Loading patent…
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorMamoru Nakasuji
Estimating the term…
In the context of charged-particle-beam microlithography as used to transfer a pattern, defined by a segmented reticle, to a sensitive substrate, methods are disclosed for reducing the occurrence of defects caused by subfield-stitching errors and/or overlayer errors. The methods are especially useful in semiconductor-device fabrication situations in which multiple pattern layers are projection-transferred to a wafer. In defining the segmented reticle for a pattern layer, subfield boundaries are established so as to cross pattern elements at locations other than where stitching or overlayer accuracy is critical. E.g., subfield boundaries are not passed through gate, source, or drain regions of transistors.
In a charged-particle-beam microlithographic method in which a pattern, defined on a reticle segmented into subfields, is projection-transferred to a sensitive substrate using a charged particle beam, on which sensitive substrate images of the reticle subfields are stitched together to form the pattern layer on the substrate, to be preceded or followed by formation of one or more other layers on the substrate that overlap the pattern layer, a method for defining a reticle pattern on the segmented reticle, comprising:
In a charged-particle-beam microlithographic method in which a pattern, defined on a reticle segmented into subfields, is projection-transferred to a sensitive substrate using a charged particle beam, on which sensitive substrate images of the reticle subfields are stitched together to form the pattern layer on the substrate, to be preceded or followed by formation of one or more other layers on the substrate that overlap the pattern layer, a method for defining a reticle pattern on the segmented reticle, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.