Relation between composition and fracture strength in off-stoichiometric metal silicide free-standing membranes

Shafikov, Airat; Kruijs, R. W. E. van de; Benschop, Jos; Schurink, Bart; Beld, Wesley T. E. van den; Houweling, Z.S.; Kooi, Bart J.; Ahmadi, Majid; Graaf, Sytze de; Bijkerk, Frederik

doi:10.1016/j.intermet.2022.107531

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 33 publications

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“…The mechanical properties of the EUV pellicle were evaluated via a bulge test, wherein the deflection of the membrane was measured as a function of the pressure difference on both sides of the membrane. In addition to the burst pressure, the residual stress, plane-strain modulus, and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) can be obtained from the bulge test [ 25 , 26 , 27 ]. A long rectangular membrane with an aspect ratio greater than 4:1 is required to obtain the mechanical properties; hence, a membrane with an area of 1.5 mm × 6 mm was used in this study.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study on ZrSi2 as a Candidate Material for Extreme Ultraviolet Pellicles

Kim

et al. 2023

Membranes

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An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicle is an ultrathin membrane at a stand-off distance from the reticle surface that protects the EUV mask from contamination during the exposure process. EUV pellicles must exhibit high EUV transmittance, low EUV reflectivity, and superior thermomechanical durability that can withstand the gradually increasing EUV source power. This study proposes an optimal range of optical constants to satisfy the EUV pellicle requirements based on the optical simulation results. Based on this, zirconium disilicide (ZrSi2), which is expected to satisfy the optical and thermomechanical requirements, was selected as the EUV pellicle candidate material. An EUV pellicle composite comprising a ZrSi2 thin film deposited via co-sputtering was fabricated, and its thermal, optical, and mechanical properties were evaluated. The emissivity increased with an increase in the thickness of the ZrSi2 thin film. The measured EUV transmittance (92.7%) and reflectivity (0.033%) of the fabricated pellicle satisfied the EUV pellicle requirements. The ultimate tensile strength of the pellicle was 3.5 GPa. Thus, the applicability of the ZrSi2 thin film as an EUV pellicle material was verified.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study on ZrSi2 as a Candidate Material for Extreme Ultraviolet Pellicles

Kim

et al. 2023

Membranes

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Development and optimization of metal silicide EUV pellicle for 400W EUV lithography

Choi,

Park,

Hong

2024

Nanotechnology

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In the extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) process, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicles serve as thin, transparent membranes that shield the photomask (reticle) from particle contamination, thereby preserving photomask pattern integrity, reducing chip failure risks, and enhancing production yields. The production of EUV pellicles is highly challenging due to their mechanical fragility at nanometer-scale thicknesses and the need to endure the rigorous conditions of the EUVL environment, which include high temperatures and hydrogen radicals. Consequently, extensive research has been conducted on a variety of materials, such as carbon-based and silicon-based substances, for the development of EUV pellicles. This study explores the feasibility of implementing molybdenum silicide (MoSix) pellicles for high-power EUVL applications. We successfully fabricated MoSix pellicles in two dimensions: a 10 mm x 10 mm sample and a full-size 110 mm x 144 mm pellicle. We then evaluated their optical, mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties, as well as their lifespan. The pellicles demonstrated over 90% transmittance and less than 0.02% reflectance. The films exhibited a deflection of 300 μm under a 2 Pa differential pressure and an ultimate tensile strength (UTS) exceeding 2 GPa. The thermal emissivity was measured at 0.3. Additionally, the durability of the pellicles was validated through exposure to 20,000 wafers using a 400W EUV power (offline test: 20W/cm²). The transmittance variations of the pellicles were evaluated by comparing the measurements obtained before and after exposure to 400W EUV power.

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Multilayered EUV pellicle: enhanced mechanical strength and thermal stability

Kang,

Kim,

Lee

et al. 2024

International Conference on Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography 2024

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Extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is a critical technology for producing the finest patterns in semiconductor manufacturing, and the development of reliable EUV pellicle is crucial to prevent mask contamination and ensuring pattern quality. However, achieving stability over 5000 wafer exposures with more than 90% EUV transmittance in thin film is challenging. Although research on porous pellicles using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is being ongoing, these materials still face difficulties with durability in hydrogen radical environments 1 . To address these issues, we present a multilayer structure that enhances EUV transmittance while also improving thermo-mechanical stability. Our findings demonstrate that stacking layers of MoSi2/Si pellicle can improve the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), achieving 2.1 GPa compared to the single layered MoSi2 pellicle targeting the same EUVT of 90%. Meanwhile, although the MoSi2/Si multilayer structure consists of thinner emission layers, minimal loss of emissivity was confirmed due to the cumulative contribution of emission from each stacked layer.

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Relation between composition and fracture strength in off-stoichiometric metal silicide free-standing membranes

Cited by 3 publications

References 33 publications

Study on ZrSi2 as a Candidate Material for Extreme Ultraviolet Pellicles

Study on ZrSi2 as a Candidate Material for Extreme Ultraviolet Pellicles

Development and optimization of metal silicide EUV pellicle for 400W EUV lithography

Multilayered EUV pellicle: enhanced mechanical strength and thermal stability

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