• 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.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.104-108
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• 2004

Problems of overlap errors and side-lobe printing by the design rule reduction in the lithography process using attenuated phase-shifting masks(attPSM) have been serious. Overlap errors and side-lobes can be simultaneously solved by the rule-based correction using scattering bars with the rules extracted from test patterns. Process parameters affecting the attPSM lithography simulation have been determined by the fitting method to the process data. Overlap errors have been solved applying the correction rules to the metal patterns overlapped with contact/via. Moreover, the optimal insertion rule of the scattering bars has made it possible to suppress the side-lobes and to get additional pattern fidelity at the same time.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2004.08c
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• pp.784-786
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• 2004

Overlap errors and side-lobes can be simultaneously solved by the rule-based correction using scattering bars with the rules extracted from test patterns. Process parameters affecting the attPSM lithography simulation have been determined by the fitting method to the process data. Overlap errors have been solved applying the correction rules to the metal patterns overlapped with contact/via. Moreover, the optimal insertion rule of the scattering bars has made it possible to suppress the side-lobes and to get additional pattern fidelity at the same time.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2002.07a
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• pp.18-21
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• 2002

As the mask design rules get smaller, the probability of the process failure becomes higher due to the narrow overlay margin between the contact and metal interconnect layers. To obtain the minimum process margin, a tabbing and cutting method is applied with the rule based optical proximity correction to the metal layer, so that the protection to bridge problems caused by the insufficient space margin between the metal layers can be accomplished. The side-lobe phenomenon from the attenuated phase shift mask with the tight design nile is analyzed through the aerial image simulation for test patterns with variation of the process parameters such as numerical aperture, transmission rate, and partial coherence. The corrected patterns are finally generated by the rules extracted from the side-lobe simulation.

• 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 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 IEEK Conference
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• 2002.06b
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• pp.209-212
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• 2002

As the mask design rules get smaller, the probability of the process failure becomes higher doc to the narrow overlay margin between the contact and metal interconnect layers. To obtain the minimum process margin, a tabbing and cutting method Is applied with the rule based optical\ulcorner proximity correction to the metal layer, so that the protection to bridge problems caused by the insufficient space margin between the metal layers can be accomplished. The side-lobe phenomenon from the attenuated phase shift mask with the tight design rule is analyzed through the aerial image simulation for test patterns with variation of the process parameters such as numerical aperture, transmission rate, and partial coherence. The corrected patterns are finally generated by the rules extracted from the side-lobe simulation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society Of Semiconductor Equipment Technology
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.159-162
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• 2004

Problems of overlap errors and sidelobe printing by the design rule reduction in the lithography process using attenuated phase-shifting masks(attPSM) have been serious. Overlap errors and sidelobes can be simultaneously solved by the rule-based correction using scattering bars with the rules extracted from test patterns. Process parameters affecting the attPSM lithography simulation have been determined by the fitting method to the process data. Overlap errors have been solved applying the correction rules to the metal patterns overlapped with contact/via. Moreover, the optimal insertion rule of the scattering bars has made it possible to suppress the sidelobes and to get additional pattern fidelity at the same time.

• Proceedings of the KAIS Fall Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.239-242
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• 2003

Scale down으로 인해 부족해진 overlay margin을 통해 충분히 확보해주고, 이와 동시에 attPSM(attenuated phase shift)의 사용으로 발생하는 side-lobe 현상을 억제하기 위한 방법으로 rule-based OPC(optical proximity correction)룰 사용하여 side-lobe만을 효과적으로 추출한 후, 그 자리에 scattering bar를 삽입하였다. 그리고 ORC(optical rule checking)를 통해 original layout과 aerial image의 EPEs(edge placement errors)를 검사하여 검증에 걸리는 시간을 감소시켰다.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.22-26
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• 2003

Overlap Errors and side-lobes have been simultaneously solved by the rule-based correction using the rules extracted from test patterns. Lithography process parameters affecting attPSM lithography process have been determined by the fitting method to the real process data. The correction using scattering bars has been compared to the Cr shield method. The optimal insertion rule of the scattering bal's has made it possible to suppress the side-lobes and to enhance DOF at the same time. Therefore, in this paper, the solution to both side-lobe and overlap Error has been proposed using rule-based confection. Compared to the existing Cr shield method, the proposed rule-based correction with scattering bars can reduce the process complexity and time for mask production.