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US 8,764,995 B2Granted
Extreme ultraviolet light (EUV) photomasks, and fabrication methods thereof
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsChing-Hsu Chang, Hung-Chun Wang, Boren Luo, Wen-Chun Huang, Ru-Gun Liu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of EUV photomasks and methods for forming a EUV photomask are provided. The method comprises providing a substrate, a reflective layer, a capping layer, a hard mask layer, and forming an opening therein. An absorber layer is then filled in the opening and over the top surface of the hard mask layer. A planarizing process is provided to remove the absorber layer above the top surface of the hard mask layer and form an absorber in the opening, wherein the absorber is substantially co-planar with the top surface of the hard mask layer.
Claims20
A method of fabricating an extreme ultraviolet photomask, comprising:
- providing a blank mask comprising, in order, a substrate, a reflective layer, a capping layer, and a hard mask layer, the reflective layer having a first thickness, the capping layer having a second thickness, and the hard mask layer having a third thickness;
- forming a first opening in the hard mask layer;
- forming a second opening in the capping layer and at least a portion of the reflective layer;
- forming an absorber layer in the first and second openings and over a top surface of the hard mask layer, the absorber layer having a fourth thickness, the fourth thickness being greater than a combined total of the first thickness, the second thickness and the third thickness;
- removing a first portion of the absorber layer from the top surface of the hard mask layer using a chemical-mechanical polishing process (CMP), thereby reducing the fourth thickness to a fifth thickness less than the fourth thickness, the fifth thickness being greater than the combined total of the first thickness, the second thickness and the third thickness;
- and
- removing a second portion of the absorber layer from the top surface of the hard mask layer using a dry etch process, thereby reducing the fifth thickness to a sixth thickness to form an absorber, the sixth thickness being less than the fifth thickness and greater than the first thickness.
4 more elements
A method of fabricating an extreme ultraviolet photomask, comprising:
- providing a blank mask comprising, in order, a substrate, a multi-material layer, a capping layer, and a hard mask layer, the multi-material layer having a first thickness, the capping layer having a second thickness and the hard mask layer having a third thickness ranging between about 2 nm and about 10 nm;
- forming a photoresist pattern over the hard mask layer;
- etching at least a portion of the hard mask layer, the capping layer, and the multi-material layer to form an opening;
- forming an absorber layer in the opening and over a top surface of the hard mask layer, the absorber layer having a fourth thickness, the fourth thickness being greater than a combined total of the first thickness, the second thickness and the third thickness;
- removing a first portion of the absorber layer from the top surface of the hard mask layer using a chemical-mechanical polishing process (CMP), thereby reducing the fourth thickness to a fifth thickness less than the fourth thickness, the fifth thickness being greater than the combined total of the first thickness, the second thickness and the third thickness;
- and
- removing a second portion of the absorber layer from the top surface of the hard mask layer using a dry etch process, thereby reducing the fifth thickness to a sixth thickness to form an absorber in the opening, the sixth thickness being less than the fifth thickness and greater than the first thickness.
4 more elements
A method of fabricating an extreme ultraviolet photomask, comprising:
- providing a blank mask comprising, in order, a substrate, a reflective layer, a capping layer, and a hard mask layer, the reflective layer having a first thickness, the capping layer having a second thickness, and the hard mask layer having a third thickness, wherein the reflective layer comprises alternating first layers and second layers, the first layers each being thicker than the second layers;
- forming a first opening in the hard mask layer;
- forming a second opening in the capping layer and at least a portion of the reflective layer;
- forming an absorber layer in the first and second openings and over a top surface of the hard mask layer, the absorber layer having a fourth thickness, the fourth thickness being greater than a combined total of the first thickness, the second thickness and the third thickness;
- removing a first portion of the absorber layer from the top surface of the hard mask layer using a chemical-mechanical polishing process (CMP), thereby reducing the fourth thickness to a fifth thickness less than the fourth thickness, the fifth thickness being greater than the combined total of the first thickness, the second thickness and the third thickness;
- and
- removing a second portion of the absorber layer from the top surface of the hard mask layer using a dry etch process, thereby reducing the fifth thickness to a sixth thickness to form an absorber, the sixth thickness being less than the fifth thickness and greater than the first thickness.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.