Photolithographic mask and methods for the fabrication of the mask
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorsStefan Wurm, Siegfried Schwarzl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A photolithographic mask for patterning a photosensitive material, in particular on a wafer, has at least one structure region for imaging a structure on the photosensitive material, and an absorber structure for absorbing incident radiation. At least one structure region is provided and has at least one protective layer made of chemically and mechanically resistive material. In this way, the photolithographic mask can be cleaned chemically and/or mechanically, without the structure regions being attacked and damaged by the chemical and/or mechanical cleaning media. Furthermore, a plurality of methods are possible for fabricating a photolithographic mask of this type.
Claims26
A photolithographic mask for patterning a photosensitive material, comprising:
- at least one structure region for imaging a structure on the photosensitive material;
- at least one protective layer made of a chemically and mechanically resistive material disposed on said structure region;
- and
- an absorber structure for absorbing incident radiation disposed next to said structure region.
A method for fabricating a photolithographic mask for patterning a photosensitive material, which comprises the following steps:
- providing a carrier element;
- depositing at least one protective layer made of a chemically and mechanically resistive material using a atomic layer deposition process on a surface of the carrier element;
- and
- fabricating an absorber structure on a surface of the protective layer by deposition and patterning an absorber layer.
A method for fabricating a photolithographic mask for patterning a photosensitive material, which comprises the following steps:
- providing a carrier element;
- depositing at least one protective layer made of a chemically and mechanically resistive material using an atomic layer deposition process on a surface of the carrier element;
- depositing a buffer layer on a surface of the protective layer;
- fabricating an absorber structure on a surface of the buffer layer by deposition and patterning an absorber layer;
- repairing the absorber structure;
- and
- removing the buffer layer in structure regions that are not covered by the absorber structure, by anisotropic etching, the protective layer serving as an etching stop.
A method for fabricating a photolithographic mask for patterning a photosensitive material, which comprises the following steps:
- providing a carrier element;
- fabricating an absorber structure by depositing and patterning an absorber layer on a surface of the carrier element;
- and
- depositing at least one protective layer made of a chemically and mechanically resistive material using an atomic layer deposition process on a surfaces of the absorber structure and on surfaces of the carrier element.
A method for fabricating a photolithographic mask for patterning a photosensitive material, which comprises the following steps:
- providing a carrier element;
- depositing a buffer layer on a surface of the carrier element;
- fabricating an absorber structure on a surface of the buffer layer by depositing and patterning an absorber layer;
- repairing the absorber structure;
- removing the buffer layer in structure regions that are not covered by the absorber structure, by anisotropic etching;
- and
- depositing at least one protective layer made of a chemically and mechanically resistive material using an atomic layer deposition process on surfaces of the absorber structure and of the carrier element in the structure regions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.