Chemically amplified positive resist for next-generation photomask fabrication

Katoh, Kohji; Kasuya, Kei; Arai, Tadashi; Sakamizu, Toshio; Satoh, Hiroko; Saitoh, Hidetaka; Hoga, Morihisa

doi:10.1117/12.373354

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 4 publications

(4 reference statements)

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“…This ongoing trend, together with the use of resolution enhancement technologies like OPC leads to the usage of more e-beam exposure for critical masks, especially in combination with higher voltage (50kV) exposure equipment. One major disadvantage with actual e-beam resists, the high exposure dose required for reasonable contrast, may be overcome by chemically amplified resists (CARs) [1][2][3][4]. At the same time CARs show a very high contrast which enables excellent CD control.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Improved baking of photomasks by a dynamically zone-controlled process approach

et al. 2001

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A new type ofbake system for photomasks, APB5000, has been developed, using a dynamic and multiple zone approach, to enable more precise Post Exposure Bake (PEB) and Post Coat Bake (PCB) of conventional and chemically amplified resists (CAR). The principal equipment concept and the optimization strategies are presented. The baking performance of the APB5000 is demonstrated for several surface temperatures between 90°C and 150°C. The temperature uniformity ranges achieved at the resist plane are better than 0.25°C after stabilization at the final temperature and better than 1 .5°C during the ramping period. The repeatability of the bake temperature is better than 0.07°C for the setpoint temperature.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Improved baking of photomasks by a dynamically zone-controlled process approach

et al. 2001

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“…State-of-the-art negative-tone chemically amplified resists (nCARs) like NEB22 [1] can deliver a global CD uniformity range of less than 10nm, equaling a global CD deviation in 3σ of less than 8nm [2][3]. For these resists, e-beam exposure and post-exposure bake (PEB) are most critical processes [4][5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Automated CD-error compensation for negative-tone chemically amplified resists by zone-controlled post-exposure bake

et al. 2003

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Negative-tone chemically amplified resists (nCARs) like NEB22 are promising candidates for the 90 and 65 nm technology node and next-generation lithography. For these resists, e-beam exposure and post-exposure bake (PEB) are most critical processes, since these resists show a strong sensitivity to post-exposure delay (PED) in vacuum during ebeam writing of about 0.5 nm/h, and in air while waiting for PEB. Further, such resists show a strong PEB temperature sensitivity of up to 8 nm/K. The multi-zone hotplate approach of the APB 5500 bake system with its superior temperature uniformity results in excellent global CD-uniformity already. However, all kinds of systematic large area effects of processes, e.g. blank coat/bake, exposure, PED, the PEB itself, etch loading, etc. may transfer in additional systematic CD-errors. Such systematic, repeatable errors can be reduced during PEB by superimposing an appropriate non-uniform temperature profile onto the regular, optimized uniform bake temperature profile, thereby compensating for such CD-non-uniformities. The required temperature profile can automatically be calculated from a suitable global CD measurement, determined in a typical process flow. The compensation of CD-errors resulting from vacuum PED and hotplate temperature characteristics is demonstrated here, by using automated temperature profile calculation. The global CD uniformity was improved significantly, the achieved results show a typical reduction of about 20-30%, from a total global range of about 9nm to about 6-7nm on leading-edge production photomasks.

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Charged‐Particle Lithography

Berger¹,

Kretz²,

Beyer³

et al. 2010

Nanotechnology

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Although, today, the main method for pattering almost all integrated circuits (ICs) is photolithography, charged‐particle lithography – where charged particles (electrons, ions) are used for patterning – already has a wide range of applications. Electron beam lithography (EBL) is currently utilized for fabricating the photomasks essential for photolithography, as a time‐ and cost‐effective technique for early device and technology development, and also for fabricating the imprint templates necessary for the emerging technique of nanoimprint lithography (NIL). All of these applications are enabled by single‐beam writing techniques, which are undergoing continuous improvement. However, as photomask costs have increased, and continue to increase, it has become almost untenable to produce high‐end ICs in low volume. Hence, today the use of field‐programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) has surpassed that of the faster and more highly integrated application‐specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Consequently, promising new multiple‐beam writing techniques are currently under development, known as maskless lithography (ML2), for the volume production of ICs. Ion beam lithography (IBL) represents an alternative approach for the fabrication of imprint templates for NIL, with the advantage of not requiring resist processing. Currently, both EBL and IBL are the only viable methods for fabricating nano‐electromechanical systems and nanotechnology devices, and therefore are essential tools for the emerging nanotechnology.

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Chemically amplified positive resist for next-generation photomask fabrication

Cited by 6 publications

References 4 publications

Improved baking of photomasks by a dynamically zone-controlled process approach

Improved baking of photomasks by a dynamically zone-controlled process approach

Automated CD-error compensation for negative-tone chemically amplified resists by zone-controlled post-exposure bake

Charged‐Particle Lithography

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