Pattern formation method

• US 20080113304A1
• Filed: 12/26/2007
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Misaka, Akio
• Granted Patent: US 7,618,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 430/322
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/26 Phase shift masks [PSM]; PSM blanks; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/32 Attenuating PSM [att-PSM], e.g. halftone PSM or PSM having semi-transparent phase shift portion,; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/36 Masks having proximity correction features; Preparation thereof, e.g. optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70283 Mask effects on the imaging process
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70441 Optical proximity correction [OPC]
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/705 Modelling or simulating from physical phenomena up to complete wafer processes or whole workflow in wafer productions

Abstract

The photomask of this invention includes, on a transparent substrate, a semi-shielding portion having a transmitting property against exposing light, a transparent portion having a transmitting property against the exposing light and surrounded with the semi-shielding portion, and an auxiliary pattern surrounded with the semi-shielding portion and provided around the transparent portion. The semi-shielding portion and the transparent portion transmit the exposing light in an identical phase with respect to each other. The auxiliary pattern transmits the exposing light in an opposite phase with respect to the semi-shielding portion and the transparent portion and is not transferred through exposure.

Claims

1-42. -42. (canceled)

43. A pattern formation method using a photomask, comprising the steps of:

(a) forming a resist film on a substrate;

(b) irradiating said resist film with the exposing light through said photomask, and

(c) forming a resist pattern by developing said resist film after irradiation with the exposing light,

wherein said photomask comprises, on a transparent substrate;

a semi-shielding portion having a transmitting property against exposing light;

a transparent portion surrounded with said semi-shielding portion and having a transmitting property against the exposing light; and

an auxiliary pattern surrounded with said semi-shielding portion and provided around said transparent portion,

wherein part of said semi-shielding portion is interposed between said transparent portion and said auxiliary pattern,

said transparent portion is smaller than a rectangle with a side of (0.8×

λ

×

M)/NA,

said auxiliary pattern is a rectangular pattern and has a center line thereof in a position away from the center of said transparent portion by a distance not less than (0.3×

λ

×

M)/NA and not more than (0.5×

λ

×

M)/NA,

said semi-shielding portion and said transparent portion transmit the exposing light in an identical phase with respect to each other,

said auxiliary pattern transmits the exposing light in an opposite phase with respect to said semi-shielding portion and said transparent portion and is not transferred through exposure, and

λ

indicates a wavelength of the exposing light, and M and NA respectively indicate magnification and numerical aperture of a reduction projection optical system of a projection aligner.

44. The pattern formation method of claim 43,

wherein in said photomask, said auxiliary pattern has a width not less than (0.05×

λ

×

M)/(NA×

T^0.5) and not more than (0.2×

λ

×

M)/(NA×

T^0.5), wherein T indicates relative transmittance of said auxiliary pattern to said transparent portion.

45. The pattern formation method of claim 43,

wherein in said photomask, said auxiliary pattern has a center line thereof in a position away from the center of said transparent portion by a distance not less than (0.365×

λ

×

M)/NA and not more than (0.435×

λ

×

M)/NA.

46. The pattern formation method of claim 43,

wherein in said photomask, said transparent portion has a rectangular, polygonal or circular shape.

47. The pattern formation method of claim 43,

wherein in said photomask, said auxiliary pattern consists of four rectangular patterns.

48. The pattern formation method of claim 43,

wherein in said photomask, a transmittance of said semi-shielding portion is 3% or more and 15% or less with respect to said exposing light.

49. The pattern formation method of claim 43,

wherein in said photomask, a transmittance of said auxiliary pattern with respect to said exposing light is larger than at least the transmittance of said semi-shielding portion.

50. The pattern formation method of claim 43,

wherein in said photomask, a transmittance of said auxiliary pattern with respect to said exposing light is equivalent to a transmittance of said transparent portion.

51. The pattern formation method of claim 43,

wherein in said photomask,

said transparent portion is formed by exposing said transparent substrate,

said auxiliary pattern is formed by depositing, on said transparent substrate, a first phase shift film that causes, in the exposing light, a phase difference in an opposite phase with respect to said transparent portion, and

said semi-shielding portion is formed by depositing, on said first phase shift film, a second phase shift film that causes, in the exposing light, a phase difference in an opposite phase with respect to said first phase shift film.

52. The pattern formation method of claim 43,

wherein in said photomask,

said transparent portion is formed by exposing said transparent substrate,

said auxiliary pattern is formed by trenching said transparent substrate by a depth for causing, in the exposing light, a phase difference in an opposite phase with respect to said transparent portion, and

said semi-shielding portion is formed by depositing, on said transparent substrate, a semi-shielding film that transmits the exposing light in an identical phase with respect to said transparent portion.

53. The pattern formation method of claim 43,

wherein in said photomask,

said transparent portion is formed by exposing said transparent substrate,

said auxiliary pattern is formed by trenching said transparent substrate by a depth for causing, in the exposing light, a phase difference in an opposite phase with respect to said transparent portion, and

said semi-shielding portion is formed by depositing, on said transparent substrate, a metal thin film that transmits the exposing light in an identical phase with respect to said transparent portion.

