# US 7,608,368 B2 · Pattern forming method, photomask manufacturing method, semiconductor device manufacturing method, and computer program product > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,608,368 B2 - Document ID: US7608368B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/342,677 - Filed: 2006-01-31 - Published: 2006-08-03 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2005-01-31 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Inventors: Hideaki Sakurai; Tooru Shibata; Masato Saito; Masamitsu Itoh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7608368B2 ## CPC - G03F 7/70625: {Dimensions, e.g. line width, critical dimension [CD], profile, sidewall angle or edge roughness} - G03F 7/70558: {Dose control, i.e. achievement of a desired dose} - Y10S 430/143: Electron beam - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A pattern forming method includes developing a resist film on a main surface of a substrate by flowing a developing solution on the film to form a resist pattern, the developing the film including partitioning the surface into M (≧2) regions and determining correction exposure dose for each of the M region, the determining the correction exposure dose including determining a correction exposure dose for an i-th (1≦i≦M) region so that an actual pattern dimension of a pattern on the i-th region matches a design pattern dimension based on a pattern opening ratio of a pattern to be formed on the substrate, the pattern being located on a region which is further upstream region than the i-th region with respect to an upstream direction of a flow of the solution, and forming the pattern by etching the substrate using the resist pattern as a mask. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pattern forming method comprising: forming a resist film on a main surface of a substrate; exposing the resist film to form a latent image of a pattern on the resist film; developing the resist film by flowing a developing solution on the resist film to form a resist pattern, the developing the resist film comprising partitioning the main surface of the substrate into M (≧2) regions and determining a correction exposure dose for each of the M regions, the determining the correction exposure dose including determining a correction exposure dose for an i-th (1≦i≦M) region so that an actual pattern dimension of a pattern on the i-th region matches a design pattern dimension based on a pattern opening ratio of a pattern located on an upstream region which is further upstream than the i-th region along a flow direction of the developing solution; and forming a pattern on the substrate by etching the substrate using the resist pattern as a mask. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pattern forming method according to claim 1, further comprising baking the exposed resist film before the developing the resist film; and the exposing the resist film further comprising: partitioning the main surface of the substrate into N (≧2) regions; and determining a correction exposure dose for each of the N regions, the determining of a correction exposure dose including determining a correction exposure dose for a j-th (1≦j≦N) region relating to a pattern opening ratio of a pattern for a region located further upstream than the j-th region along an upstream direction of an atmospheric flow on the resist film during the baking of the resist film so that an actual pattern dimension of a pattern for the j-th region matches a design pattern dimension. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The pattern forming method according to claim 1, wherein the determining of the correction exposure dose for the i-th (1≦i≦M) region is performed by taking into account an exposure dose dependability of the dimension of the pattern to be formed on the substrate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The pattern forming method according to claim 2, wherein the determining the correction exposure dose for the i-th (1≦i≦M) region is performed by taking into account an exposure dose dependability of the dimension of the pattern to be formed on the substrate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The pattern forming method according to claim 1, wherein the exposing the resist film includes irradiating an electron beam, light, or ions on the resist film. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The pattern forming method according to claim 2, wherein the exposing the resist film includes irradiating an electron beam, light, or ions on the resist film. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The pattern forming method according to claim 3, wherein the exposing the resist film includes irradiating an electron beam, light, or ions on the resist film. ### Claim 8 A photomask manufacturing method comprising: preparing a substrate including a light shield film on which a resist film is formed, the light shield film being formed on a main surface of the substrate; exposing the resist film to form a latent image of a pattern on the resist film; developing the resist film by flowing a developing solution on the resist film to form a resist pattern, the developing the resist film comprising partitioning the main surface of the substrate into M (≧2) regions and determining a correction exposure dose for each of the M regions, the determining the correction exposure dose including determining a correction exposure dose for an i-th (1≦i≦M) region so that an actual pattern dimension of a pattern on the i-th region matches a design pattern dimension based on a pattern opening ratio of a pattern located on an upstream region which is further upstream than the i-th region along a flow direction of the developing solution; and light shield film using the resist pattern as a mask. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The photomask manufacturing method according to claim 8, further comprising baking the exposed resist film before the developing the resist film; and the exposing the resist film further comprising: partitioning the main surface of the substrate into N (≧2) regions; and determining a correction exposure dose for each of the N regions, the determining of a correction exposure dose including determining a correction exposure dose for a j-th (1≦j≦N) region relating to a pattern opening ratio of a pattern for a region located further upstream than the j-th region along an upstream direction of an atmospheric flow on the resist film during the baking of the resist film so that an actual pattern dimension of a pattern for the j-th region matches a design pattern dimension. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The photomask manufacturing method according to claim 8, wherein the determining the correction exposure dose for the i-th (1≦i≦M) region is performed by taking into account an exposure dose dependability of the dimension of the pattern to be formed on the substrate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The photomask manufacturing method according to claim 9, wherein the determining the correction exposure dose for the i-th (1≦i≦M) region is performed by taking into account an exposure dose dependability of the dimension of the pattern to be formed on the substrate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The photomask manufacturing method according to claim 8, wherein exposing the resist film includes irradiating an electron beam, light, or ions on the resist film. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The photomask manufacturing method according to claim 9, wherein exposing the resist film includes irradiating an electron beam, light, or ions on the resist film. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The photomask manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein exposing the resist film includes irradiating an electron beam, light, or ions on the resist film. ### Claim 15 A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising: preparing a substrate including a semiconductor substrate: forming a resist pattern on the substrate by a lithography process using a photomask, a manufacturing method of the photomask comprising preparing a substrate including a transparent substrate and a light shield film formed on the transparent substrate; forming a pattern in the light shield film by a pattern forming method, the pattern forming method comprising forming a resist film on a main surface of a substrate; exposing the resist film to form a latent image of a pattern on the resist film; developing the resist film by flowing a developing solution on the resist film to form a resist pattern, the developing the resist film comprising partitioning the main surface of the substrate into M (≧2) regions and determining a correction exposure dose for each of the M regions, the determining the correction exposure dose including determining a correction exposure dose for an i-th (1≦i≦M) region so that an actual pattern dimension of a pattern on the i-th region matches a design pattern dimension based on a pattern opening ratio of a pattern located on an upstream region which is further upstream than the i-th region along a flow direction of the developing solution; and etching the light shield film using the resist pattern as a mask. ### Claim 16 A computer program product configured to store program instructions for execution on a computer system enabling the computer system to perform instructions for determining an exposure dose of a resist film in a pattern forming method, the pattern forming method comprising forming a resist film on a main surface of a substrate; exposing the resist film to form a latent image of a pattern on the resist film; developing the resist film by flowing a developing solution on the resist film to form a resist pattern; and forming a pattern on the substrate by etching the substrate using the resist pattern as a mask; the instructions for determining exposure dose comprising: an instruction for partitioning the main surface of the substrate into M (≧2) regions, and an instruction for determining a correction exposure dose for an i-th (1≦i≦M) region so that an actual pattern dimension of a pattern on the i-th region matches a design pattern dimension based on a pattern opening ratio of a pattern located on an upstream region which is further upstream than the i-th region along a flow direction of a-flew-of the developing solution.