Fei Comapny

Micrion Corporation

J David Casey, Jr

Christian R Musil

Steven Berger

Diane Stewart

Joan Williams Casey, Legal Representative

John Beaty

Kathryn Noll

Richard F Shuman

Clive D Chandler

Michael William Phaneuf

Thomas J Gannon

David C Ferranti

Xiadong Da

Andrew Doyle

Jian Li

Sharon M Szelag

Sybren J Sijbrandij

Diane K Stewart

Transmissivity is restored to a gallium stained substrate by directing an electron beam to the substrate in the presence of an etching gas. For higher concentrations of implanted gallium, the transparency can be substantially restored without reducing the thickness of the substrate. For lower doses of implanted gallium, the transmission is restored to 100%, although the thickness of the substrate is reduced. The invention is suitable for use in the repair of photolithography masks.

Electron beam processing for mask repair

Masks can be repaired by creating a structure that is different from the original design, but that produces the same aerial image. For example, missing opaque material can be replaced by implanting gallium atoms to reduce transmission and quartz can be etched to an appropriate depth to produce the proper phase. In another aspect, a laser or other means can be used to remove an area of a mask around a defect, and then mask structures, either the intended design structures or alternate structures that produce the same aerial image, can be constructed using charged particle beam deposition and etching. For example, an electron beam can be used to deposit quartz to alter the phase of transmitted light. An electron beam can also be used with a gas to etch quartz to remove a layer including implanted gallium atoms. Gallium staining can also be reduced or eliminated by providing a sacrificial layer that can be removed, along with the implanted gallium atoms, using, for example, a broad ion beam. In another aspect, a charged particle beam can be programmed to etch a defect using three-dimensional information derived from two charged particle beams images of the defect from different angle.

Photolithography mask repair

A method and apparatus for electron beam processing using an electron beam activated gas to etch or deposit material. The invention is particularly suitable for repairing defects in lithography masks. By using an electron beam in place of an ion beam, the many problems associated with ion beam mask repair, such as staining and riverbedding, are eliminated. Endpoint detection is not critical because the electron beam and gas will not etch the substrate. In one embodiment, xenon difluoride gas is activated by the electron beam to etch a tungsten, tantalum nitride, or molybdenum silicide film on a transmission or reflection mask. To prevent spontaneous etching by the etchant gas in processed sites at which the passivation layer was removed, processed sites can be re-passivated before processing additional sites.

Electron beam processing

A method of repairing opaque defects in lithography masks entails focused ion beam milling in at least two steps. The first step uses a large pixel spacing to form multiple holes in the defect material, with the milled area extending short of the defect material edge. The final step uses a pixel spacing sufficiently close to produce a smooth floor on the milled area, and extends to the edge of the defect. During the second step, an etch enhancing gas such as bromine is preferably used.

Method and apparatus for repairing lithography masks using a charged particle beam system

A charged particle beam uniformly removes material, particularly crystalline material, from an area of a target by compensating for or altering the crystal orientation or structure of the material to be removed. The invention is particularly suited for FIB micromachining of copper-based crystalline structures. Uniformity of material removal can be improved, for example, by passing incoming ions through a sacrificial layer formed on the surface of the material to be removed. The sacrificial layer is removed along with the material being milled. Uniformity of removal can also be improved by changing the morphology of the material to be removed, for example, by disrupting its crystal structure or by altering its topography.

Apparatus and method for reducing differential sputter rates

A method of enhancing charged particle beam etching particularly suitable for copper interconnects, includes milling at non-contiguous locations to prevent the formation or propagation of an etch-resistant region within the rastered area. Two or more milling boxes are typically performed, one or more of the boxes having pixel spacing greater than the spot size, with the last box using a conventional pixel spacing (default mill) smaller than the spot size to produce a uniform, planar floor of the etched area.

Method and apparatus for milling copper interconnects in a charged particle beam system

The present invention generally provides methods for employing a focused particle beam system in the removal of an excess portion from a workpiece having an opaque film patterned on a substrate and more particularly provides methods of gas-assisted etching using an etching gas including bromine. One aspect of the invention provides a method including the steps of (i) mounting the workpiece on a movable stage capable of movement in the X and Y directions, (ii) scanning a selected surface area of a workpiece, having an opaque film patterned on a substrate, with a focused particle beam, (iii) detecting intensities of particles emitted from the workpiece as a result of the workpiece scanning step, (iv) determining a shape of the patterned film based on the detected particle intensities, (v) determining an excess portion of the patterned film based on the shape of the patterned film, (vi) etching the excess portion with the focused particle beam, and (vii) introducing an etching gas, concurrent with the etching step, in selected proximity to the excess portion. The etching gas includes bromine or a bromine-containing material. The etching gas can further include water vapor.

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West Roxbury, MA, United States of America

J David Casey, Jr