Double destruction phase shift mask
AssigneeUnited Microelectronics Corp.
InventorsHong-Tsz Pan, Ming-Tzong Yang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention describes the use and methods of fabrication of a double destruction phase shift mask. The double destruction phase shift mask combines transparent phase shifting regions and attenuating phase shifting regions to form interference patterns in light projected through the mask which reduce the light intensity to nearly zero in the regions of the projected light corresponding to pattern elements. This eliminates the ghost line which can occur with conventional phase shifting masks. The double destruction phase shift mask provides improved depth of focus and edge definition.
Claims23
A double destruction phase shift mask, comprising:
- a quartz substrate with a thickness of between about 1 and 6 millimeters;
- a patterned layer of attenuating phase shifting material having edges formed on said quartz substrate;
- a patterned layer of transparent phase shifting material having edges formed on said patterned layer of attenuating phase shifting material so that said edges of said patterned layer of attenuating phase shifting material extend beyond said edges of said patterned layer of transparent phase shifting material;
- and
- a gap width formed between said edges of said patterned layer of transparent phase shifting material and said edges of said patterned layer of attenuating phase shifting material.
A double destruction phase shift mask, comprising:
- a quartz substrate with a thickness of between about 1 and 6 millimeters;
- a pattern having edges and a first thickness formed in said quartz substrate by etching away quartz not in said pattern;
- a patterned layer of attenuating phase shifting material having edges formed on said pattern formed in said quartz substrate wherein said edges of said patterned layer of attenuating phase shifting material extend beyond said edges of said pattern formed in said quartz substrate;
- and
- an overhang width formed between said edges of said pattern formed in said quartz substrate and said edges of said patterned layer of attenuating phase shifting material.
A method of forming a double destruction phase shift mask, comprising the steps of:
- providing a quartz substrate with a thickness of between about 1 and 6 millimeters;
- forming a layer of attenuating phase shifting material on said quartz substrate;
- forming a layer of transparent phase shifting material on said layer of attenuating phase shifting material;
- forming a layer of photoresist over said layer of transparent phase shifting material;
- forming a pattern with edges in said layer of photoresist thereby forming a photoresist mask;
- forming said pattern with edges in said layer of transparent phase shifting material by vertically anisotropically etching said transparent phase shifting material through said photoresist mask;
- undercutting said transparent phase shifting material under said photoresist mask using isotropic etching thereby forming a gap width between said edges of said pattern in said layer of phase shifting material and said edges of said pattern in said photoresist;
- forming said pattern with edges in said layer of attenuating phase shifting material by vertically anisotropically etching said phase shifting material through said photoresist mask;
- and
- removing said photoresist mask.
A method of forming a double destruction phase shift mask, comprising the steps of:
- providing a quartz substrate with a thickness of between about 1 and 6 millimeters;
- forming a layer of attenuating phase shifting material on said quartz substrate;
- forming a layer of photoresist on said layer of attenuating phase shifting material;
- forming a pattern with edges in said layer of photoresist thereby forming a photoresist mask;
- forming said pattern with edges in said layer of attenuating phase shifting material and in a first thickness of the top part of said quartz substrate by means of vertical anisotropic etching through said photoresist mask;
- undercutting said first thickness of quartz substrate under said edges of said pattern in said layer of attenuating phase shifting material using isotropic etching of said quartz substrate through said photoresist mask thereby forming a gap width between said edges of said pattern in said quartz substrate and said edges of said pattern in said attenuating phase shifting material;
- and
- removing said photoresist mask.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.