Photomask

• US 7,147,975 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Misaka, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): ROSASCO, STEPHEN D
• Application Number:
  US10/717,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20040161678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 430/5
• US Class Current: 430/5
• 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

Abstract

A mask pattern includes a main pattern to be transferred through exposure and an auxiliary pattern that diffracts exposing light and is not transferred through the exposure. The main pattern is made from a shielding portion, a phase shifter or a combination of a semi-shielding portion or a shielding portion and a phase shifter. The auxiliary pattern is made from a shielding portion or a semi-shielding portion. The auxiliary pattern is disposed in a position away from the main pattern by a distance M×(λ/(2×sin φ)) or M×((λ/(2×sin φ))+(λ/(NA+sin φ))), wherein λ indicates a wavelength of the exposing light, M and NA indicate magnification and numerical aperture of a reduction projection optical system of an aligner and φ indicates an oblique incident angle.

Claims

1. A photomask comprising:

a mask pattern formed on a transparent substrate; and

a transparent portion of said transparent substrate where said mask pattern is not formed,

wherein said mask pattern includes a main pattern to be transferred through exposure and an auxiliary pattern that diffracts exposing light and is not transferred through the exposure,

said main pattern is composed of a first semi-shielding portion that has first transmittance for partially transmitting said exposing light and transmits said exposing light in an identical phase with respect to said transparent portion, and a phase shifter that transmits said exposing light in an opposite phase with respect to said transparent portion,

said auxiliary pattern is made from a second semi-shielding portion that has second transmittance for partially transmitting said exposing light and transmits said exposing light in the identical phase with respect to said transparent portion, and

a pattern width of said auxiliary pattern is smaller than that of said main pattern.

2. The photomask of claim 1,

wherein said first transmittance is 15% or less.

3. The photomask of claim 1,

wherein said second transmittance is not less than 6% and not more than 15%.

4. The photomask of claim 3,

wherein said first semi-shielding portion and said second semi-shielding portion are formed by the same semi-shielding film.

5. The photomask of claim 1, wherein

a part of said transparent portion is disposed between said main pattern and said auxiliary pattern, and

with respect to an oblique incident angle φ

A defined as sin φ

A =NA×

SA when a given oblique incident position is indicated by SA (wherein 0.4≦

SA≦

0.8), a center of said auxiliary pattern is disposed in or in the vicinity of a position away from a center of said main pattern by a distance M×

(λ

/(2×

sin φ

A)), wherein λ

indicates a wavelength of said exposing light and M and NA indicate magnification and numerical aperture of a reduction projection optical system of an aligner.

6. The photomask of claim 1,

wherein said phase shifter is disposed at a center of said main pattern to be surrounded by said first semi-shielding portion.

7. The photomask of claim 6,

wherein a dimension of a part of said first semi-shielding portion sandwiched between said phase shifter and said transparent portion is not less than 20 nm and not more than (0.3×

λ

/NA)×

M, wherein λ

indicates a wavelength of said exposing light and M and NA indicate magnification and numerical aperture of a reduction projection optical system of an aligner.

8. The photomask of claim 6,

wherein a dimension of a part of said first semi-shielding portion sandwiched between said phase shifter and said transparent portion is not less than ¼

of a wavelength of said exposing light and not more than (0.3×

λ

/NA)×

M, wherein λ

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

9. The photomask of claim 1,

wherein said phase shifter is disposed in a peripheral portion of said main pattern to be surrounded by a part of said first semi-shielding portion.

10. The photomask of claim 1, wherein

a part of said transparent portion is disposed between said main pattern and said auxiliary pattern, and

with respect to an oblique incident angle φ

B defined as sin φ

B=NA×

SB when a given oblique incident position is indicated by SB (0.4≦

SB≦

0.8), a center of said auxiliary pattern is disposed in or in the vicinity of a position away from a center of said main pattern by a distance M×

((λ

/(2×

sin φ

B))+(λ

/(NA+sin φ

B)), wherein λ

indicates a wavelength of said exposing light and M and NA indicate magnification and numerical aperture of a reduction projection optical system of an aligner.

