The invention relates to semiconductor device fabrication and, more particularly, to the manufacture of alternating phase shift masks and reticles for resolution enhancement in optical lithography systems used in the fabrication of integrated circuit devices.
As feature sizes and pitches shrink in the fabrication of integrated circuit devices, the resolution of the projection optics in conventional optical lithography systems begins to limit the quality of photoresist images created on wafers using binary photomasks that only modulate the intensity of the projected electromagnetic radiation. Specifically, electromagnetic radiation from a light source of the optical lithography system is completely blocked by the opaque features in the binary mask and is fully transmitted through transparent mask regions. Alternating phase shift masks (altPSM's) represent a powerful resolution enhancement technique (RET) that can effectively increase the resolution of conventional optical lithography systems by introducing a 180° or half-wavelength phase shift in the light transmitted between neighboring windows of the mask. This phase shifting is accomplished by creating a path length difference for the exposing electromagnetic radiation in the mask material between adjacent windows on the phase shift mask. Features are formed in exposed resist by the diffraction edges due to destructive interference. Hence, altPSM's not only modulate the intensity of the transmitted electromagnetic radiation, but its phase as well.
The optical path length difference is created by recessing phase shift windows in a blank of the transparent mask material to a depth proportional to the source wavelength and inversely proportional to the refractive index of the mask material. The mask blank is typically fabricated by patterning a layer of an opaque material deposited on the mask blank and then providing recessed phase shift windows in the unmasked areas of the patterned opaque layer by reactive ion etching (RIE). The fabrication of altPSM's is limited by the uniformity of the etch process. Specifically, the mask blank lacks an etch stop layer so that the inherent pattern factor and across-wafer substrate spatial variations of the etch rate in the RIE process chamber are reproduced in the mask blank. The variations in etch depth arising from the etch rate variations degrade depth of focus and effectively reduce resolution in the finished altPSM as the phase shift windows have different depths in different regions of the altPSM.
What is needed, therefore, is a method of fabricating an alternating phase shift mask that forms phase shift windows without directly etching a mask blank.
In accordance with the principles of the invention, a method of fabricating an alternating phase shift mask includes forming a layer of a phase shift mask material on a handle substrate and patterning the layer to form a plurality of phase shift windows in the phase shift mask material. The patterned layer is transferred from the handle substrate to a mask blank to construct the alternating phase shift mask.
The alternating phase shift mask of the invention is not directly etched in a mask blank but, instead, is assembled by bonding a pre-fabricated mask layer with uniformly deep phase shift windows and formed on a handle substrate to a mask blank. The thickness uniformity of semiconductor growth and deposition processes defining the depth of the phase shift windows is significantly greater than the depth uniformity of etch processes. By eliminating etching of the mask blank, the uniformity of the depth of the phase shift windows over the entire surface area of the alternating phase shift mask is significantly improved. As a result, a phase shift mask may be fabricated according to the principles of the invention in a reproducible and repeatable fashion as deposition processes and growth processes, such as oxidation, used to fabricate the phase shift mask of the invention are capable of better or tighter thickness control than etch processes currently used to fabricate conventional alternating phase shift masks. If silicon wafers are employed as handle substrates, then standard well-known and well-controlled silicon semiconductor fabrication techniques can be employed both to construct the patterned phase shift layer and to transfer the layer to the a mask blank. The phase shift windows of the invention are formed by etching completely through the layer of phase shift mask material and into the underlying handle wafer. Because the phase shift mask is transferred from the handle wafer to the mask blank, over-etching of the phase shift windows into the underlying handle wafer is immaterial as the thickness of the layer of phase shift material is determinative of the depth of the phase shift windows.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
The invention is directed to a process for making an alternating phase shift mask having recessed phase shift windows of a substantially uniform depth. The phase shift mask may incorporate a pattern large enough to pattern an entire wafer at one time or, alternatively, may function as a reticle containing a pattern for one or more die but not large enough to transfer a wafer-sized pattern in a single exposure. Such reticles are employed in conjunction with conventional stepping optical lithography systems or steppers employed for most sub-micron pattern exposures. Typically a reticle used in stepping optical lithography has a 4× reduction factor. The alternating phase shift masks of the invention are fabricated without introducing variations in the depth of the phase shift windows associated with etching processes.
