Abstract: An active area pattern is formed atop a deep trench pattern with a single exposure using an alternative phase-shift mask. To prevent adjacent spaces of opposite phase from intersecting one another at the ends of substantially opaque features of the active area pattern, one or more connectors are used to connect the ends of the substantially opaque patterns. Trench regions of the deep trench pattern are arranged such that the conduction path of the connectors are interrupted and prevent the lines from shorting to one another. Alternatively, a bit line pattern or a word line pattern having a lines and spaces array and a support region are printed with a single exposure using an alternating phase-shift mask. At one end of the array region, lines having a respective phase shift extend into the support region, and lines of the opposite phase shift are terminated.

Abstract: Methods for applying topographically compensated film in a semiconductor wafer fabrication process are disclosed. The processes include premapping a surface of a wafer so as to determine the local topography (e.g., z-height) of the wafer and then applying a variable depth of a film to the wafer, such that the variable depth is modulated based on the local topography of the wafer. The resultant topography of the applied film and wafer is substantially planar (e.g., within approximately 100 nm) across the wafer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for improving the leveling and, consequently, the focusing of a substrate such as a wafer during the photolithography imaging procedure of a semiconductor manufacturing process. The invention performs a pre-scan of the wafer's topography and assigns importance values to different regions of the wafer surface. Exposure focus instructions are calculated based on the topography and importance values of the different regions and the wafer is then scanned and imaged based on the calculated exposure focus instructions.

Abstract: A method for detecting phase and amplitude error of an alternating phase shifting mask is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes passing a collimated light beam through a pair of adjacent, phase shifted openings in the phase shifting mask. Then, the beam intensities of diffracted light passed through the pair of adjacent openings are recorded as a function of angular position. From the recorded beam intensities, an angle ? is determined at which a first diffraction order and a second diffraction order occurs, wherein ? represents a deviation from a pair of symmetrically distributed diffraction orders. In addition, a minimum intensity and a maximum intensity are also determined from the recorded beam intensities, wherein the phase error is calculated from the determined value of ?, and the amplitude error is calculated from the minimum intensity and said maximum intensity.

Abstract: A method of exposing images on a wafer having varying topography during lithographic production of microelectronic devices. The method initially includes determining topography of a wafer, dividing the wafer into two or more separate regions based on the wafer topography, and determining desired focus distance for exposing a desired image on each of the separate regions of the wafer. The method then includes exposing a desired image on one of the regions of the wafer at the desired focus distance while blocking remaining regions and exposing a desired image on another of the regions of the wafer at the desired focus distance while blocking remaining regions. The desired focus distance may be different for each of the separate wafer regions.

Abstract: A system, method and recording medium are provided for generating patterns of a paired set of a block mask and a phase shift mask from a data set defining a circuit layout to be provided on a substrate. A circuit layout is inputted and critical segments of the circuit layout are identified. Then, based on the identified critical segments, block mask patterns are generated and legalized for inclusion in a block mask. Thereafter, based on the identified critical segments and the block mask patterns, phase mask patterns are generated, legalized and colored to define a phase shift mask for use in a dual exposure method with the block mask for patterning the identified critical segments of the circuit layout.

Abstract: An active area pattern is formed atop a deep trench pattern with a single exposure using an alternative phase-shift mask. To prevent adjacent spaces of opposite phase from intersecting one another at the ends of substantially opaque features of the active area pattern, one or more connectors are used to connect the ends of the substantially opaque patterns. Trench regions of the deep trench pattern are arranged such that the conduction path of the connectors are interrupted and prevent the lines from shorting to one another. Alternatively, a bit line pattern or a word line pattern having a lines and spaces array and a support region are printed with a single exposure using an alternating phase-shift mask. At one end of the array region, lines having a respective phase shift extend into the support region, and lines of the opposite phase shift are terminated.

Abstract: A method is provided for preparing a substrate for photolithographic patterning. The method includes providing a substrate having at least an exposed rough surface layer including a polymeric material. The rough surface layer has surface features characterized by feature step height varying between about two percent and twenty percent of the minimum photolithographic half-pitch. A layer of photoresist material is then provided over the exposed rough surface layer and patterned.

Abstract: A method of generating patterns of a pair of photomasks from a data set defining a circuit layout to be provided on a substrate includes identifying critical segments of the circuit layout to be provided on the substrate. Block mask patterns are generated and then legalized based on the identified critical segments. Thereafter, phase mask patterns are generated, legalized and colored. The legalized block mask patterns and the legalized phase mask patterns that have been colored define features of a block mask and an alternating phase shift mask, respectively, for use in a dual exposure method for patterning features in a resist layer of a substrate.

Abstract: A method for detecting phase and amplitude error of an alternating phase shifting mask is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes passing a collimated light beam through a pair of adjacent, phase shifted openings in the phase shifting mask. Then, the beam intensities of diffracted light passed through the pair of adjacent openings are recorded as a function of angular position. From the recorded beam intensities, an angle &agr; is determined at which a first diffraction order and a second diffraction order occurs, wherein a represents a deviation from a pair of symmetrically distributed diffraction orders. In addition, a minimum intensity and a maximum intensity are also determined from the recorded beam intensities, wherein the phase error is calculated from the determined value of a, and the amplitude error is calculated from the minimum intensity and said maximum intensity.