Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method of patterning a semiconductor wafer using extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL). The method includes receiving an EUVL mask that includes a substrate having a low temperature expansion material, a reflective multilayer over the substrate, a capping layer over the reflective multilayer, and an absorber layer over the capping layer. The method further includes patterning the absorber layer to form a trench on the EUVL mask, wherein the trench has a first width above a target width. The method further includes treating the EUVL mask with oxygen plasma to reduce the trench to a second width, wherein the second width is below the target width. The method may also include treating the EUVL mask with nitrogen plasma to protect the capping layer, wherein the treating of the EUVL mask with the nitrogen plasma expands the trench to a third width at the target width.

Abstract: There are provided a computer-readable storage medium and an overlay measurement device therefor that records a data structure for storing data controlling an operation of an overlay measurement device. In a computer-readable storage medium that records a data structure for storing data controlling an operation of an overlay measurement device in one embodiment, the data includes information of a recipe that is input to allow the overlay measurement device to measure characteristics of a wafer through a manager program installed in a user terminal, and unique information of the overlay measurement device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a reflective mask blank for EUV lithography, including: a substrate, a multilayer reflective film reflecting EUV light, and a phase shift film shifting a phase of the EUV light, in which the substrate, the multilayer reflective film, and the phase shift film are formed in this order, the phase shift film includes a layer 1 including ruthenium (Ru) and nitrogen (N), and the layer 1 has an absolute value of a film stress of 1,000 MPa or less.

Abstract: A method of controlling an imaging process uses a qualified optical proximity correction (OPC) model, the process including obtaining an OPC model that is configured to model the behavior of OPC modifications to a pre-OPC design in a process for forming a pattern on a substrate using a post-OPC design in a patterning process, using the patterning process in a manufacturing environment, collecting process control data in substrates patterned using the patterning process in the manufacturing environment, storing the collected process control data in a database, analyzing, by a hardware computer system, the stored, collected process control data to verify that the OPC model is correcting pattern features within a selected threshold, and for pattern features falling outside the selected threshold, determining a modification to the imaging process to correct imaging errors.

Abstract: Methods for fracturing a pattern to be exposed on a surface using variable shaped beam (VSB) lithography include inputting an initial pattern; calculating a first substrate pattern from the initial pattern; overlaying the initial pattern with a two-dimensional grid, wherein an initial set of VSB shots are formed by a union of the initial pattern with locations on the grid; and merging two or more adjacent shots in the initial set of VSB shots to create a larger shot in a modified set of VSB shots; and outputting the modified set of VSB shots. The method also includes calculating a calculated pattern to be exposed on the surface with the modified set of VSB shots; and calculating a second substrate pattern from the calculated pattern to be exposed on the surface.

Abstract: A method for mask data synthesis and mask making includes calibrating an optical proximity correction (OPC) model by adjusting a plurality of parameters including a first parameter and a second parameter, wherein the first parameter indicates a long-range effect caused by an electron-beam lithography tool for making a mask used to manufacture a structure, and the second parameter indicates a geometric feature of a structure or a manufacturing process to make the structure, generating a device layout, calculating a first grid pattern density map of the device layout, generating a long-range correction map, at least based on the calibrated OPC model and the first grid pattern density map of the device layout, and performing an OPC to generate a corrected mask layout, at least based on the generated long-range correction map and the calibrated OPC model.

Abstract: A method of making photolithography mask plate is provided. The method includes: providing a carbon nanotube composite structure, wherein the carbon nanotube composite structure comprises a carbon nanotube layer and a chrome layer coated on the carbon nanotube layer; locating the carbon nanotube composite structure on a substrate to expose partial surfaces of the substrate; and depositing a cover layer on the carbon nanotube composite structure.

Abstract: A method for determining a correction relating to a performance metric of a semiconductor manufacturing process, the method including: obtaining a set of pre-process metrology data; processing the set of pre-process metrology data by decomposing the pre-process metrology data into one or more components which: a) correlate to the performance metric; or b) are at least partially correctable by a control process which is part of the semiconductor manufacturing process; and applying a trained model to the processed set of pre-process metrology data to determine the correction for the semiconductor manufacturing process.

Abstract: A reflective mask blank for EUV lithography, includes: a substrate; a conductive film; a reflective layer; and an absorption layer, the absorption layer absorbing the EUV light, wherein the conductive film has a refractive index n?1000-1100 nm of 5.300 or less and has an extinction coefficient k?1000-1100 nm of 5.200 or less, at a wavelength of 1000 nm to 1100 nm, the conductive film has a refractive index n?600-700 nm of 4.300 or less and has an extinction coefficient k?600-700 nm of 4.500 or less, at a wavelength of 600 nm to 700 nm, the conductive film has a refractive index n?400-500 nm of 2.500 or more and has an extinction coefficient k?400-500 nm of 0.440 or more, at a wavelength of 400 nm to 500 nm, and the conductive film has a film thickness t of 40 nm to 350 nm.

Abstract: A photolithography mask (10) is provided, said photolithography mask (10) including a plate (15) or an empty frame matrix, a surface of the plate (15) or empty frame matrix including an array of micro-pixels (20), wherein each micro-pixel (20) is independently controllable using an on-board micro-controller (25) in such a manner that a pattern can be generated with the array of micro-pixels (20).

