Electron beam flood exposure technique to reduce the carbon contamination
AssigneeAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc.
InventorsBhanwar Singh, Ramkumar Subramanian, Michael K. Templeton, Bharath Rangarajan, Khoi A. Phan, Bryan K. Choo, Sanjay K. Yedur
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Abstract
One aspect of the present invention relates to a method for reducing carbon contamination on a mask involving placing a mask plate having carbon-containing contaminants thereon in a processing chamber; simultaneously contacting the mask plate with oxygen and exposing the mask plate with a flood exposure of electron beams wherein the carbon-containing contaminants are converted to a by-product; and removing the by-product from the processing chamber.
Claims22
A method for reducing carbon contamination on a mask comprising:
- placing a mask plate having carbon-containing contaminants thereon in a processing chamber;
- simultaneously contacting the mask plate with oxygen and exposing the mask plate with a flood exposure of electron beams wherein the carbon-containing contaminants are converted to a by-product;
- and
- removing the by-product from the processing chamber.
A method for in-line detection and reduction of carbon contamination on a mask comprising:
- placing a mask plate in a processing chamber;
- detecting for the presence of carbon-containing contaminants on the mask plate;
- if carbon-containing contaminants are detected, then simultaneously contacting the mask plate with oxygen and exposing the mask plate with a flood exposure of electron beams wherein the carbon-containing contaminants are converted to a by-product;
- and
- removing the by-product from the processing chamber.
An in-line system for detecting and reducing carbon contamination on a mask comprising:
- a detector for detecting carbon-containing contaminants on a mask plate;
- a controller coupled to the detector for determining whether the mask plate proceeds to a processing chamber to remove carbon-containing contaminants;
- and
- the processing chamber for simultaneously contacting the mask plate with oxygen and exposing the mask plate with a flood exposure of electron beams.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.