Abstract: The present disclosure provides one embodiment of a mask for a lithography exposure process. The mask includes a mask substrate; a first mask material layer patterned to have a first plurality of openings that define a first layer pattern; and a second mask material layer patterned to have a second plurality of openings that define a second layer pattern.

Abstract: A lithography process in a lithography system includes loading a mask that includes two mask states defining an integrated circuit (IC) pattern. The IC pattern includes a plurality of main polygons, wherein adjacent main polygons are assigned to different mask states; and a background includes a field in one of the mask states and a plurality of sub-resolution polygons in another of the two mask states. The lithography process further includes configuring an illuminator to generate an illuminating pattern on an illumination pupil plane of the lithography system; configuring a pupil filter on a projection pupil plane of the lithography system with a filtering pattern determined according to the illumination pattern; and performing an exposure process to a target with the illuminator, the mask, and the pupil filter. The exposure process produces diffracted light and non-diffracted light behind the mask and the pupil filter removes most of the non-diffracted light.

Abstract: A process of an extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) is disclosed. The process includes receiving an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask with multiple states. Different states of the EUV mask are assigned to adjacent polygons and a field. The EUV mask is exposed by a nearly on-axis illumination (ONI) with partial coherence ? less than 0.3 to produce diffracted lights and non-diffracted lights. Most of the non-diffracted lights are removed. The diffracted lights and the not removed non-diffracted lights are collected and directed to expose a target by a projection optics box.

Abstract: A system and process of an extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) is disclosed. The system and process includes receiving a mask with two states, which have 180 degree phase difference to each other. These different states are assigned to adjacent main polygons and adjacent assist polygons of the mask. A nearly on-axis illumination (ONI) with partial coherence ? less than 0.3 is utilized to expose the mask to produce diffracted lights and non-diffracted lights. A majority portion of the non-diffracted lights and diffracted light with diffraction order higher than 1 are removed. Diffracted light having +1-st and ?1-st diffracted order are collected and directed by a projection optics box (POB) to expose a target.

Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) process is disclosed. The process comprises receiving a mask. The mask includes a low thermal expansion material (LTEM) substrate, a reflective multilayer (ML) over one surface of the LTEM substrate, a first region having a phase-shifting layer over the reflective ML, and a second region having no phase-shifting layer over the reflective ML. The EUVL process also comprises exposing the mask by a nearly on-axis illumination with partial coherence less than 0.3 to produce diffracted light and non-diffracted light, removing at least a portion of the non-diffracted light, and collecting and directing the diffracted light and the not removed non-diffracted light by a projection optics box (POB) to expose a target.

Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet lithography method is disclosed. In an example, the EUVL method comprises providing at least two mask areas having a same pattern, forming a resist layer over a substrate, determining an optimized exposure dose based on an exposure dose for a pre-specified pattern on one of the at least two mask areas to achieve a pre-specified target dimension under a corresponding single exposure process, and performing a multiple exposure process for exposing a same area of the resist layer to the same pattern. The multiple exposure process comprises a plurality of exposure processes, wherein each of the plurality of exposure processes uses an exposure dose that is less than the optimized exposure dose and a sum of the exposure dose of each of the plurality of exposure processes is approximately equal to the optimized exposure dose.

Abstract: A mask and method of fabricating same are disclosed. In an example, a mask includes a substrate, a reflective multilayer coating disposed over the substrate and a patterned absorption layer disposed over the reflective multilayer. The patterned absorption layer has a mask image region and a mask border region. The exemplary mask also includes a mask border frame disposed over the mask border region. The mask border frame has a top surface and a bottom surface. The top surface is not parallel to the bottom surface.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed towards lithography processes. In one embodiment, a patterned mask is provided. An information of a position of diffraction light (PDL) on a pupil plane of a projection optics box (POB) is used to define as a light-transmitting region of a pupil filter. The patterned mask is exposed by an on-axis illumination (ONI) with partial coherence ? less than 0.3. The pupil filter is used to transmit diffraction light to a target.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask includes providing a low thermal expansion material (LTEM) layer. A reflective multiple-layer (ML) is deposited over the LTEM layer. A flowable-photosensitive-absorption-layer (FPhAL) is spin coated over the reflective ML. The FPhAL is patterned by a lithography process to form a patterned absorption layer.

Abstract: A process of an extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) is disclosed. The process includes receiving an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask with multiple states. These different states of the EUV mask are assigned to adjacent polygons and adjacent assist polygons. The EUV mask is exposed by a nearly on-axis illumination (ONI) with partial coherence ? less than 0.3 to produce diffracted lights and non-diffracted lights. Most of the non-diffracted lights reflected from main polygons and reflected lights from assist polygons are removed. The diffracted lights and the not removed non-diffracted lights reflected from main polygons are collected and directed to expose a target by a projection optics box.

