The semiconductor industry is transitioning toward the use of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography as a next generation patterning technology. There are currently only a limited number of high resolution EUV photoresists reported with EUV patterning capabilities, and those are generally tested using EUV-interference lithography. One such resist is the more commonly known electron beam resist, hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ), which is also sensitive to EUV exposure. In the present work, high resolution, dense, subdense patterning of HSQ resist on 300 mm wafers was demonstrated using ASML's NXE 3300B scanner. The critical dimensions analyzed ranged from 18 to 10 nm. Resolution down to 10.0 on 21.0 nm spacing was achieved with 6.5 nm line width roughness. This demonstration of high resolution EUV patterning of HSQ on a commercial scanner makes this process potentially viable for high volume manufacturing.

SUNY Poly SEMATECH has established an infrastructure development program to ensure that needed beam based metrology tools and techniques are available for leading edge semiconductor processes and devices. The design, development, and fabrication of high quality dense array samples with ≤16 nm defects at known locations is a key requirement to assessing new inspection technologies. Due to the technical difficulties of creating high quality programmed defect samples at the required sizes, the authors have undertaken multiple paths of electron beam lithographic development, supporting organizations and processing techniques to optimize and deliver the needed samples. In doing so, this program has created a snapshot of electron beam lithographic capability. This paper discusses our experience with electron beam lithography used to create the arrays samples.

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