• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.901-907
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• 2000

As the minimum feature size for making ULSI approaches the wavelength of light source in optical lithography, the aerial image is so hardly distorted because of the optical proximity effect that the accurate mask image reconstruction on wafer surface is almost impossible. We applied the Optical Proximity Correction(OPC) on isolated patterns assuming Attenuated Phase Shift Mask(APSM) as well as binary mask, to correct the widening of isolated patterns. In this study, we found that applying OPC to APSM shows much better improvement not only in enhancing the resolution and fidelity of t도 images but also in enhancing the process margin than applying OPC to the binary mask. Also, we propose the OPC method of APSM for isolated patterns, the size of which is less than the wavelength of the ArF excimer laser. Finally, we predicted the resolution limit of optical lithography through the aerial image simulation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2013.05a
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• pp.633-634
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• 2013

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1-5
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• 2016

In order to apply sub-resolution assist feature (SRAF) in extreme ultraviolet lithography, the maximum non-printing SRAF width and lithography process margin needs to be improved. Through simulation, we confirmed that the maximum SRAF width of 6% attenuated phase shift mask (PSM) is large compared to conventional binary intensity mask. The increase in SRAF width is due to dark region's reflectivity of PSM which consequently improves the process window. Furthermore, the critical dimension error caused by variation of SRAF width and center position is reduced by lower change in diffraction amplitude. Therefore, we speculate that the margin of SRAF application will be improved by using PSM.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.32-37
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• 2016

Sidewall angle (SWA) of an absorber stack in extreme ultraviolet lithography mask is considered to be $90^{\circ}$ ideally, however, it is difficult to obtain $90^{\circ}$ SWA because absorber profile is changed by complicated etching process. As the imaging performance of the mask can be varied with this SWA of the absorber stack, more complicated optical proximity correction is required to compensate for the variation of imaging performance. In this study, phase shift mask (PSM) is suggested to reduce the variation of imaging performance due to SWA change by modifying mask material and structure. Variations of imaging performance and lithography process margin depending on SWA were evaluated through aerial image and developed resist simulations to confirm the advantages of PSM over the binary intensity mask (BIM). The results show that the variations of normalized image log slope and critical dimension bias depending on SWA are reduced with PSM compared to BIM. Process margin for exposure dose and focus was also improved with PSM.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.303-308
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• 2007

We report here on the application of a digital holographic microscope as a metrology tool for the inspection and the micro-topography reconstruction of different micro-structures of phase shift photo-mask (PSM). The lithography by phase shift photo-mask uses the interference and the pattern of the PSM is not imaged by general optical microscope. The technique allows us to obtain digitally a high-fidelity surface topography description of the phase shift photo-mask with only one hologram image acquisition, allowing us to have relatively simple and compact set-ups able to give quantitative information of PSM.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.1011-1017
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• 2012

We report the development of an optical micro-nanolithography method by using a roll-type mask. It includes phase-shift lithography and photolithography for realizing various target dimensions. For sub-wavelength resolution, a structure is achieved using the near-field exposure of a photoresist through a cylindrical phase-mask, allowing high-throughput continuous patterning. By using a film-type metal mask, continuous photolithography was achieved, and this method could be used to control the period of resultant patterns in real time by changing the rotating speed of the cylinder mask. As an application, we present the fabrication of a transparent electrode in the form of a metallic mesh by using the developed roll-type photolithography process. As a result, a transparent conductor with good properties was achieved by using a recently built cylindrical phase-shift lithography prototype, which was designed for patterning on 100-mm2 substrates.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.157-157
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• 2002

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.6-11
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• 2001

We studied the feasibility of optical lithography for the critical layers of 0.12${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ DRAM assuming ArF excimer laser as a light source. To enhance the fidelity of aerial image and process margin, Phase shift mask (PSM) patterns as well as binary mask patterns are corrected with in-house developed Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) software. As the result, w found that the aerial image of critical layers of DRAM cell with 0.12${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ design rule could not be reproduced with binary masks. But if we use PSM or optical proximity corrected PSM, the fidelity of aerial image ,resolution and process margin are so much enhanced that they could be processed with optical lithography.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.1-5
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• 2015

In photolithography process, resolution enhancement techniques such as optical proximity correction (OPC) and phase shift mask (PSM) have been applied to improve resolution. Especially, sub-resolution assist feature (SRAF) is one of the most important OPC to enhance image quality including depth of focus (DOF). However, imaging performance of the mask could be varied with the diffraction order amplitude changed by inserting SRAF. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the imaging properties and process margin of attenuated PSM with SRAF. Reflectivities of attenuated PSMs at 13.5 nm were 3, 6, 9% and simulation was performed by $PROLITH^{TM}$. As a result, aerial image properties and DOF as well as diffraction efficiency were improved by increasing the reflectivity of attenuated PSM. Additionally, printed critical dimension variations depending on SRAF width and space error were also reduced for attenuated PSM with high reflectivity. However, SRAF could be printed when reflectivity of attenuated PSM is high enough. In conclusion, optimization of reflectivity of attenuated PSM and SRAF to prevent side-lobe from being printed is needed to be considered.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.180-184
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• 2002

In this study, we investigated mask errors, photo errors with attenuated phase shift mask and off-axis illumination, and etch errors in dry etch conditions. We propose that total process proximity correction (TPPC), a concept merging every process step error correction, is essential in a lithography process when minimum critical dimension (CD) is smaller than the wavelength of radiation. A correction rule table was experimentally obtained applying TPPC concept. Process capability of controlling gate CD in DRAM fabrication should be improved by this method.