54. The pattern formation method of claim 43,

wherein in said photomask,

said auxiliary pattern is formed by exposing said transparent substrate,

said transparent portion is formed by trenching said transparent substrate by a depth for causing, in the exposing light, a phase difference in an opposite phase with respect to said auxiliary pattern, and

said semi-shielding portion is formed by depositing, on said transparent substrate, a phase shift film that causes, in the exposing light, a phase difference in an opposite phase with respect to said auxiliary pattern.

55. The pattern formation method of claim 43,

wherein oblique incident illumination is employed in the step (b).

56. A pattern formation method using a photomask, comprising the steps of:

(a) forming a resist film on a substrate;

(b) irradiating said resist film with the exposing light through said photomask, and

(c) forming a resist pattern by developing said resist film after irradiation with the exposing light,

wherein said photomask comprises, on a transparent substrate;

a semi-shielding portion having a transmitting property against exposing light;

a transparent portion surrounded with said semi-shielding portion and having a transmitting property against the exposing light; and

an auxiliary pattern surrounded with said semi-shielding portion and provided around said transparent portion,

wherein part of said semi-shielding portion is interposed between said transparent portion and said auxiliary pattern,

said transparent portion is in the shape of a line with a width in a short side direction smaller than (0.65×

λ

×

M)/NA,

said auxiliary pattern is a rectangular pattern and has a center line thereof in a position away from the center of said transparent portion by a distance not less than (0.25×

λ

×

M)/NA and not more than (0.45×

λ

×

M)/NA,

said semi-shielding portion and said transparent portion transmit the exposing light in an identical phase with respect to each other,

said auxiliary pattern transmits the exposing light in an opposite phase with respect to said semi-shielding portion and said transparent portion and is not transferred through exposure, and

λ

indicates a wavelength of the exposing light, and M and NA respectively indicate magnification and numerical aperture of a reduction projection optical system of a projection aligner.

57. The pattern formation method of claim 56,

wherein in said photomask,

said transparent portion has a longitudinal dimension of (2×

λ

×

M)/NA or more.

58. The pattern formation method of claim 56,

wherein in said photomask,

said auxiliary pattern has a width not less than (0.05×

λ

×

M)/(NA×

T^0.5) and not more than (0.2×

λ

×

M)/(NA×

T^0.5), wherein T indicates relative transmittance of said auxiliary pattern to said transparent portion.

59. The pattern formation method of claim 56,

wherein in said photomask, said auxiliary pattern has a center line thereof in a position away from the center of said transparent portion by a distance not less than (0.275×

λ

×

M)/NA and not more than (0.425×

λ

×

M)/NA.

60. The pattern formation method of claim 56,

wherein in said photomask,

said auxiliary pattern is disposed in parallel to said transparent portion along a line direction of said transparent portion, and

said transparent portion has a line end protruded beyond said auxiliary pattern by a given or larger dimension along the line direction.

61. The pattern formation method of claim 56,

wherein oblique incident illumination is employed in the step (b).

62. A pattern formation method using a photomask, comprising the steps of:

(a) forming a resist film on a substrate;

(b) irradiating said resist film with the exposing light through said photomask, and

(c) forming a resist pattern by developing said resist film after irradiation with the exposing light,

wherein said photomask comprises, on a transparent substrate;

a semi-shielding portion having a transmitting property against exposing light;

a first transparent portion surrounded with said semi-shielding portion and having a transmitting property against the exposing light;

an auxiliary pattern surrounded with said semi-shielding portion and provided around said first transparent portion, and

a second transparent portion surrounded with said semi-shielding portion and having a transmitting property against the exposing light,

wherein part of said semi-shielding portion is interposed between said first transparent portion and said auxiliary pattern,

said auxiliary pattern includes a first auxiliary pattern disposed in an area sandwiched between said first transparent portion and said second transparent portion and a second auxiliary pattern disposed in the other area,

said semi-shielding portion and said first and second transparent portions transmit the exposing light in an identical phase with respect to each other, and

said auxiliary pattern transmits the exposing light in an opposite phase with respect to said semi-shielding portion and said first and second transparent portions and is not transferred through exposure.

63. The pattern formation method of claim 62,

wherein in said photomask,

said first auxiliary pattern is adjacent to a different auxiliary pattern spaced by a given or smaller distance with said semi-shielding portion sandwiched therebetween,

said second auxiliary pattern is not adjacent to a different auxiliary pattern spaced by said given or smaller distance with said semi-shielding portion sandwiched therebetween, and

said first auxiliary pattern has a smaller width than said second auxiliary pattern.

64. The pattern formation method of claim 62,

wherein in said photomask,

said first transparent portion is smaller than a rectangle with a side of (0.8×

λ

×

M)/NA, wherein λ

indicates a wavelength of the exposing light, and M and NA respectively indicate magnification and numerical aperture of a reduction projection optical system of a projection aligner.

65. The pattern formation method of claim 62,

wherein in said photomask,

said first transparent portion is in the shape of a line with a width in a short side direction smaller than (0.65×

λ

×

M)/NA, wherein λ

indicates a wavelength of the exposing light, and M and NA respectively indicate magnification and numerical aperture of a reduction projection optical system of a projection aligner.

66. The pattern formation method of claim 62,

wherein oblique incident illumination is employed in the step (b).