Comparison Of Fast 3d Simulation And Actinic Inspection For Euv Masks With Buries Defects

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Comparison Of Fast 3d Simulation And Actinic Inspection For Euv Masks With Buries Defects
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Author :
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 2009
Comparison Of Fast 3d Simulation And Actinic Inspection For Euv Masks With Buries Defects written by and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2009 with categories.
Aerial images for isolated defects and the interactions of defects with features are compared between the Actinic Inspection Tool (AIT) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and the fast EUV simulation program RADICAL. Comparisons between AIT images from August 2007 and RADICAL simulations are used to extract aberrations. At this time astigmatism was the dominant aberration with a value of 0.55 waves RMS. Significant improvements in the imaging performance of the AIT were made between August 2007 and December 2008. A good match will be shown between the most recent AIT images and RADICAL simulations without aberrations. These comparisons will demonstrate that a large defect, in this case 7nm tall on the surface, is still printable even if it is centered under the absorber line. These comparisons also suggest that the minimum defect size is between 1.5nm and 0.8nm surface height because a 1.5nm defect was printable but a 0.8nm was not. Finally, the image of a buried defect near an absorber line through focus will demonstrate an inversion in the effect of the defect from a protrusion of the dark line into the space to a protrusion of the space into the line.
Investigation Of Buried Euv Mask Defect Printability Using Actinic Inspection And Fast Simulation
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Author :
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 2009
Investigation Of Buried Euv Mask Defect Printability Using Actinic Inspection And Fast Simulation written by and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2009 with categories.
The fast simulator RADICAL and the Actinic Inspection Tool (AIT) are used in advance of availability of high volume manufacturing quality exposure tools, resists, and masks to assess the expected defect printability levels in production conditions. AIT images are analyzed to qualitatively demonstrate general trends in defect printability: defects smaller than 0.5nm tall on the multilayer surface can cause an unacceptable critical dimension (CD) change, CD change increases for taller defects, and defect printability varies asymmetrically through focus. RADICAL is used to derive quantitative limits for defect size and demonstrate the effects of focus and illumination for 22nm and 16nm dense lines. For 22nm dense lines at best focus a 0.8nm tall defect causes a 10% CD change. For 16nm lines a 0.4nm tall defect causes a 10% CD change. The CD is shown to be more sensitive to buried defects out of focus, but less sensitive to defects in focus if annular or dipole illumination is used.
Key Challenges In Euv Mask Technology
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Author : Yow-Gwo Wang
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 2005
Key Challenges In Euv Mask Technology written by Yow-Gwo Wang and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2005 with categories.
This dissertation focuses on issues related to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography mask technology: mask inspection and mask 3D effects on imaging performance. Actinic (at- wavelength) mask inspection (both blank and patterned mask) is of critical concern for EUV lithography. In this dissertation, systematic studies exploring the optimal optical system design to improve the defect detection sensitivity for both actinic mask blank and patterned mask inspection tools using EUV light are presented. For EUV mask blank in- spection, a complete discussion is conducted to compare the conventional bright field method and the Zernike phase contrast method on their phase defect detection sensitivity by thin mask simulations and experiments using the SHARP EUV microscope at Lawrence Berke- ley National Laboratory (LBNL). The study shows that higher defect detection sensitivity and in-focus inspection capability can be achieved by the Zernike phase contrast method, while the conventional bright field method needs through-focus scanning and results in lower defect detection sensitivity. Experimental results show that a programmed defect as small as 0.35 nm in height is detected at best focus with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) ≈ 8 by the Zernike phase contrast method. With the considerations of various noise sources and system design, the thin mask simulation results show that the dark field method has better detection efficiency in inspection mode, while the Zernike phase contrast method is better in review mode (pixel size ≤ 25 nm). Further, the impact of pixel size, EUV source type, and photon collection efficiency for a dark field based actinic blank inspection tool is discussed by thin mask simulation. The simulation results show the complex correlation between each parameter on defect inspection efficiency and also show that 10-watt EUV source power and 100 nm pixel size are needed to capture a phase defect of height 0.5 nm. For EUV patterned mask inspection, the possibility of using the optimum phase shift in the pupil plane to improve inspection efficiency is discussed using a thin mask model. Then the nature of the EUV mask pattern defect is analyzed by its near field distribution using a thick mask model. The simulation results indicate that, as a result of 3D effects leading to phase artifacts, pattern defects cannot be simply treated as ideal absorber defects. The results can affect the choice of optimal patterned mask inspection tool design. Moreover, a study of a bright field based EUV actinic pattern inspection tool design using a hybrid (2D + 3D) model is presented, showing that the impact of noise sources and optical design on critical pattern defects detection sensitivity. The study shows that introducing a − 50 nm defocus into the inspection system can improve the SNR by 50%. The impact of EUV sub-resolution assist feature (SRAF) on mitigation of mask 3D effects is discussed by rigorous 3D modeling. The simulation results show that introducing SRAFs in the mask design induces even stronger effective single pole aberration into the imaging system to balance the Bossung curve. Asymmetric SRAFs pattern placement can achieve a 21% improvement of the process window. Moreover, the complex interaction between the main feature and the SRAFs is analyzed by systematic position sensitivity studies. Bossung tilt sensitivity with respect to the relative positions between main feature and SRAFs is shown, which indicates that different location precision requirements are needed for SRAFs during the mask-making process.
