Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Ching-Chia Lin

San-De Tzu

Shy-Jay Lin

Chia-Hui Lin

Wen-Hong Huang

A new method is provided for the creation of an attenuated phase shifting mask. A transparent mask substrate is provided, a layer of attenuating phase shifting material is deposited on the surface of said transparent mask substrate, a layer of opaque material is deposited on the surface of said layer of attenuating phase shifting material. A layer of photoresist is deposited over the surface of the layer of opaque material. The photoresist is exposed by E-beam, creating a mask pattern and a guard ring pattern in the photoresist. The (E-beam) exposed photoresist is removed, the pattern created in the layer of photoresist is used to etch a mask pattern in the layer of opaque material and the layer of attenuating phase shifting material. The remaining photoresist is exposed to UV radiation in the region of the mask pattern and partially in the region of the guard ring. The (UV) exposed photoresist is removed, the remaining photoresist is reduced in height after which the openings of the mask pattern in the opaque layer are increased in size, the outside edge of the guard ring accurately defines the boundary of the device. The remaining photoresist is removed from the layer of opaque material.

Self alignment process to fabricate attenuated shifting mask with chrome border

A method of forming a rim type attenuating phase shifting mask which requires only one resist layer and developing the resist using a single developing solution. A transparent mask substrate has a layer of attenuating phase shifting material, a layer of opaque material, and a layer of resist material formed thereon. The layer of resist is exposed to a first pattern using a first exposure dose and a second pattern using a smaller second exposure dose. The resist is developed for a first time forming the first pattern in the entire layer of resist and the second pattern in the top portion of the layer of resist. The first pattern is then etched in the layer of opaque material using the first pattern in the layer of resist as a mask. In one embodiment the first pattern is then etched in the layer of attenuating phase shifting material, the resist is partially etched using an O.sub.2 plasma etch leaving the second pattern in the lower part of the resist, the second pattern is etched in the layer of opaque material, and the resist is stripped. In a second embodiment the layer of resist is developed for a second time in the same solution forming the second pattern in the entire resist layer, the first pattern is etched in the layer of attenuating phase shifting material, the second pattern is etched in the layer of opaque material, and the resist is stripped.

Double layer method for fabricating a rim type attenuating phase

A mask and a method of forming a mask having a binary mask pattern in a first region of a transparent mask substrate and a rim type attenuating phase shifting mask pattern in a second region of the same transparent mask substrate. The rim type attenuating phase shifting mask pattern is used to form small contact holes and the binary mask pattern is used to form larger contact holes in an integrated circuit wafer. The use of the rim type attenuating phase shifting mask pattern and the binary mask pattern avoids the problems due to side lobe effect for cases where different size contact holes are required on the same layer in an integrated circuit wafer. The formation of the rim type attenuating phase shifting mask pattern and the binary mask pattern on the same transparent mask substrate increases throughput and decreases cost in the fabrication of integrated circuit wafers.

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Keelung, Taiwan

Ching-Chia Lin