Evaluation of extreme ultraviolet mask defect using blank inspection, patterned mask inspection, and wafer inspection

Takashi Kamo; Tsuneo Terasawa; Takeshi Yamane; Hiroyuki Shigemura; Noriaki Takagi; Tsuyoshi Amano; Kazuo Tawarayama; Mari Nozoe; Toshihiko Tanaka; Osamu Suga; Ichiro Mori

doi:10.1117/1.3644984

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1 October 2011 Evaluation of extreme ultraviolet mask defect using blank inspection, patterned mask inspection, and wafer inspection

Takashi Kamo, Tsuneo Terasawa, Takeshi Yamane, Hiroyuki Shigemura, Noriaki Takagi, Tsuyoshi Amano, Kazuo Tawarayama, Mari Nozoe, Toshihiko Tanaka, Osamu Suga, Ichiro Mori

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J. of Micro/Nanolithography, MEMS, and MOEMS, 10(4), 043006 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.3644984

Abstract

The key challenge before extreme ultraviolet lithography is to make defect-free masks, for which it is important to identify the root cause of defects, and it is also necessary to establish suitable critical mask defect size for the production of ULSI devices. We have been developing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask infrastructures such as a full-field actinic blank inspection tool and 199 nm wavelength patterned mask inspection tool in order to support blank/mask supplier in reducing blank/mask defects which impact wafer printing. In this paper, by evaluating the printability of programmed phase defects and absorber defects exposed by full-field scanner EUV1, we demonstrate that defect detection sensitivities of actinic blank inspection and patterned mask inspection are higher than that of wafer inspection in HP32nm. The evaluations were done by comparing the detection sensitivities of full-field actinic blank inspection tool, 199 nm wavelength patterned mask inspection tool, and electron beam (EB) wafer inspection tool. And then, based on the native defect analysis of blank/mask, we ascertained that actinic blank inspection and patterned mask inspection are effective in detecting killer defects both at the main pattern and at the light-shield border area.

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Takashi Kamo, Tsuneo Terasawa, Takeshi Yamane, Hiroyuki Shigemura, Noriaki Takagi, Tsuyoshi Amano, Kazuo Tawarayama, Mari Nozoe, Toshihiko Tanaka, Osamu Suga, and Ichiro Mori "Evaluation of extreme ultraviolet mask defect using blank inspection, patterned mask inspection, and wafer inspection," Journal of Micro/Nanolithography, MEMS, and MOEMS 10(4), 043006 (1 October 2011). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.3644984

Published: 1 October 2011

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