• Journal of the Korean Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2006

Three categories such as the design of a machine, control and software are necessary in the development of the photomask inspection machine with high resolution. Among them, the design of a software detects inferiority through the comparison of CAD data and real data read by camera from photomask. The block matching algorithm is used since the domain is large and the comparison of data by pixel is accomplished. To correct the error arising from the assembly of a machine, calibration algorithm is used and prefocusing algorithm is suggested to correct the surface of the photomask.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.933-934
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• 2008

This paper describes the process of extracting defect from optical photomask images. We introduce a new method of finding photomask detects with a single optical photomask damaged image. The proposed algorithm is efficient when an original undamaged image is unavailable. The experiment showed that even a small and discontinuous photomask defect was extracted as well as continuous type of defects.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.188-194
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• 2005

We report on the improvement of critical dimension (CD) linearity on a photomask by applying the concept of process proximity correction to a laser lithographic process used for the fabrication of photomasks. Rule-based laser process proximity correction (LPC) was performed using an automated optical proximity correction tool and we obtained dramatic improvement of CD linearity on a photomask. A study on model-based LPC was executed using a two-Gaussian kernel function and we extracted model parameters for the laser lithographic process by fitting the model-predicted CD linearity data with measured ones. Model-predicted bias values of isolated space (I/S), arrayed contact (A/C) and isolated contact (I/C) were in good agreement with those obtained by the nonlinear curve-fitting method used for the rule-based LPC.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.280-284
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• 2023

In this study, a prototype micro-scale photomask and microfluidic channel mold were fabricated using the thermal shrinkage of the polymer. A polystyrene (PS) sheet was used as the heat-shrink polymer, and the patterns of the photomask and microchannel are interdigitated electrodes. Patterns were formed on the PS sheets using a commercial laser printer. The contraction ratio of the PS sheet was approximately 60% at a temperature of 150 ℃, and the transmittance was reduced by approximately 0% at a wavelength of 365 nm. The microfluidic channel had a round shape. The proposed technique is simple, facile, and inexpensive for fabricating a micro-scale photomask and microfluidic channel mold and does not involve the use of any harmful materials. Thus, this technique is well-suited for fabricating diverse micro-scale patterns and channels for prototype devices, including sensors.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.74-78
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• 2007

We report theoretical and experimental results for application of transmittance-controlled photomask technology to ArF lithography. The transmittance-controlled photomask technology is thought to be a promising technique fo critical dimension (CD) uniformity correction on a wafer by use of phase patterns on the backside of a photomask. We could theoretically reproduce experimental results for illumination intensity drop with respect to the variation of backside phase patterns by considering light propagation from the backside to the front side of a photomask at the ArF lithography wavelength. We applied the transmittance-controlled photomask technology to ArF lithography for a critical layer of DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) having a 110-nm design rule and found that the in-field CD uniformity value was improved from 13.8 nm to 9.7 nm in $3{\sigma}$.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.697-700
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• 2004

We propose a method that realizes the modified illumination by implementing a binary phase grating at the backside of a photomask. By modeling the relationship between the shape of a grating on the photomask and the light intensity at the pupil plane, we developed a program named MIDAS that finds the optimum grating pattern with a stochastic approach. After applying the program to several examples, we found that the program finds the grating pattern for the modified illumination that we want. By applying the grating at the backside of a photomask, the light efficiency of modified illumination may be improved.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.79-85
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• 2004

We report on a transmittance controlled photomask with phase patterns on the back quartz surface. Theoretical analysis for changes in illumination pupil shape with respect to the variation of size and density of backside phase patterns and experimental results for improvement of critical dimension uniformity on a wafer by using the transmittance controlled photomask are presented. As phase patterns for controlling transmittance of the photomask we used etched contact-hole type patterns with 180" rotative phase with respect to the unetched region. It is shown that pattern size on the backside of the photomask must be made as small as possible in order to keep the illumination pupil shape as close as possible to the original pupil shape and to achieve as large an illumination intensity drop as possible at a same pattern density. The distribution of illumination intensity drop suitable for correcting critical dimension error was realized by controlling pattern density of the contact-hole type phase patterns. We applied this transmittance controlled photomask to a critical layer of DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) having a 140nm design rule and could achieve improvement of the critical dimension uniformity value from 24.0 nm to 10.7 nm in 3$\sigma$.TEX>.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.520-523
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• 2009

The drive towards lowering costs and increasing frame rates results in new panel designs and thereby new photomasks designs. One common way to reduce cost is to reduce the number of production steps. For this multi tone photomasks (MTM) are needed. MTMs contain more information and increases photomask placement requirements. Increasing frame rates lead to shrinking geometries. The combination of HTM and shrinking geometries drastically increases the requirements imposed on the pattern generators used to print the photomasks. New methods are therefore needed to enable future photomask manufacturing. This paper introduces three advanced image quality enhancing methods.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.353-362
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• 2022

Recently, transmittance of photomasks for ultra-violet (UV) region is getting more important, as the light source wavelength of an exposure process is shortened due to the demand for technologies about high integration and miniaturization of devices. Meanwhile, such problems can occur as damages or the reduction of yield of photomask as electrostatic damage (ESD) occurs in the weak parts due to the accumulation of static electricity and the electric charge on chromium metal layers which are light shielding layers, caused by the repeated contacts and the peeling off between the photomask and the substrate during the exposure process. Accordingly, there have been studies to improve transmittance and antistatic performance through various functional coatings on the photomask surface. In the present study, we manufactured antireflection films of Nb₂O₅, | SiO₂ structure and antistatic films of ITO designed on 100 × 100 × 3 mmt sodalime glass by DC magnetron sputtering system so that photomask can maintain high transmittance at I-line (365 nm). ITO thin film deposited using In/Sn (10 wt.%) on sodalime glass was optimized to be 10 nm-thick, 3.0 × 103 𝛺/☐ sheet resistance, and about 80% transmittance, which was relatively low transmittance because of the absorption properties of ITO thin film. High average transmittance of 91.45% was obtained from a double side antireflection and antistatic thin films structure of Nb₂O₅ 64 nm | SiO₂ 41 nm | sodalime glass | ITO 10 nm | Nb₂O₅ 64 nm | SiO₂ 41 nm.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.101-109
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• 1995

Electroetching rates of $FeCl_3$ solution were increased according to increasing solution temperature. Activation energy of electroetching at Be'36 and 5A/$dm^2$ condition was 28.3Kcal and also, at Be'46 and 5A/dm$^2$ condition was 33.2Kcal. At Be'36 concentration of $FeCl_3$ solution, electroetching rate were more higher than at Be'46 concentration. Surfaces of etched grooves obtained at 8A/$dm^2$ or higher current density in 46 Be' concentration of $FeCl_3$ solution were observed to be flat and smooth owing to suppressing chemical etching reaction. Distinctly etched boundaries became to be appeared at 2A/$dm^2$ in Be'41 electroetching condition by differential effects. In case of applying 8A/$dm^2$ current density to Be'46 of $FeCl_3$ solution, etching depth were 4 times and side etching were 6 times more than chemical etching case respectively.