# US 11,029,593 B2 · Lithography mask with a black border regions and method of fabricating the same

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- Number: US 11,029,593 B2
- Document ID: US11029593B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/660,300
- Filed: 2019-10-22
- Published: 2020-02-13
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-22
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Chin-Hsiang Lin; Chien-Cheng Chen; Hsin-Chang Lee; Chia-Jen Chen; Pei-Cheng Hsu; Yih-Chen Su; Gaston Lee; Tran-Hui Shen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029593B2

## CPC

- G03F 1/24: Reflection masks; Preparation thereof
- G03F 1/38: Masks having auxiliary features, e.g. special coatings or marks for alignment or testing; Preparation thereof
- G03F 1/54: Absorbers, e.g. of opaque materials
- G03F 7/2004: {characterised by the use of a particular light source, e.g. fluorescent lamps or deep UV light}
- 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: 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

A lithography mask includes a substrate, a reflective structure disposed over a first side of the substrate, and a patterned absorber layer disposed over the reflective structure. The lithography mask includes a first region and a second region that surrounds the first region in a top view. The patterned absorber layer is located in the first region. A substantially non-reflective material is located in the second region. The lithography mask is formed by forming a reflective structure over a substrate, forming an absorber layer over the reflective structure, defining a first region of the lithography mask, and defining a second region of the lithography mask. The defining of the first region includes patterning the absorber layer. The second region is defined to surround the first region in a top view. The defining of the second region includes forming a substantially non-reflective material in the second region.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A lithography mask, comprising:
a substrate;
a reflective structure disposed over a first side of the substrate;
a patterned absorber layer disposed over the reflective structure;
wherein:
the lithography mask includes a first region and a second region that surrounds the first region in a top view;
the patterned absorber layer is located in the first region;
a substantially non-reflective material is located in the second region, wherein the substantially non-reflective material includes a trench that extends vertically through the reflective structure; and
a passivation layer disposed on sidewalls of the trench;
wherein:
a first portion of the passivation layer contains a first type of material that contains oxygen or nitrogen;
a second portion of the passivation layer contains a second type of material that contains oxygen or nitrogen; and
the second type of material is different from the first type of material.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The lithography mask of claim 1, wherein:
the reflective structure is configured to reflect extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light; and
the substantially non-reflective material is configured to be substantially non-reflective with respect to the EUV light.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The lithography mask of claim 1, wherein the substantially non-reflective material corresponds to an absence of the reflective structure.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The lithography mask of claim 1, wherein:
the reflective structure includes a plurality of first layers interleaved with a plurality of second layers; and
the substantially non-reflective material includes an inter-diffused structure of the first layers and the second layers.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The lithography mask of claim 1, wherein:
the lithography mask further includes a third region that surrounds the second region; and
the first region and the third region are electrically interconnected by one or more bridges located in the second region.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The lithography mask of claim 5, wherein the one or more bridges occupy one or more localized areas of the second region, but do not occupy an entirety of the second region.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The lithography mask of claim 6, wherein:
the first region has an X number of sides; and
the one or more bridges includes an X number of bridges that electrically interconnects each of the sides with the third region, respectively.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The lithography mask of claim 1, wherein:
the first portion of the passivation layer contains SiO2; and
the second portion of the passivation layer contains MoO3.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The lithography mask of claim 1, wherein:
the first portion of the passivation layer contains SiN; and
the second portion of the passivation layer contains MoN.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The lithography mask of claim 1, wherein side surfaces of the trench contain Ar or Ga.

### Claim 11

A lithography mask, comprising:
a substrate;
a reflective structure disposed over the substrate, wherein the reflective structure is configured to reflect extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation;
an absorber layer disposed over the reflective structure;
a substantially non-reflective structure that vertically extends through the reflective structure in a cross-sectional view and that at least partially surrounds the reflective structure in a top view, wherein the substantially non-reflective structure is configured to be substantially non-reflective with respect to the EUV radiation, and wherein the substantially non-reflective structure includes a first passivation material and a second passivation material that is different from the first passivation material.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The lithography mask of claim 11, wherein the substantially non-reflective structure includes a trench that is at least partially filled with vacuum.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The lithography mask of claim 11, wherein:
the first passivation material includes SiO2; and
the second passivation material includes MoO3.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The lithography mask of claim 11, wherein:
the first passivation material includes SiN; and
the second passivation material includes MoN.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The lithography mask of claim 11, wherein the substantially non-reflective structure includes an inter-diffused structure of Mo and Si.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The lithography mask of claim 11, wherein Ar or Ga is disposed at an interface between the reflective structure and the substantially non-reflective structure.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The lithography mask of claim 16, further comprising: a capping layer and a buffer layer disposed between the reflective structure and the absorber layer, wherein Ar or Ga is disposed on side surfaces of the capping layer and the buffer layer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The lithography mask of claim 16, wherein:
the lithography mask includes a first region, a second region that encircles the first region in a top view, and a third region that encircles the second region in the top view; and
the first region and the third region are interconnected by a plurality of localized patterned bridges that are disposed in the second region.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The lithography mask of claim 11, wherein:
the lithography mask includes a first region, a second region that encircles the first region in a top view, and a third region that encircles the second region in the top view;
a majority portion of the reflective structure is located in the first region;
a minority portion of the reflective structure is located in localized areas of the second region; and
the substantially non-reflective structure is located in areas of the second region that are not occupied by the minority portion of the reflective structure;
wherein the minority portion of the reflective structure serves as electrical bridges for interconnecting the first region and the third region.

### Claim 20

A lithography mask, comprising:
a substrate;
a reflective structure disposed over the substrate, wherein the reflective structure is configured to reflect extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation and is disposed in a first region of the lithography mask, and wherein a plurality of first layers interleaved with a plurality of second layers;
an absorber layer disposed over the reflective structure;
a substantially non-reflective structure that is disposed in adjacent to the reflective structure and in a second region of the lithography mask, wherein the second region surrounds the first region in a top view, and wherein the substantially non-reflective structure includes a trench that is at least partially filled with vacuum or air; and
a passivation layer disposed on sidewalls of the trench, wherein the passivation layer includes a first material that is SiO2 or SiN, and wherein the passivation layer includes a second material that is MoO3 or MoN.