Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

In-Sung Kim

Chang-min Park

Seong-sue Kim

Jeong-Ho Yeo

Dong-gun Lee

Jeong-Hoon Lee

Joo-On Park

Ho-Chul Kim

Young-Seog Kang

Hwan-seok Seo

Chan Soo Hwang

Dong-Wan Kim

Jin-hong Park

Doo-Hoon Goo

Jin-Hong Park

Jin-seok Heo

Jae-pil Shin

Young-Mi Lee

Sang-hyun Kim

Chang-Min Park

Byoung-Sup Ahn

Sung-Soo Suh

Ji-soong Park

Tae-geun Kim

Seung-Koo Lee

Jooon Park

Doo-Hoo Goo

An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source device includes a source droplet generator for generating source droplets as a target source for generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light and for injecting the source droplets to a collector, a light irradiator for directing a detection light to an injection path of the source droplets, a light detector for detecting the detection light blocked by the source droplet, and a source droplet controller electrically connected to the light detector and the source droplet generator for analyzing the detection light to determine whether a satellite of the source droplet is generated or to determine a size of the generated satellite and for controlling a formation of a stream of source droplets based on the determination result.

Extreme ultraviolet light source device

A reflective extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask includes a mask substrate, a reflecting layer on an upper surface of the mask substrate, and an absorbing layer pattern on an upper surface of the reflecting layer, the absorbing layer pattern having an exposing region and a peripheral region, and the absorbing layer pattern including a grating pattern in the peripheral region to reduce reflectivity of light incident on the peripheral region.

Reflective extreme ultraviolet mask

Reflective masks, and methods of manufacturing the same, include a reflective multi-layer on a mask substrate, a plurality of support patterns spaced apart from one another in the main trench. The plurality of support patterns are in a main trench of the reflective multi-layer. The plurality of support patterns correspond to areas of the reflective mask not transferred onto an exposure target substrate. The support patterns partition the main trench to form a plurality of auxiliary trenches. The reflective mask further includes a light absorption pattern including a plurality of auxiliary light absorption patterns in the auxiliary trenches.

Reflective masks for use in extreme ultraviolet lithography apparatus and methods of manufacturing the same

A method of correcting flare includes measuring flare of a test pattern, calculating point spread functions (PSFs) of the flare as a function of distance, and correcting the flare using corresponding PSFs for an influence range of the flare. The influence range is divided into a first range less than a predetermined distance and a second range equal to or greater than the predetermined distance, and corresponding PSFs are separately applied to the first and second ranges to correct the flare.

Method of correcting flare and method of preparing extreme ultra violet mask

Provided are a reflective reticle chuck, a reflective illumination system including the chuck, a method of controlling the flatness of a reflective reticle using the chuck, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the chuck. The reflective reticle chuck includes a fixed portion and a mobile portion that together provide a securing surface for the reflective reticle. The mobile portion may alter a height of the securing surface relative to the fixed portion.

Reflective reticle chuck, reflective illumination system including the same, method of controlling flatness of reflective reticle using the chuck, and method of manufacturing semiconductor device using the chuck

In a method of forming fine patterns, a photocurable coating layer is formed on a substrate. A first surface of a template makes contact with the photocurable coating layer. The first surface of the template includes at least two first patterns having a first dispersion degree of sizes, and at least one portion of the first surface of the template includes a photo attenuation member. A light is irradiated onto the photocurable coating layer through the template to form a cured coating layer including second patterns having a second dispersion degree of sizes. The second patterns are generated from the first patterns and the second dispersion degree is less than the first dispersion degree. The template is separate from the cured coating layer. A size dispersion degree of the patterns used in a nanoimprint lithography process may be adjusted by the light attenuation member, so that the fine patterns may be formed to have an improved size dispersion degree.

Methods of forming fine patterns using a nanoimprint lithography

A flare evaluation method includes: extracting DC flare reference data using a preliminary measurement pattern mask and a dummy mask having an open region in which a preliminary measurement pattern is formed; providing a plurality of flare gauge sets including an opaque pad, a measurement pattern, and a flare pattern, the measure pattern being disposed at an inside of the opaque pad to measure strength of a flare, the flare pattern being disposed at an outside of the opaque pad to generate the flare; and detecting a change of a photo resist measurement pattern caused by the flare pattern and the measurement pattern for each of the flare gauge sets, wherein an outer radius of the flare pattern increases by a predetermined amount depending on the flare gauge set.

Flare evaluation methods

A reflective photomask includes a phase shift object on a substrate, a reflective layer stacked on the substrate and the phase shift object, a capping layer on the reflective layer, the capping layer including at least one surface portion having a bent shape, and a light absorption pattern on the capping layer, the light absorption pattern including at least one slit exposing the surface portion of the capping layer having the bent shape.

Reflective photomask and method of fabricating, reflective illumination system and method of process using the same

A stencil mask includes a membrane forming thin layer having membrane areas and a border area that limits the membrane areas. The membrane areas have a plurality of pattern areas which include an aperture through which particle beams can permeate and non-pattern areas interposed between the pattern areas. A main strut supports the membrane areas and is formed on the border area of the membrane forming thin layer. An auxiliary strut is formed in the non-pattern areas inside the membrane pattern area such that the auxiliary strut divides the membrane areas into plural divided membrane areas. The auxiliary strut supports the divided membrane areas.

Stencil mask having main and auxiliary strut and method of forming the same

Provided is a method of fabricating a photo mask. The method includes preparing a model group including optical proximity correction (OPC) models and generating a preliminary mask layout using an integrated circuit (IC) layout. A contour image may be produced from the preliminary mask layout through a simulation using an optical model. Subsequently, the preliminary mask layout may be compared with the contour image and the comparison result may be analyzed to produce analysis data for providing criteria used in selecting an OPC model. An OPC model suitable for the preliminary mask layout may be selected from the model group based on the analysis data. An OPC process may be performed on the preliminary mask layout using the selected OPC model to generate a mask layout.

Method of fabricating photo mask

A photomask includes a transparent substrate, and a plurality of light-shielding patterns repeatedly aligned on the transparent substrate in two dimensions. Each of the light-shielding patterns has length and width measurements that differ from each other. Further, the photomask includes at least one through hole penetrating a portion of each of the light-shielding patterns to expose the transparent substrate.

Photomask for forming photoresist patterns repeating in two dimensions and method of fabricating the same

Photomasks that are used to form a fine contact hole array, a method of fabricating the photomask, and use of the photomask. The photomask includes a transparent substrate; a plurality of line-type opaque patterns being formed on the transparent substrate, for defining floodlighting portions for forming patterns; and phase-shifting regions being arranged on the transparent substrate between the opaque patterns at predetermined intervals, the phase-shifting regions defining floodlighting portions for contact holes. A fine and dense contact hole array can be easily formed using the photomask together with a customized illumination. Therefore, a fine contact hole of a good quality can be formed directly on a photoresist using the photomask without additional processes.

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Suwon-si, South Korea

In-Sung Kim