Process artefact compensation upon transfer of a mask layout onto a mask substrate
AssigneeGenISys GmbH
InventorsNezih Ünal, Christoph Sambale
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to beam writing technologies. In detail, a technique for compensating process artifacts of a mask layout transfer process is described. A method implementation of that technique comprises modeling, for a target mask layout, an intensity profile resulting from exposing a resist on a masking layer by beam writing. Further, a contour and a profile of the exposed resist after development are modeled from the intensity profile. Then, a geometry of the masking layer after etching is modeled from the resist contour and the resist profile. For any deviation of the modeled geometry from the target mask layout, an adjustment compensating the deviation can thus be determined.
Claims16
A method of compensating process artifacts of a mask layout transfer process, the method comprising:
- modeling, for a target mask layout, an intensity profile resulting from exposing a resist on a masking layer by beam writing;
- modeling, from the intensity profile, a contour and a profile of the exposed resist after development;
- modeling, from the resist contour and the resist profile, a geometry of the masking layer after etching;
- and
- determining, for a deviation of the modeled geometry from the target mask layout, an adjustment compensating the deviation.
A method of compensating process artifacts of a mask layout transfer process in connection with a mask substrate comprising a masking layer on a mask blank, the method comprising:
- modeling, for a target mask layout, an intensity profile resulting from exposing a resist on the masking layer by one of electron and laser beam writing, wherein the modeled intensity profile is indicative of one of an electron intensity and a laser intensity;
- modeling, from the intensity profile, a contour of the exposed resist after development and a profile of the exposed resist after development;
- modeling, from the modeled resist contour and the modeled resist profile, a geometry of the masking layer after etching;
- determining a deviation of the modeled geometry from the target mask layout;
- and
- determining, for the deviation of the modeled geometry from the target mask layout, an adjustment compensating the deviation.
An apparatus for compensating process artifacts of a mask layout transfer process, the apparatus being configured to:
- model, for a target mask layout, an intensity profile resulting from exposing a resist on a masking layer by beam writing;
- model, from the intensity profile, a contour and a profile of the exposed resist after development;
- model, from the resist contour and the resist profile, a geometry of the masking layer after etching;
- and
- determine, for a deviation of the modeled geometry from the target mask layout, an adjustment compensating the deviation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.