Abstract: A lithography mask has an angled structure element (O) formed by a first opaque segment (O1) and by a second opaque segment (O2). The structure element has at least one reflex angle (?). The angled structure element (O) includes at least one convex section (A) facing the reflex angle (?). At least one transparent structure (T) adjacent to the angled structure element (O) is provided at the convex section (A) of the angled structure element (O). The transparent structure (T) is formed in separated fashion at the convex section (A) of the angled structure element (O) and thus comprises two distinguishable transparent segments (T1, T2) formed at least in sections essentially axially symmetrically with respect to the angle bisector (WH) of the reflex angle.

Abstract: An improvement of the imaging quality with simultaneous transfer of line-space gratings and peripheral structures including a MUX space is achieved using a quadrupole illumination whose poles are formed in elongate fashion and whose longitudinal axes are arranged perpendicular to the orientation of the lines of the line-space grating arranged on a mask. The structure imaging of the line-space grating is improved with regard to contrast, MEEF, and process window, while the geometrical fidelity of the peripheral structure, in particular of the MUX space, is stabilized over a wide depth of field range.

Abstract: Methods of forming transistor arrangements using alternating phase shift masks are provided. The mask may include two parallel opaque lines, a first transparent section separating the opaque lines and a second transparent section in the rest. The second transparent section may shift the phase with respect to the first transparent section by 180 degree. A phase conflict occurs along an edge between the first and the second transparent sections. A semiconductor substrate is patterned via the mask and, from the opaque lines functional active areas of a transistor pair and from the phase conflict edge, thereby resulting in a parasitic area. A separation gate is provided that is capable of switching off a parasitic transistor being formed within the parasitic area. Channel widths may be stabilized and maximized within dense transistor arrangements, for example, in a multiplexer portion of a sense amplifier arrangement for memory cell arrays.

Abstract: A mask arrangement or an optical projection system includes a diffractive optical element. The diffractive optical element includes grid sections having gratings with defined grating parameters and absorbing elements with defined absorption properties, wherein each grid section corresponds to a respective mask section with mask pattern elements. The diffractive optical element may correct dimension deviations of resist pattern elements obtained from the respective mask pattern elements, wherein the deviations are caused by dimension deviations of the mask pattern elements or by local deviations and defects of the projection system.

Abstract: A system for projecting a pattern from a mask onto a substrate comprises a radiation source for emitting a light beam in the extreme ultraviolet wavelength range, a mask including absorbent and reflective structures forming the pattern, a collector mirror and an illumination optical system forming a first part of a beam path in order to direct the light beam onto the mask to produce a patterned light beam, a projection optical system including an arrangement of reflective mirrors forming a second part of the beam path in order to focus the reflected light beam from the mask onto the substrate, and an optical element arranged in the beam path and including at least two regions having different degrees of reflection or transmission. First and second of the regions are assigned to respective different first and second positions on the mask and/or collector mirror in accordance with the beam path.

Abstract: An arrangement for the transfer of structural elements of a photomask onto a substrate includes an illumination device, a photomask with a plurality of structural elements, wherein radiation from the illumination device transfers the structural elements of the photomask onto a photoresist placed on a substrate, and an optical element, wherein the optical element produces a local variation in the degree of transmission of the radiation.

Abstract: A layout is decomposed into partial patterns. An intermediate mask is drawn for each of the partial patterns. The intermediate masks are used in a mask stepper or scanner progressively for projection again into a common pattern on a test mask. A line width distribution LB(x,y) is determined from the test mask or from a test wafer exposed using the mask, and is converted into a distribution of dose corrections. The transmission T(x,y) of the respective intermediate masks is adapted based upon the calculated dose correction. This can be achieved using additional optical elements which are assigned to the intermediate masks and have shading structure elements, or by laser-induced rear-side introduction of shading elements in the quartz substrate of the intermediate masks themselves.

Abstract: A transparent optical element in a region between a photo mask and a light source of a photolithographic apparatus is provided having a plurality of attenuating elements being arranged in accordance with a first intensity correction function. The first intensity correction function is calculated from variations of characteristic feature size of structural elements of a resist pattern as compared to the nominal values of structural elements of a layout pattern. The variations of the characteristic feature size are divided into a first contribution being associated with the photolithographic apparatus and into a second contribution being associated with the photo mask.

Abstract: An improvement of the imaging quality with simultaneous transfer of line-space gratings and peripheral structures including a MUX space is achieved using a quadrupole illumination whose poles are formed in elongate fashion and whose longitudinal axes are arranged perpendicular to the orientation of the lines of the line-space grating arranged on a mask. The structure imaging of the line-space grating is improved with regard to contrast, MEEF, and process window, while the geometrical fidelity of the peripheral structure, in particular of the MUX space, is stabilized over a wide depth of field range.

Abstract: A reflection mask that includes a structure (20) for lithographically transferring a layout onto a target substrate, in particular for use in EUV lithography, and a reflective multilayer structure (11). At least one flare reduction layer (13?, 17) is at least partly arranged on a bright field of the multilayer structure (11).

