Abstract: According to this invention, the NAND type flash memory of high reliability is realized. It provides a semiconductor memory device comprising: a plurality of memory cells; a plurality of word lines formed by a first gate wiring layer; a plurality of first transistors for providing voltages to said word lines; and electrical connections for connection said word lines and sources or drains of said first transistors, said electrical connections being formed of both first wirings of a first wiring layer formed above said first gate wiring layer and second wirings of a second wiring layers formed above said first wiring layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, and a circuit pattern group comprising at least N (?2) circuit pattern on the semiconductor substrate, at least one vicinity of end portion among the at least of N circuit patterns including a connection area to electrically connect to a circuit pattern in another circuit pattern group different from the circuit pattern group, the at least N wirings pattern including a circuit pattern N1 and at least one circuit pattern Ni (i?2) arranged in one direction different from longitudinal direction of the circuit pattern N1, the at least one circuit patterns Ni having larger i being arranged at further position away from the circuit pattern N1, and in terms of a pattern including the connection area among the at least of Ni circuit patterns, the larger the i, the connection area being arranged at a further position in longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A mask pattern data generating method is disclosed, which comprises preparing mask pattern data which corresponds to a design pattern including a pair of line patterns formed of two line patterns, and disposing an auxiliary pattern which is un-transferable to a resist film at a center of a space region between the pair of line patterns, in which the disposing of the auxiliary pattern includes obtaining a shape of the auxiliary pattern which meets formulae in which a width in the short edge direction of the auxiliary pattern, a space width between the auxiliary pattern and one of the pair of line patterns, a wavelength of an exposure light emitted by a projection aligner using a photo mask at exposure, and a numerical apertures of a projection lens of the projection aligner are defined as parameters, and disposing the obtained auxiliary pattern at the center of the space region.

Abstract: There is disclosed a dose monitor method comprising illuminating a mask with illumination light, which is disposed in a projection exposure apparatus and in which a dose monitor pattern is formed, passing only a 0th-order diffracted light through a pupil surface of the projection exposure apparatus in diffracted lights of the dose monitor pattern, and transferring a 0th-order diffracted light image of the dose monitor pattern onto a substrate to measure dose, wherein during the illuminating, a center of gravity of the 0th-order diffracted light image passed through the dose monitor pattern on the pupil surface of the projection exposure apparatus is shifted from an optical axis of the projection exposure apparatus.

Abstract: A method for forming a pattern having holes arrayed with spacing less than resolution of exposure tool, includes forming first resist pattern including first resist openings having width and spacing equal to or greater than the resolution, in first resist film coated on underlying film. First shrank pattern including first holes having dimension equal to or less than the resolution in the underlying film is formed by first shrink process to the first resist pattern. Second resist pattern including second resist openings arrayed between the first holes having width equal to or greater than the resolution, is formed in second resist film coated on the underlying film. Second shrank pattern including second holes having dimension equal to or less than the resolution in the underlying film is formed by second shrink process to the second resist pattern.

Abstract: A photomask transferring a light shield film pattern formed on a transparent substrate by a projection exposure apparatus, comprising a circuit pattern for transferring a predetermined pattern to a resist film, and an exposure monitor mark, the exposure monitor mark being formed in a manner that blocks having a predetermined width p, which are not resolved by the projection exposure apparatus, are intermittently or continuously arrayed along one direction, light shield and transmission portions are arrayed along one direction in each of the blocks, the blocks are arrayed so that a dimension ratio of the light shield and transmission portions of the blocks simply changes and the phase difference of exposure light passing through adjacent light transmission portions is approximately 180°.

Abstract: A temperature calibration method for a baking apparatus comprising forming a photoresist film onto a substrate, forming a latent image of a dose monitor mark onto the photoresist film, preparing baking processing apparatuses, baking the substrate or another substrate by temperature settings performed every repeat of a series of the forming the resist film and the forming the latent image with each prepared baking apparatus, cooling the baking-processed substrate, measuring a length of the latent image of the dose monitor mark after the cooling or a length of a dose monitor mark which being obtained by developing the resist film, determining relationship between a temperature setting and an effective dose in advance, and calibrating temperature settings corresponding to the each baking processing apparatus to be obtained a predetermined effective dose on the basis of the determining relationship and the measured length corresponding to the each baking processing apparatus.

Abstract: A photo mask formed with patterns to be transferred to a substrate using an exposure apparatus, the photo mask comprising a pattern row having three or more hole patterns surrounded by a shielding portion or a semitransparent film and arranged along one direction, and an assist pattern surrounded by the shielding portion or semitransparent film and having a longitudinal direction and a latitudinal direction, the assist pattern being located at a specified distance from the pattern row in a direction orthogonal to the one direction, the longitudinal direction of the assist pattern being substantially parallel with the one direction, the longitudinal length of the assist pattern being equivalent to or larger than the longitudinal length of the pattern row, the assist pattern being not transferred to the substrate.

Abstract: An method for evaluating sensitivity of a photoresist includes transferring an exposure dose monitor mark onto an inspection resist film with an inspection setting exposure dose using an exposure tool. Inspection sensitivity index varying according to the inspection setting exposure dose is measured, using an inspection transferred image of the exposure dose monitor mark delineated on the inspection resist film. An inspection photoresist sensitivity of the inspection resist film is calculated using sensitivity calibration data, based on the inspection sensitivity index.