Evaluating Printability Of Buried Native Euv Mask Phase Defects Through A Modeling And Simulation Approach
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Author :
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 2015
Evaluating Printability Of Buried Native Euv Mask Phase Defects Through A Modeling And Simulation Approach written by and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2015 with categories.
The availability of defect-free masks is considered to be a critical issue for enabling extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) as the next generation technology. Since completely defect-free masks will be hard to achieve, it is essential to have a good understanding of the printability of the native EUV mask defects. In this work, we performed a systematic study of native mask defects to understand the defect printability caused by them. The multilayer growth over native substrate mask blank defects was correlated to the multilayer growth over regular-shaped defects having similar profiles in terms of their width and height. To model the multilayer growth over the defects, a novel level-set multilayer growth model was used that took into account the tool deposition conditions of the Veeco Nexus ion beam deposition tool. The same tool was used for performing the actual deposition of the multilayer stack over the characterized native defects, thus ensuring a fair comparison between the actual multilayer growth over native defects, and modeled multilayer growth over regular-shaped defects. Further, the printability of the characterized native defects was studied with the SEMATECH-Berkeley Actinic Inspection Tool (AIT), an EUV mask-imaging microscope at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). Printability of the modeled regular-shaped defects, which were propagated up the multilayer stack using level-set growth model was studied using defect printability simulations implementing the waveguide algorithm. Good comparison was observed between AIT and the simulation results, thus demonstrating that multilayer growth over a defect is primarily a function of a defect's width and height, irrespective of its shape. This would allow us to predict printability of the arbitrarily-shaped native EUV mask defects in a systematic and robust manner.
Actinic Inspection Of Euv Programmed Multilayer Defects And Cross Comparison Measurements
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Author : J. S. Taylor
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 2006
Actinic Inspection Of Euv Programmed Multilayer Defects And Cross Comparison Measurements written by J. S. Taylor and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2006 with categories.
The production of defect-free mask blanks remains a key challenge for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. Integral to this effort is the development and characterization of mask inspection tools that are sensitive enough to detect critical defects with high confidence. Using a single programmed-defect mask with a range of buried bump-type defects, we report a comparison of measurements made in four different mask-inspection tools: one commercial tool using 488-nm wavelength illumination, one prototype tool that uses 266-nm illumination, and two non-commercial EUV ''actinic'' inspection tools. The EUV tools include a darkfield imaging microscope and a scanning microscope. Our measurements show improving sensitivity with the shorter wavelength non-EUV tool, down to 33-nm spherical-equivalent-volume diameter, for defects of this type. Measurements conditions were unique to each tool, with the EUV tools operating at a much slower inspection rate. Several defects observed with EUV inspection were below the detection threshold of the non-EUV tools.
Fast Simulation Of Buried Euv Mask Defect Interaction With Absorber Features
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Author : Chris Heinz Clifford
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 2007
Fast Simulation Of Buried Euv Mask Defect Interaction With Absorber Features written by Chris Heinz Clifford and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2007 with categories.
