Semiconductor device manufacturing method

• US 6,703,328 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2002
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Technology Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Toshihiko, Hattori, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Whitehead, Jr., Carl
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dolan, Jennifer M
• Application Number:
  US10/044,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20020102477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 438/462, 438/401, 438/942, 438/945, 438/948, 438/950, 438/975, 257/797, 430/5, 430/215, 430/270.1, 430/311
• US Class Current: 438/462
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/38 Masks having auxiliary features, e.g. special coatings or marks for alignment or testing; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/42 Alignment or registration features, e.g. alignment marks on the mask substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70541 Tagging, i.e. hardware or software tagging of features or components, e.g. using tagging scripts or tagging identifier codes for identification of chips, shots or wafers
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70741 Handling masks outside exposure position, e.g. reticle libraries

Abstract

A circuit pattern, a reticle alignment mark, a bar code, and a discrimination mark which are formed on a glass plate of a photo mask is constituted of a photo sensitive and photo attenuative material containing a fine particle material and a binder. Discrimination of the photo mask is performed by irradiating predetermined discrimination light on the discrimination mark or the bar code. Alignment of the photo mask by an aligner is performed by irradiating predetermined detection light on the reticle alignment mark. In an exposure process, the pattern on the photo mask is transferred onto a semiconductor wafer by using exposure light having a wavelength different from that of the discrimination light or that of the detection light.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device manufacturing method, in which a circuit pattern, an alignment mark, and a discrimination mark which are formed on a photo mask, are made of the same photo sensitive material, comprising:

(a) the step of discriminating the photo mask by using said discrimination mark;

(b) the step of aligning the photo mask by using said alignment mark; and

(c) the step of transferring a pattern onto a semiconductor wafer by using said circuit pattern,

wherein said photo sensitive material contains a fine particle material and a binder; and

wherein said photo sensitive material contains a photo sensitive resin and a light-absorbing agent.

2. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein a wavelength of exposure light for transferring the circuit pattern of said photo mask is different from a wavelength of light for detecting said discrimination mark in the step of performing discrimination of said photo mask.

3. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein a wavelength of exposure light for transferring said circuit pattern is different from a wavelength of light for detecting said alignment mark in the alignment of said photo mask and also different from a wavelength of light for detecting said discrimination mark in the discrimination of said photo mask.

4. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein a grain size of said fine particle material is not more than 200 mn.

5. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein a content of the fine particle material in said photo sensitive and photo attenuative material is not less than 10% and not more than 99%.

6. A semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the fine particle material comprises carbon or graphite.

7. A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising:

the step of storing a photo mask having a transparent plate and a photo sensitive and photo attenuative material in a stocker;

the step of reading a mark made of said photo sensitive and photo attenuative material to perform mask discrimination of said photo mask;

the step of installing the photo mask to a predetermined exposure unit of an aligner;

the step of detecting the position of an alignment mark made of the photo sensitive and photo attenuative material on said photo mask to perform alignment between the photo mask and a semiconductor wafer;

the step of exposing a desired pattern of said photo mask onto the semiconductor wafer by said aligner; and

the step of installing the photo mask to said stocker after said exposure,

wherein said photo sensitive and photo attenuative material contains a photo sensitive resin and a light-absorbing agent.

8. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein said photo sensitive and photo attenuative material has a transmittance of not more than 60% with respect to light for discriminating said mask and light for detecting said alignment mark.

9. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 7, comprising:

the step of deciding whether said photo mask will be used in the future or not after the step of installing the photo mask to said stocker after said exposure;

the step of removing said photo sensitive and photo attenuative material to return to a transparent plate when it is not decided that said photo mask will be used in the future;

the step of cleaning said photo masks;

the step of inspecting the defects on the transparent plate of the photo mask;

the step of coating the photo sensitive and photo attenuative material on the transparent plate;

the step of exposing a desired pattern on said photo sensitive and photo attenuative material;

the step of performing development to form a photo mask having a circuit pattern made of said photo sensitive and photo attenuative material; and

the step of installing the photo mask to the stocker to perform exposure again.

10. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein the photo sensitive and photo attenuative material of said photo mask contains at least a fine particle material and a binder, and said transparent plate is a glass plate.

11. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 10, comprising:

the step of forming a phase shifter structure, which almost inverts a phase of exposure light, on a part of said glass plate of said photo mask; and

the step of forming a photo attenuative pattern containing at least said fine particle material and said binder on said phase shifter.

12. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein said photo mask has a phase shifter structure which almost inverts a phase of exposure light transmitted through said photo sensitive and photo attenuative material with respect to exposure light transmitted through an area where said photo sensitive and photo attenuative material is not formed.

13. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein said fine particle material is an inorganic substance.

14. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein said fine particle material is carbon.

15. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein a light transmittance of said photo sensitive and photo attenuative material is 30% or less with respect to light having a wavelength of not less than 150 mn and not more than 750 mn.

16. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein the photo sensitive and photo attenuative material of said photo mask is a resist containing a light-absorbing agent which absorbs light having a wavelength of 230 nm to 750 nm, and said transparent plate is a glass plate.

17. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein the photo sensitive and photo attenuative material of said photo mask is a resist containing a light-absorbing agent which absorbs light having a wavelength of 350 nm to 750 nm, and said transparent plate is a glass plate.

18. A semiconductor device manufacturing method wherein a semiconductor device is manufactured by using a photo mask having (a) a glass plate and (b) a photo sensitive and photo attenuative material which contains a photo sensitive resin and a light-absorbing agent and in which a transmittance with respect to light having a wavelength of 150 nm to 750 nm is not more than 60%.

19. A semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 18, wherein the photo sensitive and photo attenuative material contains carbon or graphite.