Spatial scaling metrics of mask-induced induced line-edge roughness

Mask contributors to line-edge roughness (LER) have recently been shown to be an issue of concern for both the accuracy of current resist evaluation tests as well the ultimate LER requirements for the 22-nm production node. Problems arise from mask absorber LER as well as mask reflector or surface roughness leading to random phase variations in the reflected beam. Not only do these mask contributors effect to total measured LER in resist, but they also effect LER spatial characteristic such as the LER power spectral density and related descriptors of correlation length and roughness exponent. Noting that these characteristics are important in the understanding of LER, it is crucial to understand how mask effects impact these parameters. Moreover, understanding how these metrics respond to mask effects may lead to an experimental mechanism for experimentally evaluating the importance of mask contributors to LER. Here we use computer modeling to study the LER spatial metrics arising from mask effects. We further describe the effects of illumination conditions and defocus on the metrics and compare the results to those expected from intrinsic resist LER

Mask roughness induced LER control and mitigation: aberrations sensitivity study and alternate illumination scheme

Here we conduct a mask-roughness-induced line-edge-roughness (LER) aberrations sensitivity study both as a random distribution amongst the first 16 Fringe Zernikes (for overall aberration levels of 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75nm rms) as well as an individual aberrations sensitivity matrix over the first 37 Fringe Zernikes. Full 2D aerial image modeling for an imaging system with NA = 0.32 was done for both the 22-nm and 16-nm half-pitch nodes on a rough mask with a replicated surface roughness (RSR) of 100 pm and a correlation length of 32 nm at the nominal extreme-ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) wavelength of 13.5nm. As the ideal RSR value for commercialization of EUVL is 50 pm and under, and furthermore as has been shown elsewhere, a correlation length of 32 nm of roughness on the mask sits on the peak LER value for an NA = 0.32 imaging optic, these mask roughness values and consequently the aberration sensitivity study presented here, represent a worst-case scenario. The illumination conditions were chosen based on the possible candidates for the 22-nm and 16-nm half-pitch nodes, respectively. In the 22-nm case, a disk illumination setting of {sigma} = 0.50 was used, and for the 16-nm case, crosspole illumination with {sigma} = 0.10 at an optimum offset of dx = 0 and dy = .67 in sigma space. In examining how to mitigate mask roughness induced LER, we considered an alternate illumination scheme whereby a traditional dipole's angular spectrum is extended in the direction parallel to the line-and-space mask absorber pattern to represent a 'strip'. While this illumination surprisingly provides minimal improvement to the LER as compared to several alternate illumination schemes, the overall imaging quality in terms of image-log-slope (ILS) and contrast is improved

Out of band radiation effects on resist patterning

Our previous work estimated the expected out-of-band (OOB) flare contribution at the wafer level assuming that there is a given amount of OOB at the collector focus. We found that the OOB effects are wavelength, resist, and pattern dependent. In this paper, results from rigorous patterning evaluation of multiple OOB-exposed resists using the SEMATECH Berkeley 0.3-NA MET are presented. A controlled amount of OOB is applied to the resist films before patterning is completed with the MET. LER and process performance above the resolution limit and at the resolution limits are evaluated and presented. The results typically show a negative impact on LER and process performance after the OOB exposures except in the case of single resist formulation, where resolution and performance improvement was observed

Deprotection blue in extreme ultraviolet photoresists: influence of base loading and post-exposure bake temperture

The deprotection blur of Rohm and Haas XP 5435, XP 5271, and XP5496 extreme ultraviolet photoresists has been determined as their base weight percent is varied. They have also determined the deprotection blur of TOK EUVR P1123 photoresist as the post-exposure bake temperature is varied from 80 C to 120 C. In Rohm and Haas XP 5435 and XP5271 resists 7x and 3x (respective) increases in base weight percent reduce the size of successfully patterned 1:1 line-space features by 16 nm and 8 nm with corresponding reductions in deprotection blur of 7 nm and 4 nm. In XP 5496 a 7x increase in base weight percent reduces the size of successfully patterned 1:1 line-space features from 48 nm to 38 nm without changing deprotection blur. In TOK EUVR P1123 resist, a reduction in post-exposure bake temperature from 100 C to 80 C reduces deprotection blur from 21 nm to 10 nm and reduces patterned LER from 4.8 nm to 4.1 nm

