Transfer mask for exposure and pattern exchanging method of the same

• US 20050118516A1
• Filed: 01/10/2005
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OCTEC, Inc., Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: OCTEC, Inc., Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Nagaseki, Kazuya, Satosh, Naoyuki, Okumura, Katsuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,862,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 430/5
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/20 Masks or mask blanks for imaging by charged particle beam [CPB] radiation, e.g. by electron beam; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/50 Mask blanks not covered by G03F1/20 - G03F1/34; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31788 through mask
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31794 affecting masks
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3174 Particle-beam lithography, e.g. electron beam lithography

Abstract

The present invention is a transfer mask for exposure comprising a mask portion having a plurality of cells, each of which an opening of a predetermined pattern is formed in. When one side of the plurality of cells is exposed to a charged particle beam, each of the plurality of cells is adapted to make the charged particle beam pass through itself to the other side thereof based on the pattern of the opening formed in the cell. Thus, when a substrate to be processed is arranged on the other side of the cell, the pattern of the opening formed in the cell is transferred to the substrate to be processed and hence an exposure pattern is formed on the substrate to be processed. The feature of the present invention is that a part of or all the plurality of cells can be exchanged at the mask portion.

Claims

1. A transfer mask for exposure comprising a mask portion having a plurality of cells, each of which an opening of a predetermined pattern is formed in,

wherein

when one side of the plurality of cells is exposed to a charged particle beam, each of the plurality of cells is adapted to make the charged particle beam pass through itself to the other side thereof based on the pattern of the opening formed in the cell, so that when a substrate to be processed is arranged on the other side of the cell, the pattern of the opening formed in the cell is transferred to the substrate to be processed and an exposure pattern is formed on the substrate to be processed,

a part of or all the plurality of cells can be exchanged at the mask portion,

the mask portion has one or more blocks, each of which contains one or more cells, and

the blocks are arranged in such a manner that a circle surrounding all the blocks has a minimum diameter and the blocks are arranged in a polygon-like shape.

2. A transfer mask for exposure according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of cells can be exchanged by every block.

3. A transfer mask for exposure according to claim 1, wherein

each of the blocks contains a plurality of rectangular cells that are arranged in a square shape.

4. A transfer mask for exposure according to claim 1, wherein

the mask portion mainly consists of silicon.

5. A transfer mask for exposure comprising a mask portion having a plurality of cells, each of which an opening of a predetermined pattern is formed in,

wherein

the mask portion has one or more blocks, each of which contains one or more cells,

the mask portion has one or more supporting parts that support the one or more blocks,

the mask portion has one or more adhesive members that adhesively connect the one or more blocks and the one or more supporting parts and are capable of being removed at any time,

the one or more blocks can be exchanged to new blocks by removing the corresponding one or more adhesive members,

the blocks are arranged in such a manner that a circle surrounding all the blocks has a minimum diameter,

each of the supporting parts contains a stopper part that positions the corresponding block via the adhesive member, and a beam part that supports the stopper part and that protrudes under the corresponding block.

6. A transfer mask for exposure according to claim 5, wherein

each of the supporting parts is arranged to surround the corresponding block, and

one or more adhesive members are arranged at the whole circumference of the block or at a plurality of positions around the block.

7. A transfer mask for exposure according to claim 5,

wherein

each of the blocks contains a plurality of rectangular cells that are arranged in a square shape.

8. A transfer mask for exposure according to claim 5,

wherein

the blocks and the supporting parts mainly consist of silicon, and

the adhesive members consist of a material including carbon.

9. A pattern exchanging method of a transfer mask for exposure,

the transfer mask for exposure including a mask portion having a plurality of cells, each of which an opening of a predetermined pattern is formed in,

wherein

the mask portion has one or more blocks, each of which contains one or more cells,

the mask portion has one or more supporting-parts that supports the one or more blocks,

the mask portion has one or more adhesive members that adhesively connects the one or more blocks and the one or more supporting parts and are capable of being removed at any time,

each of the supporting parts contains a stopper part that positions the corresponding block via the adhesive member, and a beam part that supports the stopper part and that protrudes under the corresponding block, and

the blocks are arranged in such a manner that a circle surrounding all the blocks has a minimum diameter.

the method comprising

a step of removing an adhesive member that connects a block having a pattern to be exchanged, in order to remove the block,

a step of placing a new block on a beam part of a supporting part corresponding to the removed block, and

a step of adhesively connecting the stopper part of the supporting part corresponding to the removed block and the new block by means of an adhesive member.

10. A manufacturing method of a transfer mask for exposure, the transfer mask for exposure including a mask portion having a plurality of cells, each of which an opening of a predetermined pattern is formed in,

wherein

the mask portion has one or more blocks, each of which contains one or more cells,

the mask portion has one or more supporting parts that supports the one or more blocks,

the mask portion has one or more adhesive members that adhesively connects the one or more blocks and the one or more supporting parts and are capable of being removed at any time, and

each of the supporting parts contains a stopper part that positions the corresponding block via the adhesive-member, and a beam part that supports the stopper part and that protrudes under the corresponding block,

the method comprising

a step of forming the plurality of cells and the stopper parts by a dry etching process,

a step of forming the beam parts by both a machining process and an etching process, and

a step of connecting the blocks and the stopper parts by means of the adhesive members.

11. An exposure system comprising

a charged particle beam gun that irradiates a charged particle beam,

a shaping aperture mask in which a rectangular aperture has been formed, and

a transfer mask for exposure including a mask portion having a plurality of cells, each of which an opening of a predetermined pattern is formed in,

wherein

when one side of the plurality of cells is exposed to a charged particle beam irradiated from the charged particle beam gun through the shaping aperture mask, each of the plurality of cells is adapted to make the charged particle beam pass through itself to the other side thereof based on the pattern of the opening formed in the cell, so that when a substrate to be processed is arranged on the other side of the cell, the pattern of the opening formed in the cell is transferred to the substrate to be processed and an exposure pattern is formed on the substrate to be processed,

a part of or all the plurality of cells can be exchanged at the mask portion,

the mask portion has one or more blocks, each of which contains one or more cells, and

the blocks are arranged in such a manner that a circle surrounding all the blocks has a minimum diameter and the blocks are arranged in a polygon-like shape.

12. An exposure method using an exposure system,

the exposure system including

a charged particle beam gun that irradiates a charged particle beam,

a shaping aperture mask in which a rectangular aperture has been formed, and

a transfer mask for exposure including a mask portion having a plurality of cells, each of which an opening of a predetermined pattern is formed in,

wherein

when one side of the plurality of cells is exposed to a charged particle beam irradiated from the charged particle beam gun through the shaping aperture mask, each of the plurality of cells is adapted to make the charged particle beam pass through itself to the other side thereof based on the pattern of the opening formed in the cell, so that when a substrate to be processed is arranged on the other side of the cell, the pattern of the opening formed in the cell is transferred to the substrate to be processed and an exposure pattern is formed on the substrate to be processed,

a part of or all the plurality of cells can be exchanged at the mask portion,

the mask portion has one or more blocks, each of which contains one or more cells, and

the blocks are arranged in such a manner that a circle surrounding all the blocks has a minimum diameter and the blocks are arranged in a polygon-like shape.

the method comprising

a step of causing the charged particle beam gun to irradiate the charged particle beam through the shaping aperture mask, and

a step of exposing the one side of the plurality of cells to the charged particle beam that has been passed through the shaping aperture mask and making the charged particle beam pass through the cells to the other side of the cells, in order to transfer the pattern of the opening formed in the cell to the substrate to be processed, to form the exposure pattern on the substrate to be processed.