Dr. Joseph S. Gordon Profile

Dr. Joseph S. Gordon

Senior Member/Technical Staff at Tekscend Photomask Round Rock Inc.

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Publications (9)

Proceedings Article | 27 May 2009 Paper

Contamination control for ArF photo masks

Joseph Gordon, Marianna Silova, Brid Connolly, Jeroen Huijbregtse, Nicolae Maxim, Larry Frisa, Christian Chovino, Colleen Weins

Proceedings Volume 7470, 74700C (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.835174

KEYWORDS: Air contamination, Reticles, Photomasks, Pellicles, Humidity, Lithography, Contamination, Manufacturing, Contamination control, Optical lithography

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Advanced photolithography tools use 193 nanometer wavelength light for conventional and immersion printing. The increased energy of 193 nm (ArF) light coupled with the higher absorption cross section of most materials has lead to a dramatic increase in the rate of haze formation as compared to previously used lithographic wavelengths (248 KrF and 365 nm i-line systems). It is well known that at this short wavelength photochemical reactions are enhanced leading to progressive defect formation, or haze, on optical surfaces within microlithography tools. Therefore, strict contamination control of the optics environment is needed to avoid cumulative effects. Such measures have been implemented in lithography tools both for the optics and for the reticle during exposure. However, the patterned side of the photomask is the most sensitive element in the litho optical path for haze growth, because it is in focus and small defects will show up as printing defects. Moreover, the reticle life time depends both on rigorous contamination control for expose and transport/storage conditions (both inside and outside of the lithography tool). The litho operating cost depends directly on reticle life time. It is imperative that the industry takes the required measures to improve the airborne molecular contamination levels both in the storage part of the photolithography tool and in devices used to transport reticles outside of the tool to slow down reticle haze Past studies have shown the large effects of humidity and AMC on haze growth during storage and exposure. Therefore, significant improvements in storage and exposure environment have been implemented by many fabs to reduce the frequency of haze failures. It has also been shown that outgassing from materials surrounding the mask can influence or cause haze. It is clear that the reticle must be adequately protected from contamination sources throughout the life cycle of the reticle (both inside and outside of the lithography tool). In this paper we examine improvements in the storage conditions of reticles inside the lithography tool as well as improvements in commercial SMIF pods used in fab storage and automated handling of reticles.

Proceedings Article | 30 October 2007 Paper

Study of time dependent 193 nm reticle haze

Joseph Gordon, Larry Frisa, Christian Chovino, David Chan, John Keagy, Colleen Weins

Proceedings Volume 6730, 67301E (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.747145

KEYWORDS: Air contamination, Reticles, Photomasks, Humidity, Contamination, Inspection, Atmospheric particles, Semiconducting wafers, Data modeling, Semiconductors

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SPIE Journal Paper | 1 July 2007

Novel apodization and pellicle optical models for accurate optical proximity correction modeling at 45 and 32 nm

Qiaolin Zhang, Kevin Lucas, Paul Van Adrichem, Jacek Tyminski, Joseph Gordon

JM3, Vol. 6, Issue 03, 031003, (July 2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.10.1117/1.2783418

KEYWORDS: Apodization, Optical proximity correction, Pellicles, Data modeling, Lithography, Signal attenuation, Critical dimension metrology, Gaussian filters, Calibration, Optical filters

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Proceedings Article | 11 May 2007 Paper

Influence of environmental components on haze growth

Joseph Gordon, David Chan, Larry Frisa, Colleen Weins, Christian Chovino, John Keagy, Steve Mahoney, Frank Chen, Makoto Kozuma, Kyoko Kuroki, Takahiro Matsuura

Proceedings Volume 6607, 660707 (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.728920

KEYWORDS: Air contamination, Photomasks, Reticles, Pellicles, Atmospheric particles, Sulfur, Gases, Nitrogen, Semiconducting wafers, Semiconductors

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Proceedings Article | 20 October 2006 Paper

Optical issues of thin organic pellicles in 45-nm and 32-nm immersion lithography

Kevin Lucas, Joseph Gordon, Will Conley, Mazen Saied, Scott Warrick, Mike Pochkowski, Mark Smith, Craig West, Franklin Kalk, Jan Pieter Kuijten

