International Business Machines Corporation

Dean Craig Humphrey

Michael Straight Hibbs

Karen D Badger

Grant N Pealer, Iii

James J Colelli

Barbara Bates Peck

A method and system for reducing particulate contamination of a photomask used in lithographic printing. A reticle assembly comprises a pellicle frame and membrane which is adhered to a reticle and encloses an air space over a photomask of the reticle. Particulate matter which can adversely affect a lithographic printing result can be present within the enclosed air space. According to the invention, an interior wall of the pellicle frame is provided with an adhesive surface, and the reticle assembly is subjected to a dislodging motion to dislodge the particulate matter on the photomask surface and cause it to be directed toward the adhesive surface of the interior wall and adhere thereto, removing this particular matter from the focal plane of the lithographic optics.

Method and system for reducing particulate contamination in a pellicle air space

The invention relates to the evaluation of the pupil illumination profile in a projection lithography system using an imaging reticle featuring a plurality of holes of few microns in diameter. The imaging reticle is placed at the lens object plane and a photoresist coated substrate is exposed in a defocused position from the lithographic image plane. The image reticle has a plurality of identical holes that are regularly spaced at predetermined distances for a more detailed evaluation of the effective pupil illumination across the entire exposure field.

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Jericho, VT, United States of America

Dean Craig Humphrey