Mask roughness induced LER: geometric model at long correlation lengths

Collective understanding of how both the resist and line-edge roughness (LER) on the mask affect the final printed LER has made significant advances. What is poorly understood, however, is the extent to which mask surface roughness couples to image plane LER as a function of illumination conditions, NA, and defocus. Recently, progress has been made in formulating a simplified solution for mask roughness induced LER. Here, we investigate the LER behavior at long correlation lengths of surface roughness on the mask. We find that for correlation lengths greater than 3/NA in wafer dimensions and CDs greater than approximately 0.75/NA, the previously described simplified model, which remains based on physical optics, converges to a 'geometric regime' which is based on ray optics and is independent of partial coherence. In this 'geometric regime', the LER is proportional to the mask slope error as it propagates through focus, and provides a faster alternative to calculating LER in contrast to either full 2D aerial image simulation modeling or the newly proposed physical optics model. Data is presented for both an NA = 0.32 and an NA = 0.5 imaging system for CDs of 22-nm and 50-nm horizontal-line-dense structures

Tilt sensitivity of the two-grating interferometer

Fringe formation in the two-grating interferometer is analyzed in the presence of a small parallelism error between the diffraction gratings assumed in the direction of grating shear. Our analysis shows that with partially coherent illumination, fringe contrast in the interference plane is reduced in the presence of nonzero grating tilt with the effect proportional to the grating tilt angle and the grating spatial frequencies. Our analysis also shows that for a given angle between the gratings there is an angle between the final grating and the interference plane that optimizes fringe contrast across the field

Sensitivity study of reliable, high-throughput resolution metricsfor photoresists

The resolution of chemically amplified resists is becoming an increasing concern, especially for lithography in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) regime. Large-scale screening and performance-based down-selection is currently underway to identify resist platforms that can support shrinking feature sizes. Resist screening efforts, however, are hampered by the absence of reliable resolution metrics that can objectively quantify resist resolution in a high-throughput fashion. Here we examine two high-throughput metrics for resist resolution determination. After summarizing their details and justifying their utility, we characterize the sensitivity of both metrics to two of the main experimental uncertainties associated with lithographic exposure tools, namely: limited focus control and limited knowledge of optical aberrations. For an implementation at EUV wavelengths, we report aberration and focus limited error bars in extracted resolution of {approx} 1.25 nm RMS for both metrics making them attractive candidates for future screening and down-selection efforts

Multilayer Phase-Only Diffraction Gratings: Fabrication andApplication to EUV Optics

The use of phase-only diffractive devices has long played an important role in advanced optical systems in varying fields. Such devices include gratings, diffractive and holographic optical elements, diffractive lenses, and phase-shift masks for advanced lithography. Extending such devices to the increasingly important regime of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths, however, is not trivial. Here, we present an effective fabrication and etch process enabling high-resolution patterning of Mo/Si multilayers for use in EUV phase devices, providing another method for fabrication of high numerical aperture diffractive devices or high-resolution EUV phase shift masks

Lithographic measurement of EUV flare in the 0.3-NA Micro ExposureTool optic at the Advanced Light Source

The level of flare present in a 0.3-NA EUV optic (the MET optic) at the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is measured using a lithographic method. Photoresist behavior at high exposure doses makes analysis difficult. Flare measurement analysis under scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy is compared, and optical microscopy is found to be a more reliable technique. In addition, the measured results are compared with predictions based on surface roughness measurement of the MET optical elements. When the fields in the exposure matrix are spaced far enough apart to avoid influence from surrounding fields and the data is corrected for imperfect mask contrast and aerial image proximity effects, the results match predicted values quite well. The amount of flare present in this optic ranges from 4.7% for 2 {micro}m features to 6.8% for 500 nm features