Actinic Inspection Of Multilayer Defects On Euv Masks
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Author :
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 2005
Actinic Inspection Of Multilayer Defects On Euv Masks written by and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2005 with categories.
The production of defect-free mask blanks, and the development of techniques for inspecting and qualifying EUV mask blanks, remains a key challenge for EUV lithography. In order to ensure a reliable supply of defect-free mask blanks, it is necessary to develop techniques to reliably and accurately detect defects on un-patterned mask blanks. These inspection tools must be able to accurately detect all critical defects whilst simultaneously having the minimum possible false-positive detection rate. There continues to be improvement in high-speed non-actinic mask blank inspection tools, and it is anticipated that these tools can and will be used by industry to qualify EUV mask blanks. However, the outstanding question remains one of validating that non-actinic inspection techniques are capable of detecting all printable EUV defects. To qualify the performance of non-actinic inspection tools, a unique dual-mode EUV mask inspection system has been installed at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) synchrotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. In high-speed inspection mode, whole mask blanks are scanned for defects using 13.5-nm wavelength light to identify and map all locations on the mask that scatter a significant amount of EUV light. In imaging, or defect review mode, a zone plate is placed in the reflected beam path to image a region of interest onto a CCD detector with an effective resolution on the mask of 100-nm or better. Combining the capabilities of the two inspection tools into one system provides the unique capability to determine the coordinates of native defects that can be used to compare actinic defect inspection with visible light defect inspection tools under commercial development, and to provide data for comparing scattering models for EUV mask defects.
Multilayer Defects Nucleated By Substrate Pits
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Author : J. S. Taylor
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 2006
Multilayer Defects Nucleated By Substrate Pits written by J. S. Taylor and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2006 with categories.
The production of defect-free mask blanks remains a key challenge for EUV lithography. Mask-blank inspection tools must be able to accurately detect all critical defects while simultaneously having the minimum possible false-positive detection rate. We have recently observed and here report the identification of bump-type buried substrate defects, that were below the detection limit of a non-actinic (i.e. non-EUV) in inspection tool. Presently, the occurrence inspection of pit-type defects, their printability, and their detectability with actinic techniques and non-actinic commercial tools, has become a significant concern. We believe that the most successful strategy for the development of effective non-actinic mask inspection tools will involve the careful cross-correlation with actinic inspection and lithographic printing. In this way, the true efficacy of prototype inspection tools now under development can be studied quantitatively against relevant benchmarks. To this end we have developed a dual-mode actinic mask inspection system capable of scanning mask blanks for defects (with simultaneous EUV bright-field and dark-field detection) and imaging those same defects with a zoneplate microscope that matches or exceeds the resolution of EUV steppers.
Quantitative Evaluation Of Mask Phase Defects From Through Focus Euv Aerial Images
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Author :
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 2011
Quantitative Evaluation Of Mask Phase Defects From Through Focus Euv Aerial Images written by and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2011 with categories.
