Photolithographic mask
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorsLothar Bauch, Robert Feurle, Ina Voigt, Helmut Wurzer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A photolithographic mask has the advantage that a combination of dummy structures, whose pattern is imaged into the resist layer, and auxiliary structures, whose pattern is not imaged into the resist layer, makes it possible to achieve a significant improvement in the imaging properties of the main structures which are disposed at an edge of a region containing a multiplicity of main structures. In particular, constrictions at the structures can be significantly reduced or completely avoided and/or a so-called “tilting” of the structures under non-optimum focus conditions is significantly reduced or completely avoided.
Claims8
A photolithographic mask for use in irradiating radiation-sensitive resist layers on semiconductor substrates for fabricating integrated semiconductor products, the photolithographic mask comprising:
- at least one radiation-transmissive substrate;
- and
- at least one layer disposed on said radiation-transmissive substrate and selected from the group consisting of radiation-opaque layers and half-tone layers, said layer having at least one region with a multiplicity of main structures, said main structures formed such that a pattern formed by said main structures being transferred to a resist layer in a event of irradiation and first structures produced by said main structures fulfill a predetermined purpose on a semiconductor substrate of a completed semiconductor product, said layer further having dummy structures disposed at least at an edge of said region, said dummy structures formed such that a pattern formed by said dummy structures being transferred to said resist layer in the event of the irradiation and second structures produced by said dummy structures do not fulfill a predetermined purpose on the semiconductor substrate of the completed semiconductor product, and said layer additionally having at least one auxiliary structure disposed at least at said edge of said region, said auxiliary structure formed such that a pattern formed by said auxiliary structure cannot be transferred to the resist layer in the event of the irradiation.
A photolithographic mask for use in irradiating radiation-sensitive resist layers on semiconductor substrates for fabricating integrated semiconductor products, the photolithographic mask comprising:
- at least one radiation-transmissive substrate;
- and
- at least one layer disposed on said radiation-transmissive substrate and selected from the group consisting of radiation-opaque layers and half-tone layers, said layer having at least one region with a multiplicity of main structures, said main structures formed such that a pattern formed by said main structures being transferred to a resist layer in an event of irradiation, said main structures being oriented substantially parallel in a given direction, said layer further having a multiplicity of auxiliary structures disposed at least at an edge of said region, said auxiliary structures being formed such that a pattern formed by said auxiliary structures cannot be transferred to the resist layer in the event of the irradiation, and said auxiliary structures being oriented substantially parallel in said given direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.