Determining the Critical Size of EUV Mask Substrate Defects

摘要

Determining the printability of substrate defects beneath the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) reflecting multilayer stack is an important issue in EUVL lithography. Several simulation studies have been performed in the past to determine the tolerable defect size on EUV mask blank substrates but the industry still has no exact specification based on real printability tests. Therefore, it is imperative to experimentally determine the printability of small defects on a mask blanks that are caused by substrate defects using direct printing of programmed substrate defect in an EUV exposure tools. SEMATECH fabricated bump type program defect masks using standard electron beam lithography and performed printing tests with the masks using an EUV exposure tool. Defect images were also captured using SEMATECH's Berkeley Actinic Imaging Tool in order to compare aerial defect images with secondary electron microscope images from exposed wafers. In this paper, a comprehensive understanding of substrate defect printability will be presented and printability specifications of EUV mask substrate defects will be discussed.