Attenuated PSM for EUV: Can they mitigate 3D mask effects?

The understanding, characterization and mitigation of 3D mask effects including telecentricity errors, contrast fading and best focus shifts becomes increasingly important for the performance optimization of future extreme ultraviolet (EUV) projection systems and mask designs. The scattering of light at the absorber edges results in significant phase deformations, which impact the effective phase and the lithographic performance of attenuated phase shift mask (attPSM) for EUV. We employ rigorous mask and imaging simulations in combination with multi-objective optimization techniques to identify the most appropriate material properties, mask and source geometries and to explore the potential of attPSMs for future EUV imaging.

[1]  Vicky Philipsen,et al.  Update on optical material properties for alternative EUV mask absorber materials , 2017, European Mask and Lithography Conference.

[2]  Stephen Hsu,et al.  Understanding the forbidden pitch phenomenon and assist feature placement , 2002, SPIE Advanced Lithography.

[3]  B. L. Henke,et al.  X-Ray Interactions: Photoabsorption, Scattering, Transmission, and Reflection at E = 50-30,000 eV, Z = 1-92 , 1993 .

[4]  Jo Finders,et al.  Mitigation of mask three-dimensional induced phase effects by absorber optimization in ArFi and extreme ultraviolet lithography , 2016 .

[5]  Jae Uk Lee,et al.  Very Thin Extreme Ultraviolet Mask Absorber Material for Extremely Fine Pitch Patterning , 2013 .

[6]  Vicky Philipsen,et al.  Reducing extreme ultraviolet mask three-dimensional effects by alternative metal absorbers , 2017 .

[7]  Thomas Laursen,et al.  Study of alternative capping and absorber layers for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) masks for sub-16nm half-pitch nodes , 2014, Advanced Lithography.

[8]  D. L. White,et al.  Use of attenuated phase masks in extreme ultraviolet lithography , 1997 .

[9]  Sangsul Lee,et al.  Effect of Attenuated Phase Shift Mask Structure on Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography , 2009 .

[10]  Marco Laumanns,et al.  A Tutorial on Evolutionary Multiobjective Optimization , 2004, Metaheuristics for Multiobjective Optimisation.

[11]  David H. Wolpert,et al.  No free lunch theorems for optimization , 1997, IEEE Trans. Evol. Comput..

[12]  Andrew R. Neureuther,et al.  Performance of repaired defects and attPSM in EUV multilayer masks , 2002, Photomask Technology.

[13]  Winfried Kaiser,et al.  Interactions of 3D mask effects and NA in EUV lithography , 2012, Photomask Technology.

[14]  Naoya Hayashi,et al.  Phase-shifting effect of thin-absorber EUV masks , 2011, Photomask Technology.

[15]  Tim Fühner.  Artificial Evolution for the Optimization of Lithographic Process Conditions , 2014 .

[16]  Obert Wood,et al.  Mask 3D effects and compensation for high NA EUV lithography , 2013, Advanced Lithography.

[17]  Khanh Nguyen,et al.  Effects of absorber topography and multilayer coating defects on reflective masks for soft x-ray/EUV projection lithography , 1993, Advanced Lithography.

[18]  Iwao Nishiyama,et al.  Phase-shift mask in EUV lithography , 2003, SPIE Advanced Lithography.

[19]  Scott Daniel Hector,et al.  Design and method of fabricating phase-shift masks for extreme-ultraviolet lithography by partial etching into the EUV multilayer mirror , 2003, SPIE Advanced Lithography.

[20]  Anthony Yen,et al.  Limitation of OAI + AttPSM in EUVL , 2013, Advanced Lithography.

[21]  Vicky Philipsen,et al.  Characterization and mitigation of 3D mask effects in extreme ultraviolet lithography , 2017 .

[22]  Tsung-Shine Ko,et al.  High reflectance of reflective-type attenuated-phase-shifting masks for extreme ultraviolet lithography with high inspection contrast in deep ultraviolet regimes , 2004 .

[23]  Vicky Philipsen,et al.  Actinic characterization and modeling of the EUV mask stack , 2013, Other Conferences.