A method of utilizing AIMS to quantify substrate/attenuator over-etch or under-etch during mask repair

Vahagn Sargsyan; Kevin Olson; Doug Uzzel; Jon Morgan; Mark Ma; Gilles Tabbone; Anthony Garetto

doi:10.1117/12.2027883

28 June 2013 A method of utilizing AIMS to quantify substrate/attenuator over-etch or under-etch during mask repair

Vahagn Sargsyan, Kevin Olson, Doug Uzzel, Jon Morgan, Mark Ma, Gilles Tabbone, Anthony Garetto

Proceedings Volume 8701, Photomask and Next-Generation Lithography Mask Technology XX; 870109 (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2027883
Event: Photomask and NGL Mask Technology XX, 2013, Yokohama, Japan

Abstract

The ZEISS AIMS™ platform is well established as the industry standard for qualifying the printability of mask features based on the aerial image. Typically the critical dimension (CD) and intensity at a certain through-focus range are the parameters which are monitored in order to verify printability or to ensure a successful repair. This information is essential in determining if a feature will pass printability, but in the case that the feature does fail, other methods are often required in order to isolate the reason why the failure occurred, e.g., quartz level deviation from nominal. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is typically used to determine physical dimensions such as the quartz etch depth and sidewall profile. In addition the AFM is a useful tool in monitoring and providing feedback to the repair engineer, as the depth of the repair is one of the many critical parameters which must be controlled in order to have a robust repair process. Carl Zeiss, in collaboration with Photronics-nanoFab, demonstrate the ability to use AIMS^TM to provide quantitative feedback on a given repair process; beyond simple pass/fail of the repair. Using the ZEISS MeRiT^® repair tool as the example, the AIMS^TM technique is used in lieu of an AFM to determine if repaired regions are over-etched or under-etched; and further to predict the amount of MeRiT^® recipe change required in order to bring subsequent repairs to a passing state.

Citation Download Citation

Vahagn Sargsyan, Kevin Olson, Doug Uzzel, Jon Morgan, Mark Ma, Gilles Tabbone, and Anthony Garetto "A method of utilizing AIMS to quantify substrate/attenuator over-etch or under-etch during mask repair", Proc. SPIE 8701, Photomask and Next-Generation Lithography Mask Technology XX, 870109 (28 June 2013); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2027883

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KEYWORDS

Etching

Quartz

Analytical research

Critical dimension metrology

Process control

Atomic force microscopy

Attenuators

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