Studying chemically amplified resists and top antireflective coatings in photomask fabrication

摘要

CARs have been used in chipmaking for several years. Photomask manufacturers are in the early stages of integrating these resists into their production processes. When choosing a potential CAR for DUV photomask lithography, mask makers have a strong financial incentive to choose materials that are already in wide use in the semiconductor industry and whose engineering and development costs have already been borne by wafer lithographers. Finally, choosing such a CAR ensures a stable supply at a reasonable cost. Using a TARC on a prototype photomask CAR is a reasonable and sound approach. Taken in a broader context, the data presented in this article reflecting the marginal results achieved using the TARC technique serve more to underscore fundamental differences in wafer and photomask lithography than a particular process development shortcoming.