The feasibility study of KrF HT-PSM in ArF lithography process

Abstract

To print the 0.13um logic device pattern, both KrF and ArF lithography can be used and we have two lithography processes for 0.13um technology. In this paper, we evaluate whether ArF lithography process has enough process margin or not, when KrF HT-PSM is applied to ArF lithography processes. To estimate the feasibility of KrF HT-PSM in ArF lithography process, we simulated the change of the proximity effect according to illumination conditions and selected an optimum illumination condition. In that condition, we investigated the changes of ID bias, linearity and lineend shortening effect (LES) of minimum pattern. ID bias and CD linearity of isolated line in the ArF lithography matched well with those in KrF lithography on the optimized illumination condition. The differences of ID bias and linearity are less than 5nm. Line end CD difference between two processes is under 10nm. The ArF lithography process has enough process margins in optimized illumination condition with KrF Ht-PSM. Therefore, in the optimized illumination condition, KrF Ht-PSM can be applied to ArF lithography process to print pattern for the 0.13um logic device without mask revision.