Optical lithography is pushed more to extend to sub-wavelength region for very low ki patterning processes; in which, alternating PSM is the solution for isolated patterns, without changing the wavelength of exposure tools' light source. With this prospect, the critical issues such as design layout complexity, light intensity imbalance between shifted and unshifted space area, and phase defect controllability have recently been studied in order to apply alternating PSM for device mass production.In this paper, we studied to find out the maximum non-printable phase defects for l3Onm and lOOnm lines by printing the wafer using a KrF DUV scanner. With the limitations of the mask making process for very small programmed defects, we made the masks with duty ratio around 1 :3. After we verified the resist simulation for our test pattern by wafer printing results, printable defects for denser pattern were predicted.In addition to defect printability study, the mechanical repair tool for phase bump defects was tested using 248nm AIMS, AFM, and CD SEM metrology as well as wafer printing. Electromagnetic Field 3 dimension simulation was also compared with commercialized 2D simulation tool for phase defect printability.

There are practical challenges associated with manufacturing implementation of optical photolithography at aggressive design rules. As k 1 factors decrease, lithographic focus-exposure process windows have collapsed from a comfortable several-micron depth of focus (DOF) at the 1um technology node, to a challenging 0.3-to-0.4um at the 0.13um node. As a consequence, the monitoring, management, and control of lithography tool process windows are increasingly important to efficient semiconductor manufacturing.A standard method to deduce lithography-tool process window position and size is based on data from a focus-exposure matrix (FEM) wafer. Unfortunately, the data transfer, analysis, and fab-wide reporting of best focus and other important tool parameters can require a large amount of engineering time and effort, effectively making it impossible in a largescale production-fab environment.In this work, we present results obtained with a new automated CD-SEM system used to monitor the 0.15um and 0.13um tools and processes in TSMC Fab 6 (70k wafer starts per month). To enable daily FEM-based tool monitoring in this high-volume production fab, these systems provide full "hands-off" automation of data analysis and web-based reporting of best focus, best energy, DOF, image tilt and other significant performance parameters and metrics for each cell. Using these systems, we demonstrate detection of fluctuations in single-tool best focus as small as approximately 20nm using an FEM with focus steps of 200nm. This capability is then used to detect and diagnose process window drifts in single exposure tools as well as mismatches in best focus between multiple exposure tools of several hundred nanometers. The monitoring and reduction of these lithography process window variations have allowed us to increase the performance and efficiency of our advanced lithography manufacturing lines.

TX 78716 CSE]TECH 2706 Montopolis Dr. Austin, TX 78741-6499 dAssigee from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company eAssiee from Intel ABSTRACT To meet the technology needs at their insertion into integrated circuit manufacturing, the testing and development processes of 300 mm wafer compatible tools require imaging of 1 80 nm and smaller features.In response to this need, processes employing commercially available chemicals intended for use on 200 mm substrates and capable ofproducmg 1 80 nm and smaller features were developed. Said processes were later used for examining critical dimension control on 300 mm wafers. The methods and the experimental designs used to optimize 300 mm coat, exposure, and develop processes for two positive acting, chemically amplified resist systems are described. A low activation energy resist, PEK-1 1 1A3 (Sumitomo Chemical), and a high activation energy resist, UV6 (Shipley Company), were coated on top of DUV42-6 antireflection layer (Brewer Science). Results show both resists capable of 140 urn equal line and space processing with process window size limited only by phase errors of the alternating phase-shift mask that induce image placement problems.