Patents Examined by S. Rosasco
  • Halftone phase shift mask blank, halftone phase shift mask, and method of producing the same
    Patent number: 7115341
    Abstract: A halftone phase shift mask blank for use in manufacturing a halftone phase shift mask comprises a transparent substrate, a light transmitting portion formed on the substrate for transmitting an exposure light beam, a phase shifter portion formed on the substrate for transmitting a part of the exposure light beam as a transmitted light beam and for shifting a phase of the transmitted light beam by a predetermined amount, and a phase shifter film for forming the phase shifter portion. The halftone phase shift mask has an optical characteristic such that light beams passing through the light transmitting portion and through the phase shifter portion cancel each other in the vicinity of a boundary portion therebetween, thereby maintaining and improving an excellent contrast at a boundary portion of an exposure pattern to be transferred onto the surface of an object to be exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Yuuki Shiota, Osamu Nozawa, Ryo Ohkubo, Hideaki Mitsui
  • Microfabrication of pattern imprinting
    Patent number: 7115354
    Abstract: An optical imprinting apparatus, and a method for producing a two-dimensional pattern, have line widths less than the wavelength of an exposure light. The evanescent (proximity) field effect is adopted to realize the apparatus and method. An optical imprinting apparatus comprises a container in which light is enclosed, an exposure-mask having a proximity field exposure pattern firmly fixed to a section of the container for exposing the exposure pattern on a photo-sensitive material through an evanescent field by the light enclosed therein; and a light source for supplying the light in the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignees: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Hatakeyama, Katsunori Ichiki, Tohru Satake, Yotaro Hatamura, Masayuki Nakao
  • Photomask and pattern forming method employing the same
    Patent number: 7115344
    Abstract: A semitransparent phase shifting mask has, in the periphery of a pattern element area, a light shielding portion which is formed by a semitransparent phase shifting portion and a transparent portion with the optimal size combination. A pattern is formed employing the semitransparent phase shifting mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Norio Hasegawa, Fumio Murai, Katsuya Hayano
  • Preparation of photomasks
    Patent number: 7115342
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the preparation of an x-ray photomask by exposing a free-standing film of a radiation sensitive metal/chalcogenide to an electron beam scanned in a defined pattern so as to generate areas in the film of reduced metal content in accordance with the defined pattern, as well as novel x-ray photomasks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: University Court of the University of Dundee
    Inventors: Alexander Grant Fitzgerald, Katrin Jones
  • Method of manufacturing chromeless phase shift mask
    Patent number: 7112390
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a chromeless phase shift mask includes forming a photoresist film pattern on a wafer using a basic form of the chromeless phase shift mask and measuring a specification of the photoresist film pattern. The basic form of the chromeless phase shift mask is isotropically etched to modify the phase shifter of the mask unless the photoresist film pattern specification is within a specified range. Accordingly, an application-specific chromeless phase shift mask can be produced for use in any exposure apparatus and under any exposure condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Myung-Ah Kang, In-Kyun Shin
  • Photomask having a focus monitor pattern
    Patent number: 7108945
    Abstract: A photomask has a device pattern, which has an opening portion and a mask portion, and either a focus monitor pattern or an exposure dose monitor pattern, which has an opening portion and a mask portion and which has the same plane pattern shape as at least a partial region of a device pattern. The phase difference in transmitted exposure light between the opening portion and the mask portion of the focus monitor pattern is different from that between the opening portion and the mask portion of the device pattern. The opening portion of the exposure dose monitor pattern has a different exposure dose transmittance from that of the opening portion of the device pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takumichi Sutani, Kyoko Izuha, Tadahito Fujisawa, Soichi Inoue
  • Method for setting mask pattern and illumination condition
    Patent number: 7107573
    Abstract: A method for setting a mask pattern and an illumination condition suitable for an exposure method for using plural kinds of light to illuminate a mask that arranges a predetermined pattern and an auxiliary pattern smaller than the predetermined pattern, so as to resolve the predetermined pattern without resolving the auxiliary pattern on a target via a projection optical system includes the steps of forming data for the predetermined pattern, forming data for the auxiliary pattern, and setting the illumination condition for defining an effective light source of illumination using the plural kinds of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Yamazoe, Akiyoshi Suzuki, Kenji Saitoh
  • EUV reflection mask and lithographic process using the same
    Patent number: 7105255
    Abstract: An invention of lithography process using an improved reflection mask is provided for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. In the process an incident EUV is transmitted onto the reflection mask at a grazing incident angle. Therefore a reflected EUV develops a pattern image to a photo resist layer on the surface of the wafer, wherein the shape of the pattern image is dependent on the shape of a plurality of reflective regions on the surface of the reflection mask. Specially, the improved reflection mask is more easily fabricated. The surface roughness and the defects of the reflection mask are also more easily controlled. The improved EUV lithography process is more efficient and cheap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventor: Benjamin Szu-Min Lin
