Phase-shifter edge effects on attenuated phase-shifting mask image quality

摘要

Abstract: Edge effects of space, line, and linespace patterns in attenuated phase-shifting masks are studied using experimentally measured aerial images from the IBM AIMS tool, the scalar and thin mask approximations in SPLAT, and the rigorous electromagnetic simulator TEMPEST. The inadequacy of the thin mask approximation cannot be anticipated from comparisons of in- focus images of isolated line features as the experimentally measured image and the predictions from SPLAT and TEMPEST agree well. However, the scalar and thin mask approximations are not suitable for out of focus image prediction for all pattern types because the presence of the glass edges causes a focus shift of about 0.1 $mu@m. Printing small isolated spaces and dense linespace patterns is more robust than isolated lines in the attenuated PSM technology. !14