11. The photomask of claim 1, wherein

said auxiliary pattern includes a first auxiliary pattern that is disposed with a part of said transparent portion sandwiched between said main pattern and said first auxiliary pattern, and a second auxiliary pattern that is disposed on a side of said first auxiliary pattern farther from said main pattern with a part of said transparent portion sandwiched between said first auxiliary pattern and said second auxiliary pattern. said distance X is larger than said distance Y.

12. The photomask of claim 11,

wherein when a given oblique incident position is indicated by SA (wherein 0.4≦

SA≦

0.8), with respect to an oblique incident angle φ

A defined as sin φ

A=NA×

SA, a center of said first auxiliary pattern is disposed in or in the vicinity of a position away from a center of said main pattern by a distance X=M×

(λ

/(2×

sin φ

A), wherein λ

indicates a wavelength of said exposing light and M and NA indicate magnification and numerical aperture of a reduction projection optical system of an aligner.

13. The photomask of claim 12,

wherein with respect to an oblique incident angle φ

A defined as sin φ

A=NA×

SA when a given oblique incident position is indicated by SA (0.4≦

SA≦

0.8), a center of said auxiliary pattern is disposed in or in the vicinity of a position away from a center of said main pattern by a distance M×

((λ

/(2×

sin φ

A))+(λ

/(NA+sin φ

A)), wherein λ

indicates a wavelength of said exposing light and M and NA indicate magnification and numerical aperture of a reduction projection optical system of an aligner.

14. The photomask of claim 1,

wherein said first semi-shielding portion and said second semi-shielding portion are formed by the same semi-shielding film.

15. A photomask comprising:

a mask pattern formed on a transparent substrate; and

a transparent portion of said transparent substrate where said mask pattern is not formed,

wherein said mask pattern includes a main pattern to be transferred through exposure and an auxiliary pattern that diffracts exposing light and is not transferred through the exposure,

said main pattern is composed of a first semi-shielding portion that has first transmittance for partially transmitting said exposing light and transmits said exposing light in an identical phase with respect to said transparent portion, and a phase shifter that transmits said exposing light in an opposite phase with respect to said transparent portion,

said auxiliary pattern includes a first auxiliary pattern that has a width D1 and is disposed with a part of said transparent portion sandwiched between said main pattern and said first auxiliary pattern and a second auxiliary pattern that has a width D2 and is disposed on a side of said first auxiliary pattern farther from said main pattern with a part of said transparent portion sandwiched between said first auxiliary pattern and said second auxiliary pattern, and

said width D2 is larger than said width D1.

16. The photomask of claim 15,

wherein a ratio D2/D1 is not less than 1.2 and not more than 2.

17. The photomask of claim 15,

wherein said phase shifter is disposed at a center of said main pattern to be surrounded by said first semi-shielding portion.

18. The photomask of claim 17,

wherein a dimension of a part of said first semi-shielding portion sandwiched between said phase shifter and said transparent portion is not less than 20 nm and not more than (0.3×

λ

/NA)×

M, wherein λ

indicates a wavelength of said exposing light and M and NA indicate magnification and numerical aperture of a reduction projection optical system of an aligner.

19. The photomask of claim 17,

wherein a dimension of a part of said first semi-shielding portion sandwiched between said phase shifter and said transparent portion is not less than ¼

of a wavelength of said exposing light and not more than (0.3×

λ

/NA)×

M, wherein λ

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

20. The photomask of claim 17,

wherein said main pattern is composed of a shielding portion replaced with said first semi-shielding portion and said phase shifter.

21. The photomask of claim 15,

wherein said phase shifter is disposed in a peripheral portion of said main pattern to be surrounded by a part of said first semi-shielding portion.

22. The photomask of claim 15,

wherein said first semi-shielding portion has transmittance of 15% or less.

23. The photomask of claim 15,

wherein said first auxiliary pattern and said second auxiliary pattern are made from a shielding portion or a second semi-shielding portion that has second transmittance for partially transmitting said exposing light and transmits said exposing light in an identical phase with respect to said transparent portion.

24. The photomask of claim 23,

wherein the transmittance of said second semi-shielding portion is not less than 6% and not more than 50%.