Mr. Masaru Higuchi Profile

Masaru Higuchi

Engineer at Toppan Printing Co Ltd

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Author

Publications (16)

Proceedings Article | 8 November 2012 Paper

Impact of mask CDU and local CD variation on intra-field CDU

Junji Miyazaki, Orion Mouraille, Jo Finders, Masaru Higuchi, Yosuke Kojima, Shunsuke Sato, Hiroaki Morimoto

Proceedings Volume 8522, 85220E (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.970523

KEYWORDS: Photomasks, Semiconducting wafers, Critical dimension metrology, Scanning electron microscopy, Lithography, Photoresist processing, Reticles, Metrology, Radium, Semiconductors

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Proceedings Article | 17 April 2012 Paper

PSM and thin OMOG reticles aerial imaging metrology comparison study

Yaron Cohen, Jo Finders, Shmoolik Mangan, Ilan Englard, Orion Mouraille, Maurice Janssen, Junji Miyazaki, Brid Connolly, Yosuke Kojima, Masaru Higuchi

Proceedings Volume 8352, 83520H (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.919791

KEYWORDS: Photomasks, Semiconducting wafers, Metrology, Scanners, Reticles, Critical dimension metrology, Airborne remote sensing, Optical proximity correction, Phase shifts, Integrated circuit design

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Proceedings Article | 16 April 2012 Paper

Impact of reticle absorber on the imaging properties in ArFi lithography

Jo Finders, O. Mouraille, A. Bouma, A. Ngai, K. Grim, J. van Praagh, C. Toma, J. Miyazaki, M. Higuchi, Y. Kojima, B. Connolly, I. Englard, Y. Cohen, S. Mangan, Michael Ben Yishai, Karine Jullian

Proceedings Volume 8352, 83520G (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.918018

KEYWORDS: Reticles, Photomasks, Semiconducting wafers, Critical dimension metrology, Scanners, Lithography, Metrology, Scatterometry, Immersion lithography, Logic

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Proceedings Article | 4 April 2012 Paper

ArFi lithogrphy optimization for thin OMOG reticle with fast aerial imaging

Yaron Cohen, Jo Finders, Shmoolik Mangan, Ilan Englard, Orion Mouraille, Maurice Janssen, Junji Miyazaki, Brid Connolly, Yosuke Kojima, Masaru Higuchi

Proceedings Volume 8324, 83240B (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.918049

KEYWORDS: Photomasks, Semiconducting wafers, Scanners, Reticles, Critical dimension metrology, Lithography, Metrology, Calibration, Airborne remote sensing, 3D metrology

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Proceedings Article | 25 September 2010 Paper

Improving registration measurement capability by defining a 2D grid standard using multiple registration measurement tools

O. Loeffler, G. Antesberger, A. Ullrich, J. Richter, A. Wiswesser, Masaru Higuchi, Tatsuhiko Kamibayashi, F. Laske, D. Adam, M. Ferber, K.-D. Roeth

Proceedings Volume 7823, 78232K (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.864459

KEYWORDS: Calibration, Metrology, Image registration, Photomasks, Standards development, Double patterning technology, Manufacturing, Lithography, Image processing, Reticles

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Proceedings Article | 27 May 2010 Paper

Contact mask LER impact on lithographic performance

Tatsuya Nagatomo, Mitsuharu Yamana, Katsuhisa Morinaga, Masaru Higuchi, Shunsuke Sato, Tsuyoshi Tanaka

Proceedings Volume 7748, 77481S (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.866397

KEYWORDS: Photomasks, Semiconducting wafers, Critical dimension metrology, Lithography, Line edge roughness, Quartz, Nanoimprint lithography, Binary data, Opacity, Glasses

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Proceedings Article | 26 May 2010 Paper

The fusion of metrology and inspection: challenges and solutions

Masaru Higuchi

Proceedings Volume 7748, 77480K (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.866849

KEYWORDS: Metrology, Photomasks, Inspection, Semiconducting wafers, Critical dimension metrology, Scanning electron microscopy, Resolution enhancement technologies, Source mask optimization, Image fusion, Lithography

