Geometrical correction of the e-beam proximity effect for raster scan systems

Nikola Belic; Hans Eisenmann; Hans Hartmann; Thomas Waas

doi:10.1117/12.351082

25 June 1999 Geometrical correction of the e-beam proximity effect for raster scan systems

Nikola Belic, Hans Eisenmann, Hans Hartmann, Thomas Waas

Proceedings Volume 3676, Emerging Lithographic Technologies III; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.351082
Event: Microlithography '99, 1999, Santa Clara, CA, United States

Abstract

Increasing demands on pattern fidelity and CD accuracy in e- beam lithography require a correction of the e-beam proximity effect. The new needs are mainly coming from OPC at mask level and x-ray lithography. The e-beam proximity limits the achievable resolution and affects neighboring structures causing under- or over-exposion depending on the local pattern densities and process settings. Methods to compensate for this unequilibrated does distribution usually use a dose modulation or multiple passes. In general raster scan systems are not able to apply variable doses in order to compensate for the proximity effect. For system of this kind a geometrical modulation of the original pattern offers a solution for compensation of line edge deviations due to the proximity effect. In this paper a new method for the fast correction of the e-beam proximity effect via geometrical pattern optimization is described. The method consists of two steps. In a first step the pattern dependent dose distribution caused by back scattering is calculated by convolution of the pattern with the long range part of the proximity function. The restriction to the long range part result in a quadratic sped gain in computing time for the transformation. The influence of the short range part coming from forward scattering is not pattern dependent and can therefore be determined separately in a second step. The second calculation yields the dose curve at the border of a written structure. The finite gradient of this curve leads to an edge displacement depending on the amount of underground dosage at the observed position which was previously determined in the pattern dependent step. This unintended edge displacement is corrected by splitting the line into segments and shifting them by multiples of the writers address grid to the opposite direction.

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Nikola Belic, Hans Eisenmann, Hans Hartmann, and Thomas Waas "Geometrical correction of the e-beam proximity effect for raster scan systems", Proc. SPIE 3676, Emerging Lithographic Technologies III, (25 June 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.351082

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