  • Method of manufacturing an alternating phase shift mask
    Patent number: 7100322
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an alternating phase shift mask can be carried out in a short amount of time. A 180° phase shift region is formed using a multi-step etching process, and then a 0° phase region is formed. Forming the phase shift regions in this sequence minimizes the number of rounds of photolithography that have to be carried out in the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Myung-Ah Kang, In-Kyun Shin
  • Reflective mask for short wavelength lithography
    Patent number: 7101645
    Abstract: A reflective mask (e.g., an EUV reflective mask) and a method of making such a mask are disclosed. The mask includes an absorbent substrate and a reflective coating overlying the substrate. The reflective coating is patterned to include a circuit design that is to be transferred onto one or more wafers, and more particularly onto one or more die on the wafers, during semiconductor fabrication processing. The mask includes no other radiation absorbent material, and the occurrence and severity of dead zones, which commonly occur in conventional reflective masks and which degrade the fidelity of pattern transfers, are thereby mitigated. A methodology for inspecting the mask via the transmission of visible, UV or deep-UV radiation through the mask is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignees: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., DuPont Photomasks, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruno La Fontaine, Laurent Dieu
  • Phase edge phase shift mask enforcing a width of a field gate image and fabrication method thereof
    Patent number: 7097949
    Abstract: A phase edge phase shift mask and a fabrication method thereof for enforcing a width of a field gate image located on a field region, which is weakened by a two exposure process, by using a phase shift mask and a trim mask on a semiconductor substrate, and enforcing a width of the field gate image to maximize a current driving capability of the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong-Hyun Kim, Moon-Hyun Yoo, Jeong-Lim Nam, Yoo-Hyon Kim, Chul-Hong Park, Soo-Han Choi, Young-Chan Ban, Hye-Soo Shin
  • Method for repair of photomasks
    Patent number: 7097948
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for removing etching assist gas from a fabrication system used during defect repair of a photomask in the fabrication of an integrated circuit, including: (a) inspecting the photomask and detecting a defect, the defect in a defect region; and (b) repairing the defect, wherein an amount, effective for the purpose of styrene is added to the system. By the method of the present invention, the amount of gas remaining on the MOS film is reduced, resulting in less surface defects present on the photomask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wu Hung Ko, Tung Yaw Kang, Chih Wei Wen
  • Method for correcting local loading effects in the etching of photomasks
    Patent number: 7097947
    Abstract: A method for correcting local loading-effects in photomask etching includes the steps of determining the location-dependent density of structures of a mask; determining the location-dependent strength of the loading effect with the aid of the structure density; and determining location-dependent correction values for the mask structures with the aid of the strength of the loading effect for the purpose of compensating the loading effect. It is recognized that the strength of location-dependent loading effects can be predicted with the aid of the location-dependent structure density and therefore compensated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Martin Blöcker, Gerd Ballhorn, Jens Schneider
  • Mask, manufacturing method for mask, and manufacturing method for semiconductor device
    Patent number: 7094504
    Abstract: Disclosed is a mask comprising a first area including a first surrounding area in which a halftone phase shift film or a stacked film of a halftone phase shift film and an opaque film is provided on a transparent substrate, and a first opening area surrounded by the first surrounding area, and a second area including a second surrounding area in which a halftone phase shift film is provided on the transparent substrate and a second opening area surrounded by the second surrounding area, wherein a transparent film is provided in at least a part of the second opening area, the transparent film being configured to give a predetermined phase difference to exposure light passing through that part of the second opening area in which the transparent film is provided relative to exposure light passing through the second surrounding area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kyoko Izuha, Hideki Kanai, Soichi Inoue, Shingo Kanamitsu, Shinichi Ito
  • Photomask assembly and method for protecting the same from contaminants generated during a lithography process
    Patent number: 7094505
    Abstract: A photomask assembly and method for protecting the photomask assembly from contaminants generated during a lithography process are disclosed. A photomask assembly includes a pellicle assembly formed from a pellicle frame and a pellicle film coupled to a first surface of the pellicle frame. The pellicle frame further includes an inner wall and an outer wall. A photomask is coupled to a second surface of the pellicle frame opposite the pellicle film. A molecular sieve that prevents airborne molecular contaminants (AMCs) generated during a lithography process from contaminating the photomask is associated with the pellicle assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Toppan Photomasks, Inc.
