Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii. Elektronika home

Publication of the journal

The section is currently being updated

Contemporary micro- and nanoelectronic production is based on projection lithography technology defining the possibility to form nanosized topological features. Close proximity of elements on photomask leads to negative diffraction effects affecting quality and size of resulting images. In this work, the simulation of diffraction pattern resulting fr om the passage of deep ultraviolet radiation through a photomask with 180° phase-shifting partially transparent lines for different geometric parameters of the mask structure and different transparency of the lines was performed. The calculation is based on Fourier optics. One-dimensional regular mask structures with an even number of transparent gaps of infinite length with phase-shifting material lines between them are considered. The electromagnetic wave incident on the photomask is assumed to be plane and linearly polarized. The cases of radiation with wavelength of 193, 248 and 365 nm are considered. The type of diffraction pattern is investigated and its contrast is calculated depending on the width of the lines and gaps, on their ratio, on the value of the transmission coefficient of the phase-shifting material lines, and on the number of gaps and lines. It was shown that the use of phase-shifting material lines significantly increases the contrast in cases wh ere the dimensions of the elements are much smaller than the wavelength of the incident radiation. With that it was found that the phase shift deviation fr om the ideal value of 180° by 15° in both directions has little effect on the diffraction pattern contrast. It has been established that for a large number of structural elements in the case of incident radiation in the form of a plane wave, the fundamental lower lim it for the spatial period of the structure is the radiation wavelength (without regard for the numerical aperture of the focusing system). It was demonstrated that by disrupting the regularity of the structure – decreasing the width of the gaps in the outer parts of the structure – it is possible to improve the uniformity of the diffraction pattern contrast distribution.

Key words: photomask, diffraction pattern, Fourier optics, contrast, phase-shifting material lines, transmittance
Published in: Technological processes and routes
Bibliography link: Lavrov I. V., Dronova D. A., Silibin M. V., Anikin A. V., Dubkov S. V., Lebedev E. A., Sharipov R. A., Gromov D. G., Vigdorovich E. N. Simulation of the diffraction effects using phase-shifting layers in photolithography. Proc. Univ. Electronics, 2024, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 736–751. https://doi.org/10.24151/1561-5405-2024-29-6-736-751. – EDN: DVEATM.
Financial source: the work was carried out under slate assignment (Agreement FSMR-2023-0014).

Igor V. Lavrov
National Research University of Electronic Technology, Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1

Daria A. Dronova
National Research University of Electronic Technology, Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1

Maxim V. Silibin
National Research University of Electronic Technology, Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1

Andrey V. Anikin
National Research University of Electronic Technology, Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1

Sergey V. Dubkov
National Research University of Electronic Technology, Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1

Egor A. Lebedev
National Research University of Electronic Technology, Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1

Rustem A. Sharipov
National Research University of Electronic Technology, Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1

Evgeny N. Vigdorovich
National Research University of Electronic Technology, Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1

Dmitry G. Gromov
National Research University of Electronic Technology, Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1; I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, Russia, 119435, Moscow, Bolshaya Pirog

1. Pimpin A., Srituravanich W. Review on micro- and nanolithography techniques and their applications // Eng. J. 2012. Vol. 16. No. 1. P. 37–56. https://doi.org/10.4186/ej.2012.16.1.37

2. Judy J. W. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS): Fabrication, design and applications // Smart Mater. Struct. 2001. Vol. 10. No. 6. P. 1115–1134. https://doi.org/10.1088/0964-1726/10/6/301

3. Rothschild M. Projection optical lithography // Mater. Today. 2005. Vol. 8. Iss. 2. P. 18–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1369-7021(05)00698-X

4. Stulen R. H., Sweeney D. W. Extreme ultraviolet lithography // IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 1999. Vol. 35. No. 5. P. 694–699. https://doi.org/10.1109/3.760315

5. Wu B., Kumar A. Extreme ultraviolet lithography: A review // J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B. 2007. Vol. 25. Iss. 6. P. 1743–1761. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.2794048

6. Seisyan R. P. Nanolithography in microelectronics: A review // Tech. Phys. 2011. Vol. 56. P. 1061–1073. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063784211080214

7. Ito T., Okazaki S. Pushing the limits of lithography // Nature. 2000. Vol. 406. No. 6799. P. 1027–1031. https://doi.org/10.1038/35023233

8. Pati Y. C., Kailath T. Phase-shifting masks for microlithography: Automated design and mask requirements // J. Opt. Soc. Am. A. 1994. Vol. 11. Iss. 9. P. 2438–2452. https://doi.org/10.1364/JOSAA.11.002438

9. Attenuated phase-shifting mask with a single-layer absorptive shifter of CrO, CrON, MoSiO, and MoSiON film / M. Nakajima, N. Yoshioka, J. Miyazaki et al. // Proc. SPIE. Optical/Laser Microlithography VII. 1994. Vol. 2197. Art. ID: 175405. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.175405