Abstract: A blankmask for extreme ultraviolet lithography includes a substrate, a reflective layer formed on the substrate, and a phase shift layer formed on the reflective layer. The phase shift layer contains niobium (Nb), and is made of a material containing one of tantalum (Ta), chromium (Cr), and ruthenium (Ru). A phase shift layer containing Nb and Ta has a relative reflectance of 5 to 20%, a phase shift layer containing Nb and Cr has a relative reflectance of 9 to 15%, and a phase shift layer containing Nb and Ru has a relative reflectance of 20% or more. The phase shift layer has a phase shift amount of 170 to 230°, and has a surface roughness of 0.5 nmRMS or less. It is possible to obtain excellent resolution when finally manufacturing a pattern of 7 nm or less by using a photomask manufactured using such a blankmask.

Abstract: A method includes forming a first photomask including N mask chip regions and a first mask scribe lane region surrounding each of the N mask chip regions, forming a second photomask including M mask chip regions and a second mask scribe lane region surrounding each of the M mask chip regions, performing a first semiconductor process including a first photolithography process using the first photomask on a semiconductor wafer; and performing a second semiconductor process including a second photolithography process using the second photomask on the semiconductor wafer. The first photolithography process is an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photolithography process, the first photomask is an EUV photomask, N is a natural number of 2 or more, and M is two times N.

Abstract: Imaging layers on the surface of a substrate may be patterned using next generation lithographic techniques, and the resulting patterned film may be used as a lithographic mask, for example, for production of a semiconductor device.

Abstract: A reflective mask blank comprises a substrate; a multilayer reflective film which is formed on the substrate and reflects EUV light; and a layered film which is formed on the multilayer reflective film. The layered film has an absolute reflectance of 2.5% or less with respect to EUV light, and comprises a first layer and a second layer formed on the first layer; and the first layer comprises a phase shift film which shifts the phase of EUV light. Alternatively, the layered film is a phase shift film which comprises a first layer and a second layer formed on the first layer, and which shifts the phase of EUV light; and the first layer comprises an absorption layer that has an absolute reflectance of 2.5% or less with respect to EUV light.

Abstract: A reflective mask blank includes a substrate and, on or above the substrate in order, a reflective layer for reflecting EUV light, a protective layer for protecting the reflective layer, and an absorbent layer for absorbing EUV light. The absorbent layer has a reflectance for a wavelength of 13.53 nm of from 2.5% to 10%. A film thickness d of the absorbent layer satisfies a relationship of: d M ? A ? X - ( i × 6 + 1 ) ? nm ? d ? d M ? A ? X - ( i × 6 - 1 ) ? nm where the integer i is 0 or 1, and dMAX is represented by: d MAX ( nm ) = 13.53 2 ? n ? cos ? 6 ? ° { INT ? ( 0.58 1 - n ) + 1 2 ? ? ? ( tan - 1 ( - k 1 - n ) + 0.64 ) } where n is a refractive index of the absorbent layer, k is an absorption coefficient of the absorbent layer, and INT(x) is a function of returning an integer value obtained by truncating a decimal part.

Abstract: A reflective mask blank includes a substrate; a multilayer reflective film that reflects EUV light; a protection film that protects the multilayer reflective film; and a phase shift film that shifts a phase of the EUV light, the substrate, the multilayer reflective film, the protection film, and the phase shift film being arranged in this order. The phase shift film contains at least one first element X1 selected from the first group consisting of ruthenium (Ru), iridium (Ir), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), and gold (Au), and at least one second element X2 selected from the second group consisting of oxygen (O), boron (B), carbon (C), and nitrogen (N). In the phase shift film, a chemical shift of a peak of 3d5/2 or a peak of 4f7/2 of the first element X1 observed by X-ray electron spectroscopy is less than 0.3 eV.

Abstract: There is provided a reflective photomask blank and a reflective photomask having good irradiation resistance and capable of obtaining good transfer performance. A reflective photomask blank (10) contains a reflective layer (2) reflecting incident light and an absorption layer (4) absorbing incident light, which are formed in this order on one surface side of a substrate (1). The absorption layer (4) contains a first material selected from the group consisting of tin, indium, and tellurium and a second material containing one or two or more kinds of materials selected from the group consisting of transition metals, bismuth (Bi), and silicon (Si) at least in the outermost layer. The content of the second material is more than 20 at and less than 50 at % in the same laver.

Abstract: A reflective film coated substrate includes a substrate having two main surfaces opposite to each other and end faces connected to outer edges of the two main surfaces; and a reflective film formed on one of the main surfaces and extending onto at least part of the end faces. The reflective film on the main surface has a multilayer structure including low refractive index layers and high refractive index layers alternately formed. The reflective film which extends onto the end faces has a single-layer structure containing a first element higher in content than any other element in the low refractive index layers and a second element higher in content than any other element in the high refractive index layers.

Abstract: An electron beam lithography system and an electron beam lithography process are disclosed herein for improving throughput. An exemplary method for increasing throughput achieved by an electron beam lithography system includes receiving an integrated circuit (IC) design layout that includes a target pattern, wherein the electron beam lithography system implements a first exposure dose to form the target pattern on a workpiece based on the IC design layout. The method further includes inserting a dummy pattern into the IC design layout to increase a pattern density of the IC design layout to greater than or equal to a threshold pattern density, thereby generating a modified IC design layout. The electron beam lithography system implements a second exposure dose that is less than the first exposure dose to form the target pattern on the workpiece based on the modified IC design layout.

Abstract: A reflective mask includes a substrate, a reflective multilayer disposed over the substrate, a capping layer disposed over the reflective multilayer, an intermediate layer disposed over the capping layer, an absorber layer disposed over the intermediate layer, and a cover layer disposed over the absorber layer. The absorber layer includes one or more layers of an Ir based material, a Pt based material or a Ru based material.