Lucent Technologies Inc.

At+t Corp.

David Lee Windt

Warren Kazmir Waskiewicz

James Alexander Liddle

George Patrick Watson

Raymond A Cirelli

Lloyd R Harriott

Cynthia A Volkert

Masis Mkrtchyan

Lee Edward Trimble

A process for device fabrication is disclosed. In the process, optical lithography is used to introduce an image of a desired pattern into an energy sensitive material. In the process, a filter element is provided. The filter element has at least two regions of different transmittance, each region denominated an aperture. The regions are selected by obtaining information about the desired pattern and an optical lithographic tool that will be used to introduce the image of the desired pattern into the energy sensitive resist material. A filter element that provides an image that, when developed, will provide features with dimensions within acceptable process tolerances is then designed. The filter element is designed by modeling the effects of each aperture of the filter element on the intensity profile of an image of the desired pattern. The combined effect of the apertures is then determined. If required, an aspect (transmittance, orientation, dimension) of the one or more of the proposed apertures is adjusted to provide a modeled intensity profile that more closely corresponds to the desired lithographic result. Once the aspects of all apertures is determined, the filter element is fabricated and used in the optical lithographic process by placing the filter element in the optical lithography tool.

Process for device fabrication using a variable transmission aperture

A process for controlling the stress of multilayer films formed on a substrate is disclosed. A plurality of periods, each period having at least two layers of material wherein one of the layers of material is under compressive stress and the other layer of material is under tensile stress, are formed in a substrate. The stress in the multilayer film is controlled by selecting a thickness for the layer under compressive stress and a thickness for the layer under tensile stress that will provide a multilayer film of the desired stress. The thickness of each layer is about 0.5 nm to about 10 nm. Multilayer films with a stress of about -50 MPa to about 50 MPa are obtained using the present process. The present invention is also directed to masks with such multilayer films.

Masks with low stress multilayer films and a process for controlling the

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Berkeley Heights, NJ, United States of America

David Lee Windt