Intel Corporation

Giang T Dao

Ronald J Kuse

Eng T Gaw

Nelson N Tam

Qi-De Qian

Harry H Fujimoto

Gang Gary Liu

Han-Ming Wu

Jun F Zheng

Qi De Qian

Qing Ma

Jin Hyung Lee

Edita Tejnil

Arun Ramamoorthy

Robert F Hainsey

Christopher Marc Gerth

Joseph C Langston

Kenny K Toh

Jerry C Cullins

Ruben A Rodriguez

Ruben A Rodriquez

Jeffrey N Farnsworth

Rajeev R Singh

Alan M Snyder

A method of transporting a reticle is disclosed. The reticle is placed in a reticle carrier that has an ionizer. Moreover, the reticle may be attached with a pellicle. The pellicle consists of a pellicle frame and a pellicle film stretched over the pellicle frame. The pellicle frame has included within an absorbent material.

Reduced particle contamination manufacturing and packaging for reticles

The present invention includes a filtered mask enclosure having an exterior portion and interior regions within the exterior portion such that the interior regions have a filtering region and a purging region connected to the filtering region. The present invention further includes a method of removing a first contaminant in a gas phase, a second contaminant in a solid phase, and a third contaminant having an electrical charge from a purge gas and flowing the purge gas through a vicinity of a mask while exposing a wafer with light through the mask.

Apparatus for keeping contamination away from a mask during exposure with light

Method of transporting a reticle

A method and apparatus to remove contamination and control electrostatic discharge in-situ in a semiconductor device manufacture process. In an embodiment, the method includes providing a reticle having first and second planar surfaces into a chamber. A circuit pattern of opaque material may be disposed on the first planar surface of the reticle. The method further includes irradiating the reticle using an ultraviolet light radiation beam to remove contamination disposed on the first and second planar surfaces of the reticle and to neutralize static electricity accumulated by the reticle.

Apparatus and method for removing photomask contamination and controlling electrostatic discharge

The present invention describes a method of forming a mask comprising: providing a substrate, the substrate having a first thickness; forming a balancing layer over the substrate, the balancing layer having a second thickness; forming an absorber layer over the balancing layer, the absorber layer having a first region separated from a second region by a third region; removing the absorber layer in the first region and the second region; removing the balancing layer in the second region; and reducing the substrate in the second region to a third thickness. The present invention also describes a mask comprising: an absorber layer, the absorber layer having a first opening and a second opening, the first opening uncovering a balancing layer disposed over a substrate having a first thickness, and the second opening uncovering the substrate having a second thickness.

In-situ balancing for phase-shifting mask

A method is described that involves accepting a mask design file input and then simulating the inspection of a mask through an optical channel. The mask design file has patterns. The optical channel corresponds to a mask inspection tool optical channel. The mask is patterned according to the mask design file patterns.

Method and apparatus for physical image based inspection system

Testing of a mask which is intended to be used for low wavelength lithography. At lower wavelengths, e.g., 157 nm, certain contaminants may become visible, even though they were transparent under visible or ultraviolet light. A combination of Raman spectroscopy and infrared absorption spectroscopy are used to identify the contaminants.

Detection of contaminants on low wavelength masks

Filtered mask enclosure

Apparatus and methods to protect a photomask that is used for semiconductor photolithography at wavelengths outside the visible spectrum include a hinged pellicle that is rotated away from the photomask during exposure. The pellicle can be transparent or opaque. In one embodiment, the photomask is supported by a photomask base, and the pellicle is hinged to one side of the photomask base. The pellicle can be moved away from the photomask by a robot arm. When covering the photomask base, the pellicle can be secured to it with a securing mechanism such as a vacuum arrangement. Methods of use are also described.

Hinged pellicles and methods of use

The present invention describes a method of forming a mask comprising: providing a substrate, the substrate having a first thickness; forming a balancing layer over the substrate, the balancing layer having a second thickness; forming an absorber layer over the balancing layer, the absorber layer having a first region separated from a second region by a third region; removing the absorber layer in the first region and the second region; removing the balancing layer in the second region; and reducing the substrate in the second region to a third thickness. The present invention also describes a mask comprising: an absorber layers the absorber layer having a first opening and a second opening, the first opening uncovering a balancing layer disposed over a substrate having a first thickness, and the second opening uncovering the substrate having a second thickness.

A method for making a photolithographic mask. The method comprises forming a film on a substrate that deforms the substrate, and applying a deformation reducing agent to the substrate to reduce the amount of deformation that the film caused. In a preferred embodiment, the deformation reducing agent comprises one or more films, which are formed on one side of the substrate, that balance the substrate deformation effect of one or more films that are deposited on the other side of the substrate. The film or films that constitute the deformation reducing agent may be similar to, or different from, an absorption film and/or any other films deposited on the substrate or on the absorption film.

Method for making a photolithographic mask

An attenuated phase-shifted reticle. The disclosed reticle comprises a sub-resolution pattern, in regions other than the features to be formed. The sub-resolution pattern transmits a substantially uniform, attenuated radiation intensity. The features are phase-shifted relative to the sub-resolution pattern, such that light transmitted through them is approximately 180.degree. out of phase compared with the attenuated radiation transmitted through the sub-resolution pattern surrounding the features. In this way, the sub-resolution pattern acts as a phase-shifter for the features.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Giang T Dao