With reference to
References herein to terms such as “vertical”, “horizontal”, etc. are made by way of example, and not by way of limitation, to establish a frame of reference. The term “horizontal” as used herein is defined as a plane parallel to the conventional plane or surface of handle substrate 12, regardless of its orientation. The term “vertical” refers to a direction perpendicular to the horizontal, as just defined. Terms, such as “on”, “above”, “below”, “side” (as in “sidewall”), “higher”, “lower”, “over”, “beneath” and “under”, are defined with respect to the horizontal plane. It is understood that various other frames of reference may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
With reference to
After the phase shift windows 14 are defined by the anisotropic etch process, the resist layer 16 is stripped from the patterned mask material layer 10. The thickness, T, of the mask material layer 10 between surfaces 11 and 13 determines the depth of the recessed phase shift windows 14, which is independent of any spatial non-uniformities across the surface of handle substrate 12 during the etch process. In particular, over-etching in the unmasked areas past the interface between surface 13 and the handle substrate 12 into the bulk of handle substrate 12 does not affect the depth of the recessed phase shift windows 14 as the depth is determined exclusively by the thickness of the mask material layer 10.
With continued reference to
Although the phase shift windows 14 are illustrated as an array of contact holes, the invention is not so limited as other types of repetitive or non-repetitive features may be formed in resist layer 16. The phase shift windows 14 are not visible in
With reference to
Before being bonded to the mask blank 20, the handle substrate 12 may be optionally cleaved or diced to a final dimension, as depicted in
With reference to
With reference to
Common opaque mask features 24, 26, 28, 30 include, but are not limited to, a border 24 surrounding the exposure field, alignment marks 26, features 28 for forming wider patterns on the wafer inappropriate for formation by phase shifted electromagnetic radiation, and a sidewall spacer 30 about the periphery of each phase shift window 14. The border 24 separates adjacent fields when printing using a conventional optical lithography system and defines a location for placement of the alignment marks 26 for the expose tool of the optical lithography system. Typically, wider pattern features 28 are formed on the wafer than can be directly supported by the alternating phase shift patterns supplied by the recessed phase shift windows 14. In some types of phase shift patterns, the sidewall spacers 30 enhance the aerial image from the phase shift mask 22, which allows a better depth of focus to be achieved for the phase shift pattern projected onto the wafer.
The opaque mask features 24, 26, and 28 may be formed by any method apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art. In one embodiment of the invention, a blanket layer of the opaque mask material is deposited over the patterned mask material layer 10 and exposed areas of the side of the mask blank 20 to which the patterned phase mask material layer 10 is bonded. Typically, the blanket layer is constituted by a layer of chrome approximately 30 nanometers (nm) to 80 nm thick. Resist is applied and a conventional mask write lithographic process is used to pattern the resist such that the appropriate border 24, alignment marks 26, and features 28 for forming wider pattern features are formed. The resist is developed and the blanket layer is etched with, for example, reactive ion etching to remove the opaque mask material where desired. If the spacers 30 are not desired, the etch process may be more isotropic. After the opaque mask material is etched, the resist is removed and the border 24, alignment marks 26, and wider pattern features 28 are formed to complete the alternating phase shift mask 22.
With reference to
In another embodiment of the invention, after the patterned mask material layer 10 is bonded to the mask blank 20, a narrow band of opaque mask material, typically about 2 to 20 mm, is deposited around the perimeter of the patterned area containing the phase shift windows 14 to define border 24, but not within the perimeter. Resist is applied over the narrow band and patterned with a conventional mask writing lithographic process to define alignment marks 26 in the opaque mask material and to trim the border 24, if desired. In this embodiment, the wider pattern features 28 and sidewall spacers 30 are omitted from the phase shift mask 22.
In use, the alternating phase shift mask 22 is mounted in a conventional optical lithography system and used to expose, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art, a radiation-sensitive photoresist covering a wafer or other substrate. Electromagnetic radiation projected from a light source of the optical lithography system and transmitted through the recessed phase shift windows 14 is shifted in phase by 180° or half-wavelength relative to electromagnetic radiation transmitted by non-phase shift windows 18. The electromagnetic radiation from neighboring windows 14 and 18 destructively interferes where their edges overlap at the plane of the wafer, which defines unexposed or underexposed latent features in the photoresist. The opaque mask features 24, 26, 28, 30 define areas that permit no transmission of electromagnetic radiation for forming conventional features, such as border 24, alignment marks 26, wider pattern features 28 inappropriate for formation by phase shifted electromagnetic radiation, and sidewall spacers 30, 32.
With reference to
With reference to
While the present invention has been illustrated by a description of various embodiments and while these embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Thus, the invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and method, and illustrative example shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicants' general inventive concept.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
5194346 | Rolfson et al. | Mar 1993 | A |
5773171 | Lee et al. | Jun 1998 | A |
6048652 | Nguyen et al. | Apr 2000 | A |
6187480 | Huang | Feb 2001 | B1 |
6376130 | Stanton | Apr 2002 | B1 |
6660653 | Tzu et al. | Dec 2003 | B1 |
20020195673 | Chou et al. | Dec 2002 | A1 |
20050158634 | Thony et al. | Jul 2005 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20050202322 A1 | Sep 2005 | US |