# US 10,373,841 B2 · Photomask manufacturing method

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- Number: US 10,373,841 B2
- Document ID: US10373841B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/816,673
- Filed: 2017-11-17
- Published: 2018-05-24
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-11-23
- Assignees: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) Corporation; Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation
- Applicants: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) Corporation; Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation
- Inventors: Hai Yang Zhang; Yan Wang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10373841B2

## CPC

- H10P 50/696: {Process specially adapted to improve the resolution of the mask}
- G03F 7/70425: {Imaging strategies, e.g. for increasing throughput or resolution, printing product fields larger than the image field or compensating lithography- or non-lithography errors, e.g. proximity correction, mix-and-match, stitching or double patterning}
- H10D 30/024: {of fin field-effect transistors [FinFET]}
- H10D 30/62: Fin field-effect transistors [FinFET]
- H10D 30/6211: {having fin-shaped semiconductor bodies integral with the bulk semiconductor substrates}
- H10P 50/69: {using masks for semiconductor materials}
- H10P 50/692: {characterised by their composition, e.g. multilayer masks or materials}
- H10P 50/694: {characterised by their behaviour during the process, e.g. soluble masks or redeposited masks}
- H10P 50/695: {characterised by the process involved to create the mask, e.g. lift-off masks or sidewalls or to modify the mask}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

A photomask manufacturing method relating to semiconductor technology is presented. The manufacturing method involves providing a substrate structure comprising an etch material layer, a first sacrificial layer on a portion of the etch material layer, and a photomask layer on an upper surface of the etch material layer and on an upper surface and a side surface of the first sacrificial layer; forming a second sacrificial layer covering the photomask layer on the etch material layer and on the side surface of the first sacrificial layer; etching the photomask layer not covered by the second sacrificial layer to expose the first sacrificial layer; removing the first sacrificial layer and the second sacrificial layer; and removing the photomask layer on the etch material layer. This photomask manufacturing method offers a photomask of better symmetricity than those from conventional methods.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A photomask manufacturing method, comprising:
providing a substrate structure, wherein the substrate structure comprises:
an etch material layer;
a first sacrificial layer on a portion of the etch material layer; and
a photomask layer on an upper surface of the etch material layer, an upper surface of the first sacrificial layer, and a side surface of the first sacrificial layer, wherein the side surface of the first sacrificial layer comprises a first side, a second side opposite to the first side, a third side, and a fourth side opposite to the third side;
forming a second sacrificial layer covering the photomask layer on the etch material layer and the photomask layer on the side surface of the first sacrificial layer;
etching the photomask layer not covered by the second sacrificial layer to expose the first sacrificial layer;
removing the first sacrificial layer and the second sacrificial layer;
removing the photomask layer on the etch material layer; and
removing the photomask layer on either the first and the second sides, or the third and the fourth sides of the first sacrificial layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein forming a second sacrificial layer comprises:
depositing a sacrificial material layer on the substrate structure; and
conducting a planarization process on the sacrificial material layer so that an upper surface of the remaining sacrificial material layer is on a substantially same horizontal level with an upper surface of the photomask layer on the first sacrificial layer, the remaining sacrificial material layer is the second sacrificial layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein forming a second sacrificial layer comprises:
depositing a sacrificial material layer on the substrate structure; and
conducting an etch-back process on the sacrificial material layer so that an upper surface of the remaining sacrificial material layer is on a substantially same horizontal level with an upper surface of the photomask layer on the first sacrificial layer, the remaining sacrificial material layer is the second sacrificial layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the photomask layer on the etch material layer is removed by Directed Plasma Ribbon Etch.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the photomask layer on the etch material layer is removed by an etch-back process.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the photomask layer on either the first and the second sides, or the third and the fourth sides of the first sacrificial layer is removed by Directed Plasma Ribbon Etch.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the etch material layer comprises a semiconductor substrate and a hard mask layer on the semiconductor substrate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising:
forming a patterned hard mask layer by etching the hard mask layer using the photomask layer as a mask; and
etching the semiconductor substrate using the patterned hard mask layer as a mask.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
etching the etch material layer using the photomask layer as a mask.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first sacrificial layer and the second sacrificial layer are made of a same material.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first sacrificial layer and the second sacrificial layer are both made of poly-silicon, and the photomask layer is made of a silicon nitride, a silicon oxide, or a silicon nitrogen.