Infineon Technologies Ag

Advanced Mask Technology Center Gmbh + Co. Kg

Molela Moukara

Burkhard Ludwig

Rainer Pforr

Michael Heissmeier

Nicolo Morgana

Christoph N&ouml;lscher

Markus Hofs&auml;ss

Dominique Savignac

Christoph Noelscher

Reinhard Pufall

Mario Hennig

Roderick Koehle

Uwe Griesinger

Christoph Friedrich

Thomas Muelders

Jörg Thiele

Roderick Köhle

Marco Ahrens

Carla Byloos

Karsten Zeiler

Ralf Neubauer

Haiko Rolff

A lithographic mask comprises a first layer including grooves, a second layer including regions, sections and a groove-like structure that encloses the sections. The first and second layers are formed so as to reduce electrical potential differences within the second layer. A method of forming a lithographic mask includes forming first and second layers to dispose the second layer over the first layer, patterning the second layer to comprise sections, a region, and a groove-like structure enclosing the sections, and forming grooves in the first layer at portions not covered by the second layer. The first and second layers are formed to reduce potential differences within the second layers during the step of forming the grooves in the first layer.

Lithographic mask and method of forming a lithographic mask

A lithography mask has an angled structure element (O) formed by a first opaque segment (O) and by a second opaque segment (O). The structure element has at least one reflex angle (&#x3b1;). The angled structure element (O) includes at least one convex section (A) facing the reflex angle (&#x3b1;). At least one transparent structure (T) adjacent to the angled structure element (O) is provided at the convex section (A) of the angled structure element (O). The transparent structure (T) is formed in separated fashion at the convex section (A) of the angled structure element (O) and thus comprises two distinguishable transparent segments (T, T) formed at least in sections essentially axially symmetrically with respect to the angle bisector (WH) of the reflex angle.

Lithography mask for imaging of convex structures

An improvement of the imaging quality with simultaneous transfer of line-space gratings and peripheral structures including a MUX space is achieved using a quadrupole illumination whose poles are formed in elongate fashion and whose longitudinal axes are arranged perpendicular to the orientation of the lines of the line-space grating arranged on a mask. The structure imaging of the line-space grating is improved with regard to contrast, MEEF, and process window, while the geometrical fidelity of the peripheral structure, in particular of the MUX space, is stabilized over a wide depth of field range.

Apparatus for projecting a pattern into an image plane

A method for producing a mask set for lithography including at least one mask, has a predetermined layout of structures which are provided for imaging into a common exposure plane and which are transferred to the masks as a basis. Strongly coupled structures that are so closely adjacent one another, at least in sections, that they are strongly coupled in the case of simultaneous imaging are distributed between at least two different masks of the mask set.

Method for producing a mask set for lithography including at least one mask and methods for imaging structures of a predetermined layout into a common exposure plane

A method is provided for creating a phase mask for lithographic exposure operations. In this case, phase-shifting regions () with a different phase are defined on both sides of critical structures (), which fall below an extent limit. At least one phase shifter correction is carried out such that at least two mutually facing phase-shifting regions () are joined together to form a contiguous phase-shifting region () if their distance from one another falls below a predetermined minimum distance.

Method for creating alternating phase masks

In order to eliminate phase conflicts in alternating phase masks, the layout is modified after the phase conflicts have been localized. During the modification, degenerate critical structures, which fall below a minimum width and require phase-shifting regions for their adequate imaging, are widened, so that the phase-shifting regions directly adjoining the degenerate critical structures disappear. Moreover, interaction regions between phase-shifting regions can be eliminated by trimming masks, intermediate phases or shifting associated critical structures.

Method for eliminating phase conflict centers in alternating phase masks, and method for producing alternating phase masks

A method is used to check the direct convertibility of integrated semiconductor circuits into alternating phase masks. This is done by explicitly localizing the phase conflicts occurring in the corresponding layout while solely using the technological requirements made of the design. The set of phase conflicts determined with the aid of this formalism is complete and minimal and thus proves to be an optimum starting point for methods for handling conflicts of this type.

Method for determining the ability to project images of integrated semiconductor circuits onto alternating phase masks

A photoresist layer on a substrate wafer is exposed in first sections with a first exposure radiation and in second sections with a second exposure radiation that is phase-shifted by 180&deg;. The first and second sections adjoin one another in boundary regions in which the photoresist layer is artificially not sufficiently exposed. Where a distance between these boundary regions is smaller than a photolithographically critical, least distance, the photoresist layer is exposed, at a first boundary region, with a third exposure radiation and at a second boundary region with a fourth exposure radiation phase-shifted by 180&deg;. A trim mask provided for the process has a first translucent region and a second translucent region. The first light-transparent region and the second light-transparent region are fashioned such that the light passing through the first light-transparent region and the light passing through the second light-transparent region has a phase displacement of 180&deg;.

Method for determining and removing phase conflicts on alternating phase masks

An alternating phase mask is described in which a propagation of a T phase conflict which occurs in the case of a T pattern structure is avoided by producing a phase jump at one of the 90&deg; corners of the T pattern structure. First and second transparent area segments, which produce a mutual phase difference of 180&deg;, are separated by a narrow slot running approximately at 45&deg; toward the corner of the T pattern structure. The structure containing the transparent area segments, which are separated by the slot running at 45&deg;, can also be provided at the other corner of the T structure providing a solution for each T conflict. The trimming mask for eliminating the dark line artificially produced by the 180&deg; phase jump is a conventional mask and requires no additional coloration. Moreover, alignment errors are minimal on account of the small number of trimming openings.

Alternating phase mask

An alternating phase mask having a branched structure containing two opaque segments is described. Two transparent surface segments are disposed on both sides of the segments or the components thereof, respectively. The surface segments are provided with phases that are displaced by 180&deg;&plusmn;&Dgr; &agr;, whereby &Dgr; &agr; a is not more than 25&deg;. The surface segments are separated by at least one transparent surface boundary segment whose phase is situated between the phases of the adjacent surface segments.

A method for eliminating phase conflicts that occur in the layout of a phase mask in a localized and automated manner. The method includes a first step in which a set of phase conflicts is completely determined exclusively by using the technical requirements of the design. The first step is an optimum starting point for the following second step for automatically handling and eliminating such conflicts.

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Munich, Germany

Molela Moukara