A practical solution to the critical problem of 193 nm reticle haze

摘要

The authors have developed and successfully implemented a practical, yet effective solution to help eliminate haze formation in the production fab Based on a novel mechanism of haze formation described earlier, along with a thorough understanding of the reticle surface chemistry changes during the manufacturing process, the authors found an unexpectedly simple and straightforward way to prevent haze formation. This is possible regardless of the origin of the reticle, by controlling the purity of the immediate reticle environment.