# US 10,768,523 B2 · Pellicle for EUV lithography and method of fabricating the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,768,523 B2 - Document ID: US10768523B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/915,363 - Filed: 2018-03-08 - Published: 2018-09-13 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-10 - Assignees: S&S TECH Co., Ltd. - Applicants: S&S TECH Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kee-Soo Nam; Chang-Hun Lee; Ju-Hee Hong; Chul-Kyun Park - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10768523B2 ## CPC - G03F 1/64: characterised by the frames, e.g. structure or material, including bonding means therefor - G03F 1/22: Masks or mask blanks for imaging by radiation of 100nm or shorter wavelength, e.g. X-ray masks, extreme ultraviolet [EUV] masks; Preparation thereof - G03F 1/62: Pellicles, e.g. pellicle assemblies, e.g. having membrane on support frame; Preparation thereof - G03F 7/70983: {Optical system protection, e.g. pellicles or removable covers for protection of mask} - 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) ## Abstract Disclosed are a pellicle for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, which is excellent in transmittance of EUV exposure light and mechanical strength, and a method of fabricating the same. The pellicle includes a support layer pattern; a buried oxide layer pattern formed on the support layer pattern; and a pellicle layer provided being supported by the buried oxide layer pattern. The pellicle may further include a reinforcement layer for reinforcing the mechanical strength of the pellicle layer, an auxiliary layer for additionally supplementing the mechanical strength of the reinforcement layer, and a heat dissipation layer for dissipating heat of the pellicle layer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pellicle for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, the pellicle comprising: a support layer pattern; a buried oxide layer pattern provided on the support layer pattern; a pellicle layer provided on the buried oxide layer pattern; and a heat dissipation layer provided on an upper side, a lower side or both sides of the pellicle layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pellicle according to claim 1, further comprising a reinforcement layer provided on the pellicle layer and reinforcing mechanical strength of the pellicle layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The pellicle according to claim 1, further comprising a buried reinforcement layer provided being supported by the buried oxide layer pattern. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The pellicle according to claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation layer is formed as a single-layered film or a multi-layered film of two or more layers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The pellicle according to claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation layer comprises at least one material among chrome (Cr), aluminum (Al), cobalt (Co), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), vanadium (V), palladium (Pd), titanium (Ti), platinum (Pt), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), zirconium (Zr), magnesium (Mg), lithium (Li), selenium (Se), copper (Cu), yttrium (Y), indium (In), tin (Sn), boron (B), beryllium (Be), tantalum (Ta), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), silicon (Si), ruthenium (Ru), B4C, and SiC; or a silicide material including silicon (Si) in addition to the material; or one or more materials among oxygen (O), nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) in addition to the one or more material and the silicide material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The pellicle according to claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation layer has a thickness of 1 nm˜20 nm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The pellicle according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcement layer comprises at least one material among chrome (Cr), aluminum (Al), cobalt (Co), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), vanadium (V), palladium (Pd), titanium (Ti), platinum (Pt), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), zirconium (Zr), magnesium (Mg), lithium (Li),selenium (Se), copper (Cu), yttrium (Y), indium (In), tin (Sn), boron (B), beryllium (Be), tantalum (Ta), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), silicon (Si), ruthenium (Ru), B4C, SiC, SixNy (where, x and y are integers), graphene, and carbon nano tube (CNT); or a silicide material including silicon (Si) in addition to the material; or one or more materials among oxygen (O), nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) in addition to the one or more material and the silicide material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The pellicle according to any one of claim 2, wherein the reinforcement layer has a thickness of 1 nm˜50 nm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The pellicle according to claim 1, wherein the pellicle layer comprises monocrystalline, polycrystalline or amorphous silicon. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The pellicle according to claim 1, wherein the pellicle layer is doped with one or more materials among boron (B), phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), yttrium (Y), zirconium (Zr), niobium (Nb) and molybdenum (Mo). ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The pellicle according to claim 1, wherein a doping concentration for the pellicle layer is equal to or higher than 1010 ions/cm3. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The pellicle according to claim 1, wherein the pellicle layer has a thickness of 10 nm˜100 nm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The pellicle according to claim 2, further comprising an auxiliary layer to additionally supplement mechanical strength of the reinforcement layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The pellicle according to claim 13, wherein the auxiliary layer comprises at least one material among chrome (Cr), aluminum (Al), cobalt (Co), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), vanadium (V), palladium (Pd), titanium (Ti), platinum (Pt), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), zirconium (Zr), magnesium (Mg), lithium (Li),selenium (Se), copper (Cu), yttrium (Y), indium (In), tin (Sn), boron (B), beryllium (Be), tantalum (Ta), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), silicon (Si), ruthenium (Ru), B4C, SiC, SixNy (where, x and y are integers), graphene, carbon nano tube (CNT); or a silicide material including silicon (Si) in addition to the material; or one or more materials among oxygen (O), nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) in addition to the one or more material and the silicide material. ### Claim 15 A method of fabricating a pellicle for extreme ultraviolet lithography, the method comprising: a) preparing a substrate, which comprises a support layer comprising silicon (Si), a buried oxide layer provided on the support layer, and a pellicle layer provided on the buried oxide layer and comprising silicon (Si); b) forming a reinforcement layer on both sides of the substrate; c) forming a reinforcement layer pattern, through which the support layer is partially exposed, by patterning the reinforcement layer formed in the support layer; d) forming a support layer pattern, through which the buried oxide layer is exposed, by etching the support layer using the reinforcement layer etched in c) as an etching mask; e) exposing the pellicle layer by etching the buried oxide layer using the reinforcement layer