The semiconductor industry relies on EUV lithography to produce smaller and more advanced chips, and the success of this technology depends on the use of EUV pellicles. These thin, transparent films act as a protective barrier for the EUV photomask during the lithography process. By preventing particles and contaminants from reaching the photomask, the pellicle helps ensure that the final product is free of defects. As the EUVL technology has advanced, the pellicle needs more than 90% EUV transmittance and withstand higher power levels of above 30W/cm2 (600W), while also needing to have hydrogen-radical durability for a long pellicle lifetime. This report presents a newly developed pellicle composed of several layers suitable for HVM 600W EUV lithography. The change in pellicle components after EUV exposure was evaluated using Rutherford backscattering (RBS) analysis. In addition, the ultimate tensile strength of the pellicle is verified by the bulge test.
Extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) has been receiving considerable attention in the semiconductor industry for mass-produce high-resolution patterns of 10 nm or lower. In high volume manufacturing (HVM), the pellicle is an essential component to protect an expensive photomask from
contamination of particles so that cost and yield of EUVL can be improved. As the EUVL has been dramatically developed, the pellicle has to be a very thin enough to transmit EUV light and has to withstand above 400W power. In addition, it must have the hydrogen radical durability for long pellicle lifetime.
In this work, a full size (110×144 mm2) pellicle is manufactured as shown in Fig.1. The pellicle composited of the several layers has above 90% transmittance and processes 10K wafers at more than 400W power. The change of pellicle components before and after EUV exposure is evaluated by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS). Furthermore, advanced pellicle with 92% transmittance and above 600W of power is under
developing.
A new PSM using high transmittance is developed to overcome patterning process limits in ArF immersion lithography. We optimized mask structure, materials, and film thicknesses for patterning process. A new material for phase-shifter is applied to the HT-PSM to exhibit higher transmittance in ArF wavelengths and the thickness of the new material is thinner than that of the conventional 6% phase-shifter (MoSiON). A new blank structure using a MoSi shading layer with double Cr hardmasks (HM) is developed and suggested for the HTPSM process. Double HM blank stacks enable the HT-PSM to adopt thin PR process for resolution enhancement in mask process. The first Cr on the MoSi is utilized as a HM to etch MoSi shading layer, an adhesion layer for PR process, and also a capping layer to protect blind area during MoSi and phase-shifter etching. In contrast, the role of the second Cr between MoSi and phase-shifter is an etch stopper for MoSi and a HM to etch phase-shifter at the same time. However, Double HM process has some problems, such as first Cr removal during second Cr etching and complex process steps. To solve the Cr removal issues, we evaluated various Cr layers which have different etchrates and compositions. According to the evaluations, we optimized thicknesses and compositions of the two Cr layers and corresponding etching conditions. Lithography simulations demonstrate that the new HT-PSM has advantages in NILS in aerial images. As a result, initial wafer exposure experiments using the HT-PSM show 13-32% improvements in LCDU compared to that of the conventional 6% PSM due to its higher NILS.
38nm half pitch pattern was replicated from Si master pattern to quartz blank template. It is a novel approach different
from typical quartz to quartz replication. This replication concept is expected to alleviate the burden not only in cost but
also resolution for NIL template fabrication. In this study, full field Si master fabricated by ArF immersion lithography,
UV-transparent hard mask for quartz blank template and core-out quartz blank template were applied to prove the
concept. And the replica template was evaluated with NIL and subsequent etching.
As the device design rule shrinks, photomask manufacturers need to have advanced defect controllability during the Cr
and MoSi etch in the process of phase shift mask(PSM). In order to decrease the number of defects, which may be
originated from the mechanical transferring, plasma ignition and cross-contamination of resist stripping or cleaning
process, a novel plasma etching process was developed in a commercial photomask etcher. In this process named as the
"In-situ. etching", Cr and Mosi is etched stepwise in a chamber. The In-situ. etching processes produce better defect
level than that of the conventional process without deteriorating other mask quality such as CD performance, profile and
process reproducibility.
Particle generated by plasma ignition in in-situ. etching lead to defect which is an obstacle in Cr etch. Because plasma is
stable from Cr etch to Mosi etch, no defect is added in Mosi etch. Furthermore quantitative analysis of by-products
deposited and eroded by the chamber position shows that by-products are comprised of Al, chlorine, carbon. These byproducts
can be removed by fluorine-containing plasma.
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