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The extension of optical projection lithography beyond the 22-nm node requires strong Resolution Enhancement Techniques (RETs) such as aggressive Optical Proximity Correction (OPC), computational lithography, double patterning and others. These strong RETs make photomask patterns more complex, photomask specifications tighter, and the metrology demands greater. Currently Photomask Critical Dimension (CD) and image placement are characterized by measuring a few hundred points sampled across the entire mask area; however more sampling points in active patterns or even full area inspection will be required to support strong RETs. Inspection tools are developing capabilities in CD and Image placement mapping. Although measurement precision, resolution, stage position accuracy and other metrology functions would be inferior to a metrology tool, the sampling is intrinsically larger, including the entire active area. The inspection tool could satisfy the large sampling requirements while a subset of patterns could be measured with traditional CD and Image placement metrology tools with the required precision. Therefore the fusion of metrology and inspection tools would satisfy both the full area CD and Image placement measurement: coarse inspection in CD and Image placement with the inspection tool and verification with metrology tools measuring the CD and/or Image placement errors identified by the inspection tool. Next generation metrology tool and inspection tools also leverage the aerial plane image for inspection and metrology. This is important since the strong RETs generate very complex patterns that are difficult to measure reliably with a CDSEM. The aerial image retains a simple shape though photomask patterns are extremely complex. Using aerial image metrology techniques simplifies CD measurement on complex patterns and enables measurement of lithographically critical features. Measuring what matters most of wafer could lead to relaxed mask CD specifications and permit more sophisticated CD correction methods.

Proceedings Article | 2 April 2010 Paper

Comparison of different algorithms to determine areas from SEM images

K.-P. Johnsen, C. Frase, H. Bosse, I. Yonekura, M. Higuchi, J. Richter

Proceedings Volume 7638, 76382Q (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.846536

KEYWORDS: Scanning electron microscopy, Monte Carlo methods, Edge detection, Detection and tracking algorithms, Image processing, Photomasks, Image filtering, Algorithm development, Printing, 3D image processing

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We present a comparison of different methods to extract area information from images. Two different physical-based algorithms were tested which determine the areas of arbitrarily shaped 3D nano-structures on wafers or photo-masks (e.g. contact holes) using secondary electron images of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). One of these algorithms, called NANOAREA, was developed by the PTB. The other one is the software package MaskEXPRESS, which was developed by Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. In addition to real SEM images we used Monte Carlo generated SEM images of contact holes of different shapes and sizes. For this, the Monte Carlo simulation program MCSEM, developed at PTB, was applied. MCSEM simulates the electron diffusion and secondary electron generation and transport in solid state material and provides simulated SEM images of arbitrary 3D specimen structures. NANOAREA uses basic image processing routines to estimate the edge position of a structure. Then, one-dimensional profiles which intersect the structure boundary perpendicularly are extracted. A one-dimensional edge detection algorithm determines the edge position on each profile. Finally these detected edge positions are used to calculate the polygon area using the triangle method. NANOAREA showed a very small underestimation of the area of about 0.3 % with regard to the Monte Carlo simulations (i.e. sub-pixel deviation). MaskEXPRESS has a similar approach, however employs a different edge detection algorithm. For quadratic contact holes a very high correlation coefficient r larger than 0.99 of the CDs was seen with an offset of about 0.3 nm for the two tested programs. Here the critical dimension (CD) is defined as the square root of the area. The deviations from the mean offset were smaller than 1 nm over the whole investigated range. For analysis of arbitrarily shaped features we used a double T-shaped structure. Also here almost perfect correlation was found (r = 0.98). The observed mean offset in this case was also about 0.3 nm. The offsets depend on the length of the edge and can vary with the shape of the structure, too. Here we report the excellent correlation of the investigated algorithms and programs to determine area parameters from SEM images. The results found are an important prerequisite for harmonized area measurement based on independent algorithms and pave the way to a standardized approach to area determination and reporting of photomask structures.