    Inventors: Xun Zhang, Joseph Stephen Gordon, Janice M. Paduano, Xiaoming Chen, Julio R. Reyes
  • Method of manufacturing a photo mask and method of manufacturing a semiconductor device
    Patent number: 7090949
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a photo mask comprising preparing mask data for a mask pattern to be formed on a mask substrate, calculating edge moving sensitivity with respect to each of patterns included in the mask pattern using the mask data, the edge moving sensitivity corresponding to a difference between a proper exposure dose and an exposure dose to be set when a pattern edge varies, determining a monitor portion of the mask pattern, based on the calculated edge moving sensitivity, actually forming the mask pattern on the mask substrate, acquiring a dimension of a pattern included in that portion of the mask pattern formed on the mask substrate which corresponds to the monitor portion, determining evaluation value for the mask pattern formed on the mask substrate, based on the acquired dimension, and determining whether the evaluation value satisfies predetermined conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shigeki Nojima, Shoji Mimotogi, Satoshi Tanaka, Toshiya Kotani, Shigeru Hasebe, Koji Hashimoto, Soichi Inoue, Osamu Ikenaga
  • Phase shifter film and process for the same
    Patent number: 7090947
    Abstract: In the formation of a halftone type phase shift mask, a reactive gas introduction inlet and an inert gas introduction inlet are provided so as to introduce the respective gases separately and by using a reactive low throw sputtering method a molybdenum silicide based phase shifter film is formed. Thereby, it becomes possible to provide a halftone type phase shift mask, which is applicable to an ArF laser or to a KrF laser, by using molybdenum silicide based materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignees: Ulvac Coating Corporation, Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Susumu Kawada, Akihiko Isao, Nobuyuki Yoshioka, Kazuyuki Maetoko
  • Method for combining via patterns into a single mask
    Patent number: 7087350
    Abstract: In a damascene process of fabricating an interconnect structure in an integrated circuit, a method for removing separate via layers is disclosed herein, which includes combining the via layers into a single mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Hsiang Wei Wang
  • Chromeless photomask and exposure apparatus including the chromeless photomask
    Patent number: 7084950
    Abstract: A chromeless photomask includes a main pattern portion and a complementary pattern portion formed in the surface of the transparent mask substrate adjacent to an outer peripheral edge of the main pattern portion. The main and complementary pattern portions are each formed by recessing a surface of a transparent mask substrate to produce respective protrusions and recesses that induce a phase difference of 180 degrees in light rays passing therethrough. The complementary pattern portion is designed to produce interference that prevents distortion in the photoresist pattern formed at a region by and corresponding to the edge of the main pattern portion of the photomask. Accordingly, the present invention provides for a relatively large secondary mask alignment margin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong-Hoon Chung, Jin-Hyung Park
  • Method of making gratings and phase masks for fiber grating fabrication
    Patent number: 7081323
    Abstract: In accordance with the invention, the fabrication of a grating phase mask is improved by providing a multiple-scan exposure which can provide an accumulated exposure that is effectively phase modulated or modulated rapidly in amplitude. Applicants have determined that exposure scans can be chosen so that each is modulated in amplitude and without modulation in phase, but the accumulated exposure of the multiple scans is modulated in phase and/or modulated in amplitude. The improved method can be used to make phase masks for fabrication of sophisticated fiber gratings such as superstructure gratings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Fitel USA Corp
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Eggleton, Misha Sumetsky, Paul S. Westbrook