Printability of quartz defects in a production Cr-less mask process

Gregory Hughes; Susan MacDonald; John Riddick; Anthony Nhiev; Jason Hickethier

doi:10.1117/12.656525

21 March 2006 Printability of quartz defects in a production Cr-less mask process

Gregory Hughes, Susan MacDonald, John Riddick, Anthony Nhiev, Jason Hickethier

Proceedings Volume 6154, Optical Microlithography XIX; 615446 (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.656525
Event: SPIE 31st International Symposium on Advanced Lithography, 2006, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

Chromeless PSM photomasks have been successfully applied to a production memory application. This 248-nm application has allowed an extremely aggressive, dense design to be successfully deployed without changing wavelength. This was achieved with an advanced resolution enhancement technique, a chromeless phase-shifting mask, to provide a more cost-effective total lithographic solution. The key to this technology is a mask that delivers high wafer-die yields, while delivering resolution at low k₁. Therefore, the mask must have zero printing defects. In order to understand printing defects, many types of potential defects were analyzed and correlated back to the mask locations using both a 248-nm AIMs tool and SEM images. These defects were also correlated to a 257-nm KLA 576 tool using die-to-die inspection runs. This paper will examine chromeless mask phase-defect printing effects by using inspection capture at the key manufacturing steps (post-Cr etch, post-Qz Etch, and post-Cr removal). These defects will then be tracked through processes using SEM, AIMs, RAVE repair, and post-repair AIMs.

Citation Download Citation

Gregory Hughes, Susan MacDonald, John Riddick, Anthony Nhiev, and Jason Hickethier "Printability of quartz defects in a production Cr-less mask process", Proc. SPIE 6154, Optical Microlithography XIX, 615446 (21 March 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.656525

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