Abstract: A focus monitor method comprising preparing a mask comprising a first and second focus monitor patterns and an exposure monitor pattern, the focus monitor patterns being used to form first and second focus monitor marks on a wafer, and the exposure monitor pattern being used to form exposure meters on the wafer, obtaining a exposure dependency of a relationship between a dimensions of the focus monitor marks and the defocus amount, forming the focus monitor marks and exposure monitor mark on the wafer, measuring a dimension of the exposure monitor mark to obtain an effective exposure, selecting a relationship between the dimensions of the focus monitor marks and the defocus amount corresponding to the effective exposure, measuring a dimensions of the first and second focus monitor marks, and obtaining a defocus amount in accordance with the measured dimensions of the focus monitor marks and the selected relationship.

Abstract: A reticle set, includes a first photomask having a circuit pattern provided with first and second openings provided adjacent to each other sandwiching a first opaque portion, and a monitor mark provided adjacent to the circuit pattern; and a second photomask having a trim pattern provided with a second opaque portion covering the first opaque portion in an area occupied by the circuit pattern and an extending portion connected to one end of the first opaque portion and extending outside the area when the second photomask is aligned with a pattern delineated on a substrate by the first photomask.

Abstract: An exposure method comprising measuring a position distribution, in an optical axis direction of the optical system, on a measurement area surface of the wafer which is not irradiated with the exposure light, computing a tilt component and a curved component of the measurement area surface on the basis of the measured position distribution, obtaining a leveling amount by which the measurement area surface is made to become orthogonal to the optical axis direction, on the basis of the tilt component, obtaining an adjustment amount for an imaging characteristic of the optical system on the basis of the curved component, and irradiating the measurement area with the exposure light on the basis of the obtained leveling amount and adjustment amount while the measurement area surface and the imaging characteristic are adjusted.

Abstract: There is disclosed a wafer flatness evaluation method includes measuring front and rear surface shapes of a wafer. The wafer front surface measured is divided into sites. Then, a flatness calculating method is selected according to a position of the site to be evaluated and flatness in the wafer surface is acquired.

Abstract: An exposure method is disclosed, which comprises exposing a light on a photomask having a mask pattern, in an exposing device, receiving in the exposing device the light which passed through the photomask to observe an optical image of the mask pattern based on the received light, deciding an optimum exposure condition based on the optical image of the mask pattern to form a predetermined resist pattern, and exposing a light on a photoresist film formed on a wafer via the photomask based on the optimum exposure condition.

Abstract: There is disclosed a dose monitor method comprising illuminating a mask with illumination light, which is disposed in a projection exposure apparatus and in which a dose monitor pattern is formed, passing only a 0th-order diffracted light through a pupil surface of the projection exposure apparatus in diffracted lights of the dose monitor pattern, and transferring a 0th-order diffracted light image of the dose monitor pattern onto a substrate to measure dose, wherein during the illuminating, a center of gravity of the 0th-order diffracted light image passed through the dose monitor pattern on the pupil surface of the projection exposure apparatus is shifted from an optical axis of the projection exposure apparatus.

Abstract: According to a focus monitoring method, an exposure mask on which a focus monitor pattern comprising at least two types of pattern groups is formed is prepared. A pattern group A of the at least two pattern groups is illuminated with illumination light while a barycenter of an illumination light source of illumination optics is in an off-axis state. At least a pattern group B of the at least two pattern groups is illuminated with illumination light while the barycenter of the illumination light source is in an on-axis state. A positional deviation between the pattern groups A and B transferred onto a substrate is measured. An effective focus position can be monitored from this positional deviation.

Abstract: A pattern is formed on a resist film by applying the coating f a resist film, first heat treatment, first cooling treatment, the exposure treatment, second heat treatment, second cooling treatment, and development. After the exposure treatment, at least one of the effective exposure and the focus position in the exposure treatment applied to the resist film is obtained. Then, at least one of the difference between the optimum exposure in performing the exposure by using the mask and a set value and the difference between a optimum focus position and the a value is calculated from at least one of the effective exposure obtained and the focus position obtained. Further, at least one of the exposure condition and the process condition after the exposure is calculated in accordance with the calculated difference.

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.

Abstract: An exposure method comprising measuring a position distribution, in an optical axis direction of the optical system, on a measurement area surface of the wafer which is not irradiated with the exposure light, computing a tilt component and a curved component of the measurement area surface on the basis of the measured position distribution, obtaining a leveling amount by which the measurement area surface is made to become orthogonal to the optical axis direction, on the basis of the tilt component, obtaining an adjustment amount for an imaging characteristic of the optical system on the basis of the curved component, and irradiating the measurement area with the exposure light on the basis of the obtained leveling amount and adjustment amount while the measurement area surface and the imaging characteristic are adjusted.

Abstract: A pattern is formed on a resist film by applying the coating f a resist film, first heat treatment, first cooling treatment, the exposure treatment, second heat treatment, second cooling treatment, and development. After the exposure treatment, at least one of the effective exposure and the focus position in the exposure treatment applied to the resist film is obtained. Then, at least one of the difference between the optimum exposure in performing the exposure by using the mask and a set value and the difference between a optimum focus position and the a value is calculated from at least one of the effective exposure obtained and the focus position obtained. Further, at least one of the exposure condition and the process condition after the exposure is calculated in accordance with the calculated difference.