Abstract: A method for repairing a phase-defect region in a patterned mask for extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) is disclosed. A patterned mask for EUVL is received. The patterned mask includes an absorptive region having an absorption layer over a defect-repairing-enhancement (DRE) layer, a reflective region having the DRE layer without the absorption layer on top of it, a defect and a phase-defect region resulting from the defect and intruding the reflective region. A location and a shape of the phase-defect region is determined. A portion or portions of the DRE layer in the reflective region is removed according to the location and the shape of the phase-defect region to compensate the effect of the phase-defect region.

Abstract: A lithography process in a lithography system includes loading a mask having multiple mask states and having a mask pattern consisting of a plurality of polygons and a field. Different mask states are assigned to adjacent polygons and the field. The lithography process further includes configuring an illuminator to generate an illumination pattern on an illumination pupil plane of the lithography system; configuring a pupil filter on a projection pupil plane of the lithography system with a filtering pattern determined according to the illumination pattern; and performing an exposure process to a target with the illuminator, the mask, and the pupil filter. The exposure process produces diffracted light and non-diffracted light behind the mask and the pupil filter removes most of the non-diffracted light.

Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) process is performed on a target, such as a semiconductor wafer, having a photosensitive layer. The method includes providing a one-dimensional patterned mask along a first direction. The patterned mask includes a substrate including a first region and a second region, a multilayer mirror above the first and second regions, an absorption layer above the multilayer mirror in the second region, and a defect in the first region. The method further includes exposing the patterned mask by an illuminator and setting the patterned mask and the target in relative motion along the first direction while exposing the patterned mask. As a result, an accumulated exposure dose received by the target is an optimized exposure dose.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an extreme ultraviolet lithography system. The extreme ultraviolet lithography system includes a projection optics system to image a pattern of a mask on a wafer. The projection optics system includes between two to five mirrors. The two to five mirrors are designed and configured to have a numerical aperture less than about 0.50, an image field size at the wafer hat is greater than or equal to about 20 mm, and a pupil plane that includes central obscuration. In an example, the central obscuration has a radius that is less than or equal to 50% of a radius of the pupil plane. In an example, the central obscuration has an area that is less than or equal to 25% of an area of the pupil plane.

Abstract: A mask, method of fabricating same, and method of using same are disclosed. In an example, a mask includes a substrate and a reflective multilayer coating deposited over the substrate. The reflective multilayer coating is formed by positioning the substrate such that an angle ? is formed between a normal line of the substrate and particles landing on the substrate and rotating the substrate about an axis that is parallel with a landing direction of the particles. In an example, reflective multilayer coating includes a first layer and a second layer deposited over the first layer. A phase defect region of the reflective multilayer coating includes a first deformation in the first layer at a first location, and a second deformation in the second layer at a second location, the second location laterally displaced from the first location.

Abstract: A process of an extreme ultraviolet lithography is disclosed. The process includes receiving an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask, an EUV radiation source and an illuminator. The process also includes exposing the EUV mask by a radiation, originating from the EUV radiation source and directed by the illuminator, with a less-than-three-degree chief ray angle of incidence at the object side (CRAO). The process further includes removing most of the non-diffracted light and collecting and directing the diffracted light and the not removed non-diffracted light by a projection optics box (POB) to expose a target.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method that includes forming a first photoresist layer on a substrate; forming a second photoresist layer over the first photoresist layer; and performing a lithography exposure process to the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer, thereby forming a first latent feature in the first photoresist layer and a second latent feature in the second photoresist layer.

Abstract: A method for repairing phase defects for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask is disclosed. The method includes receiving a patterned EUV mask with at least one phase-defect region, determining location and size of the phase-defect region, depositing an absorber material to cover the phase-defect region and removing a portion of the patterned absorption layer near the phase-defect region in the patterned EUV mask to form an absorber-absent region.

Abstract: A mask and method of fabricating same are disclosed. In an example, a mask includes a substrate, a reflective multilayer coating disposed over the substrate, an Ag2O absorber layer disposed over the reflective multilayer coating, and a tantalum-containing absorber layer disposed over the Ag2O absorber layer. The tantalum-containing absorber layer is disposed over the Ag2O absorber layer outside a mask image region of the mask, such that the mask image region of the mask is free of the tantalum-containing absorber layer. In an example, the tantalum-containing absorber layer is disposed over the Ag2O absorber layer adjacent to the mask image region.

Abstract: A mask, or photomask, is used in lithography systems and processes. The mask includes a first polygon of a first state and a second polygon of a second state. The mask also includes a field of the first state and a third polygon of the second state, and in the field. The first and second states are different, and the first and second polygons are located outside of the field.