Resist pattern prediction at EUV

Biafore, John J.; Smith, Mark D.; Setten, Eelco van; Wallow, Tom; Naulleau, Patrick; Blankenship, David; Robertson, Stewart A.; Deng, Yunfei

doi:10.1117/12.846535

Cited by 25 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…As with photonbased exposure mechanisms, this HOMO/LUMO transition should cause the excited state of the PAG to undergo homolytic cleavage, followed by several additional steps to produce acid (Figure 4). Although this internal excitation mechanism has been described in the physics literature for a variety of molecules and materials, including PMMA [25,26,33], the concept of PAGs decomposing by this mechanism in chemically-amplified EUV photoresists is relatively new [5,27]. One aspect of this mechanism that is particularly appealing is that it uses energy coming from the EUV photon more efficiently than do Mechanisms 1 and 2.…”

Section: Mechanism 3 -Internal Excitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Secondary Electrons in EUV Lithography

Torok

Herbol

et al. 2013

J. Photopol. Sci. Technol.

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Secondary electrons play critical roles in several imaging technologies, including extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. At longer wavelengths of light (e.g. 193 and 248 nm), the photons are directly involved in the photochemistry occurring during photolysis. EUV light (13.5 nm, 92 eV), however, first creates a photoelectron, and this electron, or its subsequent daughter electrons create most of the chemical changes that occur during exposure. Despite the importance of these electrons, the details surrounding the chemical events leading to acid production remain poorly understood. Previously reported experimental results using high PAG-loaded resists have demonstrated that up to five or six photoacids can be generated per incident photon. Until recently, only electron recombination events were thought to play a role in acid generation, requiring that at least as many secondary electrons are produced to yield a given number of acid molecules. However, the initial results we have obtained using a Monte Carlo-based modeling program, LESiS, demonstrate that only two to three secondary electrons are made per absorbed EUV photon. A more comprehensive understanding of EUVinduced acid generation is therefore needed for the development of higher performance resists.

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Section: Mechanism 3 -Internal Excitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As an EUV photon (92 eV) is absorbed, it creates a photoelectron with a kinetic energy of approximately 78-86 eV [3][4][5]. As it scatters throughout the polymer matrix, this electron loses energy through several different mechanisms (see Section 3.1 below), one of which is the initiation of further ionization events.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Secondary Electrons in EUV Lithography

Torok

Herbol

et al. 2013

J. Photopol. Sci. Technol.

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“…The stochastic exposure and resist model used in this work is described in detail by Biafore et al [1,3] elsewhere, so there follows only a brief description.…”

Section: Stochastic Resist Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictive linewidth roughness and CDU simulation using a calibrated physical stochastic resist model

et al. 2010

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A recently developed stochastic resist model, implemented in the PROLITH X3.1 lithography simulation tool, is fitted to experimental data for a commercially available immersion ArF photoresist, EPIC 2013 (Dow Electronic Materials). Calibration is performed using the mean CD and LWR values through focus and dose for three line/space features of varying pitch (dense, semi-dense and isolated). An unweighted Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of approximately 1.6 nm is observed when the calibrated model is compared to the experimental data. Although the model is calibrated only to mean CD and LWR values, it is able to accurately predict highly accurate CDU distributions at fixed focus and dose conditions for 1D and 2D(line end shortening) pattern. It is also shown how the stochastic model can be used to describe the bridging behavior often observed at marginal focus and exposure conditions.

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“…4 In this paper, experimental analyses of both mask and resist LER were matched with stochastic simulations performed by the PROLITH stochastic resist model (version X.3.2) software. 5 Comparing simulation and experimental results, it was possible to identify and quantify the LER M contribution to resist for 36 nm half-pitch structures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mask absorber roughness impact in extreme ultraviolet lithography

Pret

Gronheid

Graves

et al. 2011

J. Micro/Nanolith. MEMS MOEMS

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Downloaded From: http://nanolithography.spiedigitallibrary.org/ on 05/15/2015 Terms of Use: http://spiedl.org/terms Abstract. Resist line-edge/width roughness is one of the most critical aspects in extreme UV lithography for the 32-nm technological node and below. It is originated by the uncertainties which characterize the lithographic process: source speckle effect, mask line and surface roughness, mirror roughness, flare effect, and resist pattern formation all contribute to the final roughness. In this paper mask and resist line-edge roughness were compared by means of frequency analysis on top-down scanning electron microscopy images: it was found that low frequency mask roughness is well correlated with the power spectral density of the resist roughness. Mask high-frequency components resulted less critical due to the natural cut-off of the optical system. Experimental data for both mask and resist were implemented in the PROLITH stochastic resist model simulator to quantify the mask line edge roughness contribution to the final resist roughness: the results showed that, for the particular lithographic setting used during the exposures, 16% of the low frequency resist roughness component is originated at the mask level. For this reason, mask impact was set as 0.6 nm of the overall line edge roughness resist budget. C 2011 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

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Resist pattern prediction at EUV

Cited by 25 publications

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Secondary Electrons in EUV Lithography

Secondary Electrons in EUV Lithography

Predictive linewidth roughness and CDU simulation using a calibrated physical stochastic resist model

Mask absorber roughness impact in extreme ultraviolet lithography

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