Dual phase shift photolithography masks for logic patterning
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorPaul Davids
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pair of phase shift photolithography masks and a process for deriving them is described. In one embodiment, the invention includes deriving a complex electric field estimate for an intended pattern to be produced by phase shift photolithography masks, optimizing the complex electric field estimates, generating a first phase shift mask using the real part of the complex electric field estimates, and generating a second phase shift mask using the imaginary part of the complex electric field estimates.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- deriving a complex electric field estimate for an intended pattern to be produced by phase shift photolithography masks;
- optimizing the complex electric field estimates;
- generating a first phase shift mask using the real part of the complex electric field estimates;
- and
- generating a second phase shift mask using the imaginary part of the complex electric field estimates.
The method of claim 7, wherein optimizing comprises comparing the aerial image of the complex electric field estimates to the target design on a full-sample grid.
An article including a machine-readable medium containing data, that when executed by the machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:
- deriving a complex electric field estimate for an intended pattern to be produced by phase shift photolithography masks;
- optimizing the complex electric field estimates;
- generating a first phase shift mask using the real part of the complex electric field estimates;
- and
- generating a second phase shift mask using the imaginary part of the complex electric field estimates.
An alternating phase shift mask pair comprising:
- a first phase shift mask derived from the real parts of a grid of complex electric field values;
- and
- a second phase shift mask derived from the imaginary parts of the grid of complex electric field values.
A semiconductor device having a layer produced by photolithography using alternating phase shift masks, the layer being produced using a first phase shift mask derived from the real parts of a grid of complex electric field values and a second phase shift mask derived from the imaginary parts of the grid of complex electric field values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.