Abstract: A mask level layout has an arrangement of lines and spaces with the spaces interconnected by a further space. The spaces are alternately acted upon with a phase deviation with respect to the spaces, where a phase edge between spaces acted upon differently arises in the region of the further space. Alternatively, the connecting space within the layout may be filled with dark regions. An additional space is inserted in a second layout representing a further mask of the same mask set. The additional space enables formation of an insulating region on a semiconductor substrate at the location where formation of a continuous isolation trench is not possible due to the phase edges or dark regions within originally connecting spaces of the first mask. The first mask can be embodied as a hybrid mask with structures according to the principle of alternating phase masks with a large process window.

Abstract: A lithography mask has an angled structure element (O) formed by a first opaque segment (O1) and by a second opaque segment (O2). The structure element has at least one reflex angle (?). The angled structure element (O) includes at least one convex section (A) facing the reflex angle (?). At least one transparent structure (T) adjacent to the angled structure element (O) is provided at the convex section (A) of the angled structure element (O). The transparent structure (T) is formed in separated fashion at the convex section (A) of the angled structure element (O) and thus comprises two distinguishable transparent segments (T1, T2) formed at least in sections essentially axially symmetrically with respect to the angle bisector (WH) of the reflex angle.

Abstract: A method for reducing an overlay error of structures of a layer to be patterned relative to those of a reference layer includes formation of standard measurement marks assigned to one another in the two layers for determining an overlay error and for setting up further measurement marks for determining an additional optical imaging error of the projection system at least in the current layer. The further measurement marks have a geometry adapted to the geometry of selected structures of the circuit patterns to be transferred by projection from masks onto semiconductor substrates. An imaging error affects circuit structures and further measurement marks in the same way. An alignment correction for a subsequent exposure can be calculated from the measured positional deviations between the two standard measurement marks and between the standard measurement mark and the further measurement mark of the layer currently to be patterned.

Abstract: Auxiliary openings are assigned to openings on a mask to be transferred to a wafer. These auxiliary openings have a phase-shifting property, preferably between 160° and 200° with respect to the openings, and a cross section lying below the limiting dimension for the printing of the projection apparatus, so that the auxiliary openings themselves are not printed onto the wafer. However, the auxiliary openings do enhance the contrast of the aerial image, in particular of an associated, isolated or semi-isolated opening on the wafer. The auxiliary openings may have a distance from the opening that lies above the resolution limit of the projection apparatus but that is less than the coherence length of the light used for the projection. A phase-related utilization of the optical proximity effect results, which can produce elliptical structures from square openings on the mask when the auxiliary openings are disposed in the preferential direction.

Abstract: A set of at least two masks for the projection of structure patterns, coordinated with one another, by a projection system into the same photosensitive layer of a semiconductor wafer can include a second mask.

Abstract: A set of at least two masks for the projection of structure patterns coordinated with one another by a projection system into the same photosensitive layer of a semiconductor wafer can include a primary mask having an opaque structure element, which is formed at a first position on the first mask. A second mask of the set, for example a trimming mask, which is assigned to the first mask, can have a semitransparent region assigned to the structure element of the first mask. The semitransparent region can be formed at the same position on the second mask as the opaque structure element on the first mask. With the aid of the suitable choice of the transparency of the semitransparent region, it is possible to enable an undesirable resist region to be trimmed away with an enlargement of the process window during the exposure of the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: Auxiliary openings are assigned to openings on a mask to be transferred to a wafer. These auxiliary openings have a phase-shifting property, preferably between 160° and 200° with respect to the openings, and a cross section lying below the limiting dimension for the printing of the projection apparatus, so that the auxiliary openings themselves are not printed onto the wafer. However, the auxiliary openings do enhance the contrast of the aerial image, in particular of an associated, isolated or semi-isolated opening on the wafer. The auxiliary openings may have a distance from the opening that lies above the resolution limit of the projection apparatus but that is less than the coherence length of the light used for the projection. A phase-related utilization of the optical proximity effect results, which can produce elliptical structures from square openings on the mask when the auxiliary openings are disposed in the preferential direction.

Abstract: A mask contains a transparent carrier material on which an opaque region is disposed as an image structure. Also disposed on the carrier material is a semitransparent dummy structure, which is spaced apart from all the image structures and differs from the image structure in terms of transparency and phase rotation. The smallest lateral extent of the dummy structure is then selected to be at least half as large as the smallest lateral extent of the image structure. The semitransparent dummy structure is formed in such a way that it is suitable for increasing the depth of focus of structures that stand individually or at least partially individually, in order thereby to improve the process window of the optical projection.

Abstract: An alternating phase mask having a branched structure containing two opaque segments is described. Two transparent surface segments are disposed on both sides of the segments or the components thereof, respectively. The surface segments are provided with phases that are displaced by 180°±&Dgr; &agr;, whereby &Dgr; &agr; a is not more than 25°. The surface segments are separated by at least one transparent surface boundary segment whose phase is situated between the phases of the adjacent surface segments.

Abstract: The invention relates to a phase shift mask for lithographically producing small structures at the limit of a resolution that is predetermined by the wavelength of the exposure radiation. The phase shift mask has first regions A and second regions B that effect a phase-shift relative to the first regions. The second regions are arranged beside the first regions for producing a sudden phase shift along the boundaries between the first and the second regions. Individual first regions touch one another via corners at points, at which the second regions also touch one another via corners. The result is that the boundaries between first and second regions merge at these points and these points are opaque to the radiation. The invention makes it possible to expose extremely small contact holes with just a single exposure and thus leads to a reduction of costs in the fabrication of integrated semiconductor circuits.