Proceedings Article | 23 September 2009 Paper

A study of contour image comparison measurement for photomask patterns of 32 nm and beyond

Isao Yonekura, Hidemitsu Hakii, Keishi Tanaka, Masaru Higuchi, Yoshiaki Ogiso, Toshihide Oba, Toshimichi Iwai, Jun Matsumoto, Takayuki Nakamura

Proceedings Volume 7488, 748831 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.833405

KEYWORDS: Photomasks, Distance measurement, Scanning electron microscopy, Cadmium, Critical dimension metrology, Image enhancement, Printing, Semiconducting wafers, Reticles, Software development

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Proceedings Article | 17 October 2008 Paper

A study of the limited area scanning system in the mask CD-SEM

Toshi Iwai, Soichi Shida, Mitsuo Hiroyama, Takayuki Nakamura, Hisaya Sakaguchi, Hiroki Ueno, Masaru Higuchi, Tatsuya Aihara

Proceedings Volume 7122, 71222R (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.801418

KEYWORDS: Scanning electron microscopy, Photomasks, Critical dimension metrology, Electron beams, Metrology, Electron microscopes, Process control, OLE for process control, Image resolution, Beam controllers

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Proceedings Article | 17 October 2008 Paper

Exploring new metrology for complex photomask patterns

Masaru Higuchi, Tatsuya Aihara, Hideaki Saito, Isao Yonekura, Jotaro Suzuki, Emily Gallagher, Ian Stobert

Proceedings Volume 7122, 71222S (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.801994

KEYWORDS: Photomasks, Semiconducting wafers, Critical dimension metrology, Metrology, Scanning electron microscopy, Optical proximity correction, Lithography, Opacity, Printing, Double patterning technology

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Proceedings Article | 17 October 2008 Paper

World wide matching of registration metrology tools of various generations

F. Laske, A. Pudnos, L. Mackey, P. Tran, M. Higuchi, C. Enkrich, K.-D. Roeth, K.-H. Schmidt, D. Adam, J. Bender

Proceedings Volume 7122, 712230 (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.802941

KEYWORDS: Photomasks, Metrology, Manufacturing, Distortion, Semiconductors, Image registration, Software development, Spatial frequencies, Process modeling, Data modeling

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Proceedings Article | 19 May 2008 Paper

Reliable measurement method for complicated OPC pattern

Tastuya Aihara, Shinpei Kondo, Masaru Higuchi

Proceedings Volume 7028, 70281N (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.793064

KEYWORDS: Critical dimension metrology, Optical proximity correction, Line scan image sensors, Photomasks, Image quality, Metrology, Line edge roughness, Distance measurement, Printing, Lithography

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Proceedings Article | 30 October 2007 Paper

Exploring the sources of MEEF in contact SRAMs

Emily Gallagher, Ian Stobert, Masaru Higuchi, Donald Samuels

Proceedings Volume 6730, 67302I (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.746801

KEYWORDS: Photomasks, Semiconducting wafers, Metrology, Critical dimension metrology, Optical proximity correction, Opacity, Line edge roughness, Lithography, Scanning electron microscopy, Error analysis

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Proceedings Article | 5 April 2007 Paper

Scatterometry on pelliclized masks: an option for wafer fabs

Emily Gallagher, Craig Benson, Masaru Higuchi, Yasuhiro Okumoto, Michael Kwon, Sanjay Yedur, Shifang Li, Sangbong Lee, Milad Tabet

Proceedings Volume 6518, 65181T (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.714997

KEYWORDS: Pellicles, Photomasks, Scatterometry, Metrology, Critical dimension metrology, Semiconducting wafers, Quartz, Data modeling, Scatter measurement, Cadmium

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Proceedings Article | 20 October 2006 Paper

Revisiting mask contact hole measurements

Masaru Higuchi, Emily Gallagher, Daniel Ceperley, Timothy Brunner, Reg Bowley, Anne McGuire

Proceedings Volume 6349, 634947 (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.686957

KEYWORDS: Photomasks, Semiconducting wafers, Metrology, Line edge roughness, Critical dimension metrology, Error analysis, Time metrology, Scanning electron microscopy, Microelectronics, Lithography

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Showing 5 of 16 publications

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