Mask defects inspection and imaging is one of the most important issues for any pattern transfer lithography technology. This is especially true for EUV lithography where the wavelength-specific properties of masks and defects necessitate actinic inspection for a faithful prediction of defect printability and repair performance. In this paper we will present a technique to obtain a quantitative characterization of mask phase defects from EUV aerial images. We apply this technique to measure the aerial image phase of native defects on a blank mask, measured with the SEMATECH Berkeley Actinic Inspection Tool (AIT) an EUV zoneplate microscope that operates at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The measured phase is compared with predictions made from AFM top-surface measurements of those defects. While amplitude defects are usually easy to recognize and quantify with standard inspection techniques like scanning electron microscopy (SEM), defects or structures that have a phase component can be much more challenging to inspect. A phase defect can originate from the substrate or from any level of the multilayer. In both cases its effect on the reflected field is not directly related to the local topography of the mask surface, but depends on the deformation of the multilayer structure. Using the AIT, we have previously showed that EUV inspection provides a faithful and reliable way to predict the appearance of mask defect on the printed wafer; but to obtain a complete characterization of the defect we need to evaluate quantitatively its phase component. While aerial imaging doesn't provide a direct measurement of the phase of the object, this information is encoded in the through focus evolution of the image intensity distribution. Recently we developed a technique that allows us to extract the complex amplitude of EUV mask defects using two aerial images from different focal planes. The method for the phase reconstruction is derived from the Gerchberg-Saxton (GS) algorithm, an iterative method that can be used to reconstruct phase and amplitude of an object from the intensity distributions in the image and in the pupil plane. The GS algorithm is equivalent to a two-parameter optimization problem and it needs exactly two constraints to be solved, namely two intensity distributions in different focal planes. In some formulations, adding any other constraint would result in an ill posed problem. On the other hand, the solution's stability and convergence time can both be improved using more information. We modified our complex amplitude reconstruction algorithm to use an arbitrary number of through focus images and we compared its performance with the previous version in terms of convergence speed, robustness and accuracy. We have demonstrated the phase-reconstruction method on native, mask-blank phase defects and compared the results with phase-predictions made from AFM data collected before and after the multilayer deposition. The method and the current results could be extremely useful for improving the modeling and understanding of native phase defects, their detectability, and their printability.
Actinic Mask Inspection At The Als Initial Design Review
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Author :
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 2003
Actinic Mask Inspection At The Als Initial Design Review written by and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2003 with categories.
This report is the first milestone report for the actinic mask blank inspection project conducted at the VNL, which forms sub-section 3 of the Q1 2003 mask blank technology transfer program at the VNL. Specifically this report addresses deliverable 3.1.1--design review and preliminary tool design. The goal of this project is to design an actinic mask inspection tool capable of operating in two modes: high-speed scanning for the detection of multilayer defects (inspection mode), and a high-resolution aerial image mode in which the image emulates the imaging illumination conditions of a stepper system (aerial image or AIM mode). The purpose and objective of these two modes is as follows: (1) Defect inspection mode--This imaging mode is designed to scan large areas of the mask for defects EUV multilayer coatings. The goal is to detect the presence of multilayer defects on a mask blank and to store the co-ordinates for subsequent review in AIM mode, thus it is not essential that the illumination and imaging conditions match that of a production stepper. Potential uses for this imaging mode include: (a) Correlating the results obtained using actinic inspection with results obtained using other non-EUV defect inspection systems to verify that the non-EUV scanning systems are detecting all critical defects; (b) Gaining sufficient information to associate defects with particular processes, such as various stages of the multilayer deposition or different modes of operation of the deposition tool; and (c) Assessing the density and EUV impact of surface and multilayer anomalies. Because of the low defect density achieved using current multilayer coating technology it is necessary to be able to efficiently scan large areas of the mask in order to obtain sufficient statistics for use in cross-correlation experiments. Speed of operation as well as sensitivity is therefore key to operation in defect inspection mode. (2) Aerial Image Microscope (AIM) mode--In AIM mode the tool is configured so that the collected data emulates the aerial image of a stepper system, thereby enabling rapid evaluation of mask defects and patterning without the need for a resist exposure step. The main uses of the microscope in this mode would be: (a) Review of multilayer and pattern defects to determine their printability; (b) Defect review following a repair process to assess the success of the operation; (c) Investigation of the effects of illumination and NA on the printed image; (d) Process window analysis of defects and other mask features; and (e) Characterizing defects on both patterned and unpatterned masks (i.e. blanks). An essential characteristic of operation in this mode is that the illumination and imaging conditions through focus should emulate as accurately as possible that of a production stepper system. This mode is designed for local review of defects over a small sub-field of the mask; therefore it is not necessary to have the same high-speed throughput required for defect inspection mode. We first describe some technical background relating to EUV masks and defect scanning, with the aim of defining the context of the tool and experiments to be performed. We then present an overview of several candidate optical system configurations for achieve the above objectives, and analyze the ability of each system to achieve the stated project goals. Of key importance is throughput and sensitivity in inspection mode, whilst in AIM mode key points are spatial resolution and the ability to perform stepper emulation imaging. We then down-select the best candidate from this set of solutions to one system, which is then investigated in further detail with a view to producing a preliminary tool design and estimates of overall system performance.