EUVL ML mask blank fiducial mark application for ML defect mitigation

Pei-yang Yan

doi:10.1117/12.831127

29 September 2009 EUVL ML mask blank fiducial mark application for ML defect mitigation

Pei-yang Yan

Proceedings Volume 7488, Photomask Technology 2009; 748819 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.831127
Event: SPIE Photomask Technology, 2009, Monterey, California, United States

Abstract

Fabricating defect-free extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) multi-layer (ML) mask blanks presents a big challenge in EUVL technology. ML defect sources primarily come from substrate defects and ML deposition adders. Defect reduction, therefore, needs to address many development aspects, such as substrate material, substrate polishing, substrate cleaning, blank handling, and ML deposition. High investment cost and potential low blank yield can quickly drive up EUVL cost of ownership. However, allowing a few defects on the ML blank can improve the blank yield drastically. Utilizing such defect-blanks through defect mitigation schemes has been proposed. It includes directly repairing small ML phase and amplitude defects, mask absorber pattern proximity repair, and using absorber pattern to cover the ML defects. It includes directly repairing small ML phase and amplitude defects,1-2 repairing mask absorber pattern to compensate the effect of an adjacent ML defect,3 and using absorber pattern to cover the ML defects.4 In each case, the ML defects will first need to be identified and located during the ML blank defect inspection. To precisely locate the ML defects on the blank, fiducial marks on the ML blank are needed for mask alignment and defect location identification. In this paper, we will present the details of the ML defect mitigation process flow, i.e., using absorber pattern to cover the ML defects, and the corresponding experimental validation of this mitigation flow. We will also discuss the fiducial marking scheme, its application in the defect mitigation flow, the error budget of ML defect mitigation, such as defect position measurement error, fiducial mask position error, e-beam alignment errors, etc.

Citation Download Citation

Pei-yang Yan "EUVL ML mask blank fiducial mark application for ML defect mitigation", Proc. SPIE 7488, Photomask Technology 2009, 748819 (29 September 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.831127

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