pattern and the support layer pattern as an etching mask; and f) forming a heat dissipation layer provided on an upper side, a lower side or both sides of the pellicle layer. ### Claim 16 A method of fabricating a pellicle for extreme ultraviolet lithography, the method comprising: a) preparing a substrate, which comprises a support layer comprising silicon (Si), a buried oxide layer provided on the support layer, a buried reinforcement layer provided on the buried oxide layer, and a pellicle layer provided on the buried reinforcement layer and comprising silicon (Si); b) forming a reinforcement layer on both sides of the substrate; c) forming a reinforcement layer pattern, through which the support layer is partially exposed, by patterning the reinforcement layer formed in the support layer; d) forming a support layer pattern, through which the buried oxide layer is exposed, by etching the support layer using the reinforcement layer etched in c) as an etching mask; e) exposing the buried reinforcement layer by etching the buried oxide layer using the reinforcement layer pattern and the support layer pattern as an etching mask; f) forming a heat dissipation layer provided on an upper side, a lower side or both sides of the pellicle layer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising, after the e), etching and removing the reinforcement layer and the reinforcement layer pattern. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising, after the b), forming an oxide film on the reinforcement layer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising, before the b), doping the pellicle layer with one or more materials among boron (B), phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), yttrium (Y), zirconium (Zr), niobium (Nb) and molybdenum (Mo). ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the d) comprises etching the support layer through wet etching using one or more among tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), KOH, and ethylene diamine and pyrocatechol (EDP). ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method according to claim 20, wherein the wet etching is performed at a temperature of 30° C.˜100° C. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method according to claim 20, wherein the wet etching is performed by stepwise or continuously changing temperature of an etching solution. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The method according to claim 20, wherein the steps of the wet etching are performed by changing the temperature of the etching solution to be decreased from a relatively high temperature to a relatively low temperature or to be increased from the relatively low temperature to the relatively high temperature, or by combination of the temperature increasing and decreasing steps. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The method according to claim 20, wherein the wet etching is performed by stepwise or continuously changing concentration of the etching solution. ### Claim 25 (depends on 20) The method according to claim 20, wherein the wet etching is performed by stepwise or continuously changing each of the temperature and concentration of the etching solution. ### Claim 26 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, further comprising, after the e), etching and removing the reinforcement layer and the reinforcement layer pattern. ### Claim 27 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, further comprising, after the b), forming an oxide film on the reinforcement layer. ### Claim 28 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, further comprising, before the b), doping the pellicle layer with one or more materials among boron (B), phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), yttrium (Y), zirconium (Zr), niobium (Nb) and molybdenum (Mo). ### Claim 29 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the d) comprises etching the support layer through wet etching using one or more among tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), and KOH. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The method according to claim 29, wherein the wet etching is performed at a temperature of 30° C.-90° C. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) The method according to claim 29, wherein the wet etching is performed by stepwise or continuously changing temperature of an etching solution. ### Claim 32 (depends on 29) The method according to claim 29, wherein the steps of the wet etching are performed by changing the temperature of the etching solution to be decreased from a relatively high temperature to a relatively low temperature or to be increased from the relatively low temperature to the relatively high temperature, or by combination of the temperature increasing and decreasing steps. ### Claim 33 (depends on 29) The method according to claim 29, wherein the wet etching is performed by stepwise or continuously changing a concentration of 1%-45% of the etching solution. ### Claim 34 (depends on 29) The method according to claim 29, wherein the wet etching is performed by stepwise or continuously changing each of the temperature and concentration of the etching solution. ### Claim 35 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the heat dissipation layer is formed as a single-layered film or a multi-layered film of two or more layers. ### Claim 36 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the heat dissipation layer is formed as a single-layered film or a multi-layered film of two or more layers. ### Claim 37 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the heat dissipation layer comprises at least one material among chrome (Cr), chrome nitride (CrN), aluminum (Al), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), cobalt (Co), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), vanadium (V), palladium (Pd), titanium (Ti), platinum (Pt), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), zirconium (Zr), magnesium (Mg), lithium (Li), selenium (Se), copper (Cu), yttrium (Y), indium (In), tin (Sn), boron (B), beryllium (Be), tantalum (Ta), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), ruthenium (Ru), ruthenium compound containing B, Zr, Y, Nb, Ti, La, to Ru, and B4C; or one or more materials among oxygen (O), nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) in addition to the one or more material. ### Claim 38 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the heat dissipation layer comprises at least one material among chrome (Cr), chrome nitride (CrN), aluminum (Al), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), cobalt (Co), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), vanadium (V), palladium (Pd), titanium (Ti), platinum (Pt), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), zirconium (Zr), magnesium (Mg), lithium (Li), selenium (Se), copper (Cu), yttrium (Y), indium (In), tin (Sn), boron (B), beryllium (Be), tantalum (Ta), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), ruthenium (Ru), ruthenium compound containing B, Zr, Y, Nb, Ti, La, to Ru, and B4C; or one or more materials among oxygen (O), nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) in addition to the one or more material. ### Claim 39 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the reinforcement layer is removed using an HF or BOE solution, while stepwise or continuously changing temperature and a concentration of 0.1%-10% of the etching solution. ### Claim 40 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the reinforcement layer is removed using an HF or BOE solution, while stepwise or continuously changing temperature and a concentration of 0.1%-10% of the etching solution.