Analysis of process margin in EUV mask repair with nano-machining

摘要

Reduced design rules demand higher sensitivity of inspection, and thus small defects which did not affect printability before require repair now. The trend is expected to be similar in extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) which is a promising candidate for sub 32 nm node devices due to high printing resolution. The appropriate repair tool for the small defects is a nanomachining system. An area which remains to be studied is the nano-machining system performance regarding repair of the defects without causing multilayer damage. Currently, nanomachining Z-depth controllability is 3 nm while the Ru-capping layer is 2.5 nm thick in a Buffer-less Ru-capped EUV mask. For this report, new repair processes are studied in conjunction with the machining behavior of the different EUVL mask layers. Repair applications to achieve the Edge Placement(EP) and Z-depth controllability for an optimal printability process window are discussed. Repair feasibility was determined using a EUV micro exposure tool (MET) and Actinic Imaging Tool (AIT) to evaluate repairs the 30 nm and 40 nm nodes. Finally, we will report the process margin of the repair through Slitho-EUV™ simulation by controlling side wall angle, Z-depth, and EP (Edge Placement) on the base of 3-dimensional experimental result.