist. The evaluation showed that the
Sigma7500-II offers good compatibility with TF11, especially using the optimized FEP-171 resist thickness of 2550 Å. It
also showed that the patterning capability of the Sigma7500-II using TF11 and 2550 Å resist is improved compared to
using NTAR5 and 3200 Å resist.
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