Photomask

About: Photomask is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 7917 publications have been published within this topic receiving 54524 citations. The topic is also known as: photoreticle & reticle.

Design and fabrication of micromirror arrays for UV lithography

Abstract: Modern UV-lithography is searching for new highly parallel writing concepts. Spatial light modulation (SLM) offers such possibilities but special emphasis must be put on the ability of SLM devices to handle ultraviolet light (UV). We designed and fabricated micromirror arrays which fulfill these requirements. Possible applications for such UV-SLMs are direct writing systems for semiconductor and printing, and UV-stimulated biochemistry. For deep UV laser pattern generation (248 nm) e.g. we designed and fabricated a 2048x512 pixel UV-SLM with individually addressable aluminum micromirrors. They are illuminated by an excimer laser pulse and imaged onto a photomask substrate. A complete pattern is stitched together at a rate of 1 kHz. The minimum feature size is 320 nm and analog modulation of the pixels allows to realize an address grid of only 1.6 nm. The design of the array is modular so that other array sizes can be tailor made to customers needs. Design and fabrication aspects for a CMOS compatible realization of these micromirror arrays are addressed as well as their performance in lithography applications.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Method of and apparatus for detecting defect on photomask

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for detecting a defect on a phase-shifting mask for use in a projection aligner in which either or both of respective intensities of transmitted and reflected light beams from the mask illuminated with light are used for detecting a defect on the mask.

Manufacturing method of semiconductor device

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes forming a first resist film above a substrate, placing a first photomask, that includes a first mask pattern, in a first position above the first resist film, transferring the first mask pattern to the first resist film to form a first resist pattern above the substrate, forming a second resist film above the substrate after forming the first resist pattern, placing the first photomask in a second position above the second resist film, and transferring the first mask pattern to the second resist film to form a second resist pattern above the substrate.

Method and apparatus for evaluating the runability of a photomask inspection tool

Abstract: A method and apparatus evaluates the runability of a photomask inspection tool that inspects plural sets of die, each die having a standard simulated industrial device feature at plural technology nodes. A technology node size is determined for each feature at which inspection by the tool provides no false detection of faults. A sensitivity module included on a photomask test plate along with a runability module allows determination of inspection tool sensitivity and runability in a single test sequence.

Simulation-based Defect Printability Analysis on Alternating Phase Shifting Masks for 193nm Lithography

Abstract: For alternating aperture phase shift masks (AAPSM) and 193 nm (ArF) lithography, we have simulated defect printability using inspection images and software-based modeling. Masks were fabricated by DuPont Photomasks with programmed defects of known size, phase, and location. Three phase layers were used to generate defect angles 60, 120 and 180 degrees. Simulated wafer prints were performed using Numerical Technologies’ Virtual Stepper System, which takes inspection images as input and models the lithographic process. With inspection images from KLA-Tencor’s SLF27 system, our critical-dimension measurements show good agreement with those from wafers printed on an ASML PAS 5500/900 scanner.