Photolithography mask repair

• US 7,504,182 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2003
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FEI Company (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FEI Company (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Berger, Steven, Beaty, John, Casey, legal representative, Casey, J. David Jr., Musil, Christian R., Stewart, Diane K.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROSASCO, STEPHEN D
• Application Number:
  US10/664,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20040151991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,008 Days
• Field of Search: 427/5,30,270,905,419.1,404,523,492.3 430/5 204/192.1,192.2
• US Class Current: 430/5
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/72 Repair or correction of mask defects
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/74 by charged particle beam [CPB], e.g. focused ion beam

Abstract

Masks can be repaired by creating a structure that is different from the original design, but that produces the same aerial image. For example, missing opaque material can be replaced by implanting gallium atoms to reduce transmission and quartz can be etched to an appropriate depth to produce the proper phase. In another aspect, a laser or other means can be used to remove an area of a mask around a defect, and then mask structures, either the intended design structures or alternate structures that produce the same aerial image, can be constructed using charged particle beam deposition and etching. For example, an electron beam can be used to deposit quartz to alter the phase of transmitted light. An electron beam can also be used with a gas to etch quartz to remove a layer including implanted gallium atoms. Gallium staining can also be reduced or eliminated by providing a sacrificial layer that can be removed, along with the implanted gallium atoms, using, for example, a broad ion beam. In another aspect, a charged particle beam can be programmed to etch a defect using three-dimensional information derived from two charged particle beams images of the defect from different angle.

Claims

1. A method for repairing a defect in a photolithography mask including a transparent substrate and a pattern of opaque material, the defect being an absence of opaque material on an area that should be covered by an opaque material, the method comprising:

scanning a beam of metallic ions over the defect area to implant metallic atoms into the defect area, the metal atoms reducing the transparency of the defect area without depositing an opaque material to cover the defect area.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising scanning a beam of metallic ions over a non-defective area of the transparent substrate near the defect to implant metallic atoms in the non-defective area, the implantation of the metallic atoms in the non-defective area causing the aerial image of the repaired mask to more closely resemble the aerial image of a non-defective mask.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising thinning an area of the substrate to alter the phase of transmitted light.

4. A method for repairing a defect in a photolithography mask including a transparent substrate and a pattem of material, a first area around the defect characterized by a design aerial image, the defect being an absence of material on a second area that should be covered by a material or the presence of material on the second area that should not be covered by the material, the method comprising:

scanning a beam of ions over a third area to implant atoms into the third area, the atoms altering the third area and causing an actual repaired aerial image of the first area to approiuiniate the design aerial image more closely than did an actual unrepaired aerial image.

5. The method of claim 4 in which the defect comprises a clear defect in a binary mask and in which scanning a beam of ions over a third area to implant atoms into the third area includes scanning a beam of metallic ions over the third area to implant metallic atoms into the third area to reduce its transparency.

6. The method of claim 5 in which scanning a beam of metallic ions over the third area to implant metallic aidma into the third area to reduce its transparency includes scanning a beam of metallic ions over a defect area and a non-defect area to implant metallic atoms into the defect area and a non-defect area to reduce transparency.

7. The method of claim 6 in which scanning a beam of metallic ions over a defect area and a non-defect area to implant metallic atoms into the defect area and a non-defect area to reduce its transparency includes scanning a beam of metallic ions over a defect area and a non-defect area to implant metallic atoms into the defect area and a non-defect area adjacent the defect area to reduce transparency.

8. The method of claim 4 in which the defect comprises a clear defect in a phase shift mask and in which scanning a beam of ions over a third area to implant atoms into the third area includes scanning a beam of metallic ions over the third area to reduce its thickness to alter the phase of transmitted light and to implant metallic atoms into the third area to reduce its transparency.

9. A method for repairing a defect in a photolithoaraphy mask, comprising:

locating a defect on a mask;

characterizing the defect;

determining an intended aerial image corresponding to an area of the mask that includes the defect;

determining an alternate structure that will provide an aerial image similar to the intended aerial image, in which determining an alternate structure that will provide an aerial image similar to the intended aerial image includes determining an alternate structure that includes an area of metallic atoms implanted by an ion beam; and

effecting the alternate structure on the mask.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the area of metallic atoms implanted by an ion beam includes an area of an opaque defect.

11. The method of claim 10 in which the area of metallic atoms implanted by an ion beam further includes a non-defective area.

12. A method for repairing a photolithography mask including a pattern on a substrate, the mask having a defect such that the actual pattern on the mask is different from an intended design pattern, comprising:

using a laser to remove an area of the pattern including the defect;

using one or more charged particle beams to recreate in the area a pattern that provides approximately the aerial image as the intended design pattern in the area.

13. The method of claim 12 in which using one or more charged particle beams to recreate in the area a pattern that provides approximately the aerial image as the intended design pattern in the area includes using an ion beam to implant atoms to alter the transparency of a portion of the mask.

14. The method of claim 12 in which using one or more charged particle beams to recreate in the area a pattern that provides approximately the aerial image as the intended design pattern in the area includes using an ion beam to deposit ions to alter the transparency of a portion of the mask.