Skhynix Inc.

Hynix Semiconductor Inc.

Byung Ho Nam

Yong Dae Kim

Young Mo Lee

Sung Hyun Oh

Byoung Sub Nam

A photomask includes a light transmission substrate having a transfer region and a frame region, a light-transmitting region exposing a portion of the light transmission substrate in the transfer region corresponding to a transfer pattern, a phase shift region surrounding the light-transmitting region in the transfer region. The phase shift region includes a first phase shift region surrounding the light-transmitting region and a second phase shift region surrounding the first phase shift region. A first phase shift pattern is disposed on the light transmission substrate in the first phase shift region, and a plurality of second phase shift patterns are disposed on the light transmission substrate in the second phase shift region.

Photomasks for reducing thermal stress generated by heat

A photomask includes a light transmission substrate having a transfer region and a frame region, a light-transmitting region exposing a portion of the light transmission substrate in the transfer region corresponding to a transfer pattern, and a light-blocking region disposed in the transfer region and surrounding the light-transmitting region, wherein the light-blocking region includes a first light-blocking region surrounding the light-transmitting region, and a second light-blocking region that surrounds the first light-blocking region, and wherein a first light-blocking pattern is disposed on the light transmission substrate in the first light-blocking region, and a plurality of second light-blocking patterns are disposed on the light transmission substrate in the second light-blocking region.

A photo mask includes a pre-alignment key used in a pre-alignment process performed in a photolithography apparatus. The pre-alignment key includes a pre-alignment pattern including a light transmitting area and a light blocking area surrounding the pre-alignment pattern. The light blocking area includes a plurality of light blocking patterns and a diffraction grating pattern separating the plurality of light blocking patterns from each other.

Photo mask including pre-alignment keys and photolithography apparatus performing a pre-alignment process for the photo mask

A blank mask includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface which are opposite to each other. The substrate includes a trench having a predetermined depth from the second surface. A reflection layer is disposed on the first surface of the substrate to reflect extreme ultraviolet (EUV) rays. An absorption layer is disposed on the reflection layer opposite to the substrate to absorb EUV rays. A conductive layer is disposed in the trench to expose portions of the substrate. The conductive layer includes first conductive lines and second conductive lines intersecting the first conductive lines, and the exposed portions of the substrate are two dimensionally arrayed to have island shapes.

Blank masks for extreme ultra violet lithography, methods of fabricating the same, and methods of correcting registration errors thereof

Reflection type blank masks are provided. The blank mask includes a substrate having a recessed pattern with a predetermined depth, a reflection layer substantially on the substrate, an absorption layer substantially on the reflection layer, and a resist layer substantially on the absorption layer, wherein the resist layer has a recessed part that is formed by transference of the profile from the recessed pattern.

Reflection type blank masks, methods of fabricating the same, and methods of fabricating reflection type photo masks using the same

Blank masks for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photolithography are provided. The blank mask includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface which are opposite to each other, a reflection layer disposed on the first surface of the substrate to reflect extreme ultraviolet (EUV) rays, an absorption layer disposed on the reflection layer opposite to the substrate to absorb extreme ultraviolet (EUV) rays, and a conductive layer disposed on the second surface of the substrate to expose portions of the substrate. Related methods are also provided.

Reflection type blank masks are provided. The blank mask includes a substrate, a reflection layer substantially on the substrate, at least one fiducial mark substantially on the reflection layer, an absorption layer substantially on the at least one fiducial mark and the reflection layer, and a resist layer substantially on the absorption layer.

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming an interlayer dielectric film on a semiconductor substrate including a pattern region and a dummy region, forming a photoresist pattern on the interlayer dielectric film such that the pattern region and the dummy region are partially exposed, etching the interlayer dielectric film exposed through the photoresist pattern as an etching mask to form a contact hole and a dummy contact hole, filling the contact hole and the dummy contact hole with a conductive material to form a contact plug and a dummy plug, depositing a semiconductor layer on the contact plug and the dummy plug, and subjecting the semiconductor layer to patterning to form a semiconductor layer pattern and a dummy pattern.

Semiconductor device having dummy pattern and the method for fabricating the same

A mask includes mask patterns formed over a frontside of a substrate and a phase grating formed over a backside of the substrate. The mask patterns correspond to a layout of diagonal patterns extending in a direction rotated toward a predetermined direction from an axis of a rectangular coordinate system. The phase grating extends in a direction parallel to the extending direction of the mask patterns. The phase grating includes first and second phase regions alternately arranged over the backside of the substrate with a phase difference of 180&#xb0; therebetween. The first and second phase regions induce a phase interference that blocks a zero-order light of an exposure light incident to the substrate and allows a primary light to be incident to the mask patterns.

Backside phase grating mask and method for manufacturing the same

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate with a pattern region and a dummy region, an interlayer dielectric film arranged on the semiconductor substrate, a semiconductor layer pattern arranged on the interlayer dielectric film in the pattern region, a dummy pattern arranged on the interlayer dielectric film in the dummy region, a contact plug arranged inside the interlayer dielectric film, and the contact plug connecting the semiconductor layer pattern to the semiconductor substrate, and a dummy plug arranged inside the interlayer dielectric film, the dummy plug corresponding to the dummy pattern. A method for fabricating the semiconductor device includes forming these structures.

A method for detecting failure of database patterns of a photo mask including designing the database patterns of the photo mask according to a design rule of a semiconductor element; performing optical proximity correction (OPC) of the designed database patterns; and detecting failure of the database patterns by obtaining a plurality of bias values based on at least two space widths according to each of line critical dimensions (CDs) of the designed database patterns and by detecting the shape of the pattern having the optimum bias value. The method applies different space widths to the patterns according to critical dimensions of lines of the patterns of the photo mask to preliminarily detect patterning failure varied according to illuminating systems, sub-films, and thicknesses of resist, and to correct failure of the patterns, such as collapse or bridges of the patterns, generated from the different lengths of patterns lines having the same critical dimension, using different bias values.

Growing community of inventors

Daegu, South Korea

Byung Ho Nam