Novel assist feature design to improve depth of focus in low k1 EUV lithography

Hoyoung Kang

doi:10.1117/12.849556

14 December 2009 Novel assist feature design to improve depth of focus in low k1 EUV lithography

Hoyoung Kang

Proceedings Volume 7520, Lithography Asia 2009; 752037 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.849556
Event: SPIE Lithography Asia, 2009, Taipei, Taiwan

Abstract

With the expected continual progress of micro-electronics scaling, low k1 techniques may be required even with EUV lithography. One of important techniques of low k1, the off axis illumination (OAI) in combination with sub-resolution assist features (SRAF) on reticles, has been used extensively in optical lithography. Use of assist features combined with off axis illumination typically requires extremely small pattern sizes. The assist pattern enables printing dense and isolated lines simultaneous. In a low k1 region of around 0.4, assist features will increase depth of focus (DOF) of isolated and semi-isolated lines even in EUV. Since EUVL process operates at a relatively higher k1 value than that for the optical lithography, the assist feature size needed is relatively smaller. In addition, with the mask shadowing effect of EUVL, all horizontal lines should be biased thinner by a couple of nanometers, and horizontal assist features will need to do the same. Fabricating such narrow features on masks is challenging, and could potentially limit the application of SRAF in EUVL in the low k1 regime. A novel approach is proposed to create assist features with similar width as the main critical dimension features. The proposed technique creates assist patterns using thinner absorber which would have higher reflectance than normal absorber. Thinner absorber assist pattern can perform similarly with narrower assist pattern and easier to fabricate. With off axis illumination in EUVL and assist patterns, process margin of semi-isolated and isolated lines can be increased for k1 lower than 0.4.

Citation Download Citation

Hoyoung Kang "Novel assist feature design to improve depth of focus in low k1 EUV lithography", Proc. SPIE 7520, Lithography Asia 2009, 752037 (14 December 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.849556

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