3D mask modeling with oblique incidence and mask corner rounding effects for the 32nm node

Mazen Saied; Franck Foussadier; Jérôme Belledent; Yorick Trouiller; Isabelle Schanen; Emek Yesilada; Christian Gardin; Jean Christophe Urbani; Frank Sundermann; Frédéric Robert; Christophe Couderc; Florent Vautrin; Laurent LeCam; Gurwan Kerrien; Jonathan Planchot; Catherine Martinelli; Bill Wilkinson; Yves Rody; Amandine Borjon; Nicolo Morgana; Jean-Luc Di-Maria; Vincent Farys

doi:10.1117/12.752613

16 November 2007 3D mask modeling with oblique incidence and mask corner rounding effects for the 32nm node

Mazen Saied, Franck Foussadier, Jérôme Belledent, Yorick Trouiller, Isabelle Schanen, Emek Yesilada, Christian Gardin, Jean Christophe Urbani, Frank Sundermann, Frédéric Robert, Christophe Couderc, Florent Vautrin, Laurent LeCam, Gurwan Kerrien, Jonathan Planchot, Catherine Martinelli, Bill Wilkinson, Yves Rody, Amandine Borjon, Nicolo Morgana, Jean-Luc Di-Maria, Vincent Farys

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 6730, Photomask Technology 2007; 673050 (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.752613
Event: SPIE Photomask Technology, 2007, Monterey, California, United States

Abstract

The perpetual shrinking in critical dimensions in semiconductor devices is driving the need for increased resolution in optical lithography. Increasing NA to gain resolution also increases Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) model complexity. Some optical effects which have been completely neglected in OPC modeling become important. Over the past few years, off-axis illumination has been widely used to improve the imaging process. OPC models which utilize such illumination still use the thin film mask approximation (Kirchhoff approach), during optical model generation, which utilizes a normal incidence. However, simulating a three dimensional mask near-field using an off-axis illumination requires OPC models to introduce oblique incidence. In addition, the use of higher NA systems introduces high obliquity field components that can no longer be assimilated as normal incident waves. The introduction of oblique incidence requires other effects, such as corner rounding of mask features, to be considered, that are seldom taken into account in OPC modeling. In this paper, the effects of oblique incidence and corner rounding of mask features on resist contours of 2D structures (i.e. line-ends and corners) are studied. Rigorous electromagnetic simulations are performed to investigate the scattering properties of various lithographic 32nm node mask structures. Simulations are conducted using a three dimensional phase shift mask topology and an off-axis illumination at high NA. Aerial images are calculated and compared with those obtained from a classical normal incidence illumination. The benefits of using an oblique incidence to improve hot-spot prediction will be discussed.

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Mazen Saied, Franck Foussadier, Jérôme Belledent, Yorick Trouiller, Isabelle Schanen, Emek Yesilada, Christian Gardin, Jean Christophe Urbani, Frank Sundermann, Frédéric Robert, Christophe Couderc, Florent Vautrin, Laurent LeCam, Gurwan Kerrien, Jonathan Planchot, Catherine Martinelli, Bill Wilkinson, Yves Rody, Amandine Borjon, Nicolo Morgana, Jean-Luc Di-Maria, and Vincent Farys "3D mask modeling with oblique incidence and mask corner rounding effects for the 32nm node", Proc. SPIE 6730, Photomask Technology 2007, 673050 (16 November 2007); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.752613

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