10. Practical attenuated phase-shifting mask with a single-layer absorptive shifter of MoSiO and MoSiON for ULSI fabrication / N. Yoshioka, J. Miyazaki, H. Kusunose et al. // Proceedings of IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting. Washington, DC: IEEE, 1993. P. 653–656. https://doi.org/10.1109/IEDM.1993.347227

11. Attenuated phase-shift mask blanks with oxide or oxinitride of Cr or MoSi absorptive shifter / Y. Saito, S. Kawada, T. Yamamoto et al. // Proc. SPIE. Photomask and X-Ray Mask Technology. 1994. Vol. 2254. Art. ID: 191962. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.191962

12. Steigerwald H., Han R., Buettner A., Roeth K.-D. LMS IPRO: Enabling accurate registration metrology on SiN-based phase-shift masks // Proc. SPIE. Photomask Japan 2017. 2017. Vol. 10454. Art. ID: 2279676. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2279676

13. Effects of mask pattern transmission on ArF lithographic performance in contact hole patterning / N. Yonemaru, K. Matsui, Y. Kojima et al. // J. Micro/Nanopattern. Mats. Metro. 2021. Vol. 20. Iss. 1. Art. ID: 014401. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JMM.20.1.014401

14. Intensity distribution modulation of multiple beam interference pattern / D. Jochcova, J. Kaufman, P. Hauschwitz et al. // MM Science Journal. 2019. Iss. Dec. P. 3652–3656. https://doi.org/10.17973/MMSJ.2019_12_2019117

15. Yoshizawa M., Philipsen V., Leunissen L. H. A. Optimizing absorber thickness of attenuating phase-shifting masks for hyper-NA lithography // Proc. SPIE. Optical Microlithography XIX. 2006. Vol. 6154. Art. ID: 659823. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.659823

16. Comparative study of bi-layer attenuating phase-shifting masks for hyper-NA lithography / M. Yoshizawa, V. Philipsen, L. H. A. Leunissen et al. // Proc. SPIE. Photomask and Next-Generation Lithography Mask Technology XIII. 2006. Vol. 6283. Art. ID: 62831G. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.681883

17. Frequency doubling and phase error tolerance exploration for chrome-less phase shift mask / L. Li, M. Jiang, D. Liang et al. // Proc. SPIE. Optical and EUV Nanolithography XXXVI. 2023. Vol. 12494. Art. ID: 1249413. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2657844

18. Imaging study of phase shift spatial light modulator for digital scanner / Y. Watanabe, Y. Kanaya, Y. Okudaira et al. // Proc. SPIE. Optical and EUV Nanolithography XXXVII. 2024. Vol. 12953. Art. ID: 129530R. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3010082

19. Impact of alternative mask stacks on the imaging performance at NA 1.20 and above / V. Philipsen, K. Mesuda, P. De Bisschop et al. // Proc. SPIE. Photomask Technology 2007. 2007. Vol. 6730. Art. ID: 67301N. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.746678

20. A method of utilizing AIMS to quantify lithographic performance of high transmittance mask / Chun Seon Choi, Dong Sik Jang, Sung Hyun Oh et al. // Proc. SPIE. Photomask Technology 2014. 2014. Vol. 9235. Art. ID: 92351R. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2066283

21. Attenuated phase-shift mask with high tolerance for 193nm radiation damage / T. Yamazaki, R. Gorai, Y. Kojima et al. // Proc. SPIE. Photomask Technology 2011. 2011. Vol. 8166. Art. ID: 81663V. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.898984

22. Chen F. T., Chen W.-S., Tsai M.-J., Ku T.-K. Sidewall profile inclination modulation mask (SPIMM): modification of an attenuated phase-shift mask for single-exposure double and multiple patterning // Proc. SPIE. Optical Microlithography XXVI. 2013. Vol. 8683. Art. ID: 868311. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2008886

23. Гудмен Дж. Введение в фурье-оптику / пер. с англ. В. Ю. Галицкого, М. П. Головея. М.: Мир, 1970. 364 с.

24. Салех Б., Тейх М. Оптика и фотоника: принципы и применения / пер. с англ. В. Л. Дербова. Т. 1. Долгопрудный: Интеллект, 2012. 759 с.

25. Ландсберг Г. С. Оптика. 5-е изд., перераб. и доп. М.: Наука, 1976. 926 с.

26. Ивин В. В., Махвиладзе Т. М., Валиев К. А. Теоретическое рассмотрение вопросов выбора оптимальной формы источника в оптической нанолитографии // Микроэлектроника. 2004. Т. 33. № 3. С. 163–174. EDN: OWNIVL.

Information about the publication

Downloads: 0

UDK: 535.317:776
Publication type: Scientific article
Source lang: Russian
DOI: 10.24151/1561-5405-2024-29-6-736-751
RISC id: DVEATM

Download: File not found (1.35 Mb) JATS XML