Proceedings Volume 6349, 63490K (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.686741

KEYWORDS: Pellicles, Optical proximity correction, Apodization, Polarization, Critical dimension metrology, Lithography, Photomasks, Semiconducting wafers, Reticles, Spatial frequencies

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Proceedings Article | 8 November 2005 Paper

Use of excimer laser test system for studying haze growth

Joseph Gordon, Brooke Murray, Larry Frisa, Erik Nelson, Colleen Weins, Michael Green, Matt Lamantia

Proceedings Volume 5992, 59923J (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.632204

KEYWORDS: Air contamination, Pellicles, Photomasks, Contamination, Excimer lasers, Semiconducting wafers, Reticles, Inspection, Reliability, Materials processing

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Proceedings Article | 30 July 2002 Paper

157-nm pellicles: polymer design for transparency and lifetime

Roger French, Robert Wheland, Weiming Qiu, M. Lemon, Gregory Blackman, Xun Zhang, Joe Gordon, Vladimir Liberman, A. Grenville, Roderick Kunz, Mordechai Rothschild

Proceedings Volume 4691, (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.474605

KEYWORDS: Polymers, Pellicles, Absorbance, Transparency, Absorption, Quantum efficiency, Optical lithography, Lithography, Molecular lasers, Vacuum ultraviolet

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The introduction of 157 nm as the next optical lithography wavelength has created a need for new soft (polymeric) or hard (quartz) pellicle materials. Pellicles should be > 98% transparent to incident 157 nm light and, ideally, sufficiently resistant to photochemical damage to remain useful for an exposure lifetime of 7.5 kJ/cm2. The transparency specification has been met. We have developed families of experimental Teflon™AF (TAFx) polymers with > 98% transparency which can be spin coated and lifted as micron-scale, unsupported membranes. Still higher transparencies should be possible once optimization of intrinsic (composition, end groups, impurities, molecular weight) and extrinsic (oxygen, absorbed hydrocarbons, contaminants) factors are completed. The measured transparencies of actual pellicle films, however, are affected by many factors other than absorption. Film thickness must be precisely controlled so as to allow operation at the fringe maxima for the lithographic wavelength. Roughness and thickness uniformity are also critical. An important part of our program has thus been learning how to spin membranes from the solvents that dissolve our pellicle candidates. Meeting the durability specification at 157 nm remains a major concern. The 157 nm radiation durability lifetime of a polymer is determined by two fundamental properties: the fraction of 157 nm radiation absorbed and the fraction (quantum efficiency) of this absorbed radiation that results in photochemical darkening. Originally it was assumed that lifetime increases uniformly with increasing transparency. We now have cases where materials with very different absorbances (TAFx4P and 46P) have similar lifetimes and materials with similar absorptions (TAFx46P and 2P) have very different lifetimes. These findings demonstrate the importance of the relative quantum efficiencies as the 157 nm light energy distributes itself along degradative versus non-degradative pathways. In an effort to identify chemical and structural features that control lifetime, we have been studying model molecular materials, some quite similar to the monomer units used to make our pellicle candidates. Several of these models have shown transparencies much higher and lifetimes far longer than our best pellicle candidates to date.

Proceedings Article | 14 September 2001 Paper

Materials design and development of fluoropolymers for use as pellicles in 157-nm photolithography

Roger French, Joseph Gordon, David Jones, M. Lemon, Robert Wheland, Xun Zhang, Fredrick Zumsteg, Kenneth Sharp, Weiming Qiu

Proceedings Volume 4346, (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.435710

KEYWORDS: Pellicles, Absorption, Polymers, Absorbance, Vacuum ultraviolet, Adhesives, Optical lithography, Atrial fibrillation, Spectroscopy, Transparency

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Proceedings Article | 3 July 1995 Paper

Pellicles designed for high-performance lithographic processes

Joseph Gordon

Proceedings Volume 2512, (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.212767

KEYWORDS: Pellicles, Lithography, Reticles, Distortion, Deep ultraviolet, Polymers, Manufacturing, Tolerancing, Refractive index, Product engineering

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