Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd (corporation)

Globalfoundries Singapore Pte. Ltd.

National University of Singapore

Qunying Lin

Sia Kim Tan

Liang-Choo Hsia

Gek Soon Chua

Cho Jui Tay

Chenggen Quan

Soon Yoeng Tan

Huey Ming Chong

Soo Muay Goh

Martin Yeo

Andrew Khoh

Moh Lung Ling

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device that includes: providing a substrate prepared with a photoresist layer; providing a photomask comprising a first and a second pattern having a respective first and second pitch range; providing a composite aperture comprising a first and a second off-axis illumination aperture pattern, the first off-axis aperture pattern having a configuration that improves the process window of the first pitch range and the second off-axis aperture pattern having a configuration that improves the process window for a second pitch range; exposing the photoresist layer on the substrate with radiation from an exposure source through the composite aperture and the photomask; and developing the photoresist layer to pattern the photoresist layer.

Methods for enhancing photolithography patterning

A method and structure for removing side lobes is provided by positioning first and second radiation transparent regions of respective first and second phases at a first plane with the first and second phases being substantially out of phase. Further, positioning the first and the second region to cause radiation at a second plane to be neutralized in a first region, not to be neutralized in a second region, and to have a side lobe in a third region. Further, positioning a non-transparent region at the first plane to assure radiation at the second plane to be neutralized in the first region and positioning a third radiation transparent region of the first or second phase at the first plane to neutralize the side lobes in the third region at the second plane.

Method and apparatus for removing radiation side lobes

A method for forming a semiconductor device is presented. The method includes providing a substrate having a photoresist thereon and transmitting a light source through a mask having a pattern onto the photoresist. The mask comprises a mask substrate having first, second and third regions, the third region is disposed between the first and second regions. The mask also includes a light reducing layer over the mask substrate having a first opening over the first region and a second opening over the second region. The first and second openings have layer sidewalls. The sidewalls of the light reducing layer are slanted at an angle less than 90 degrees from the plane of a top surface of the mask substrate. The method also includes developing the photoresist to transfer the pattern of the mask to the photoresist.

Angled-wedge chrome-face wall for intensity balance of alternating phase shift mask

An integrated circuit system that includes: providing a substrate coated with a photoresist material; exposing the photoresist material to an energy source through a first mask to form a first substrate feature and a second substrate feature therein; and exposing the photoresist material to the energy source through a second mask to transform the second substrate feature into another one of the first substrate feature therein.

Integrated circuit system employing multiple exposure dummy patterning technology

An integrated circuit system that includes: providing a first mask including a first feature; exposing the first mask to a radiation source to form an image of the first feature on a photoresist material that is larger than a structure to be formed, the photoresist material being formed over a substrate that includes the integrated circuit system; providing a second mask including a second feature; aligning the second mask over the image of the first mask to form an overlap region; and exposing the second mask to the radiation source to form an image of the second feature on the photoresist material that is larger than the structure to be formed.

Integrated circuit system employing dipole multiple exposure

An integrated circuit system comprising: providing a substrate; forming a main feature using a first non-cross-junction assist feature over the substrate; forming the main feature using a second non-cross-junction assist feature, adjacent a location of the first non-cross-junction feature, over the substrate; and forming an integrated circuit having the substrate with the main feature thereover.

Integrated circuit system with assist feature

A method for forming a phase shift mask is presented. The method includes providing a substrate including a transparent material having first, second and third regions, the third region being disposed between the first and second regions. The method also includes forming a light reducing layer on a first major surface of the substrate. The light reducing layer is patterned to form a patterned light reducing layer having sidewalls defining openings to expose the first and second regions. The patterned light reducing layer is processed to transform the sidewalls of the patterned light reducing layer to angled sidewalls having an angle of less than 90&#xb0; from a plane of the first major surface of the substrate. The angled sidewalls improve intensity balance of an image-formed by light-transmitted through the mask.

A phase shifting photolithography system includes inserting a phase shift component in a path of an illumination, wherein the phase shift component modifies a portion of the illumination to a different, and controlling an aperture shutter of the phase shift component modifying an interference of the illumination and the illumination with the different phase.

Phase shifting photolithography system

A polarizing photolithography reticle system is provided including providing a reticle substrate, forming polarization structures on the reticle substrate, and etching circuit patterns on the reticle substrate on a side opposite the polarization structures.

Polarizing photolithography system

A method for forming a contact hole unit cell is provided. A light transparent contact hole region of a first phase is positioned at a first plane. A light transparent phase-shifting region of a second phase is positioned at the first plane, the second phase being substantially out of phase with the first phase. The phase-shifting region substantially surrounds the contact hole region. A light transparent border region is positioned at the first plane outside the phase-shifting region. The border region has a phase substantially the same as that of the contact hole region. A chrome pad is positioned at the first plane outside and contacting at least a portion of the border region. The contact hole region, the phase-shifting region, the border region, and the chrome pad are positioned to cause light from the first plane to be reinforcing in a target contact hole configuration on a second plane and to be substantially neutralizing outside the target contact hole configuration on the second plane.

Method and apparatus for contact hole unit cell formation

A embodiment method for forming a layout for a phase shift mask. A embodiment comprises providing a layout comprising a first feature, a first shifter region and a second shifter region. The first feature preferably has a L-shape portion with an elbow region. The first shifter region is on the outside of the L-shaped portion and the second shifter region is on the inside of the L-shaped portion. The elbow region has an outside corner away from the second shifter region. We identify a phase conflict region caused by the L-shaped portion of the first feature, the first shifter region and the second shifter region. We resolve the phase conflict by modifying the elbow region by moving the outside corner of the elbow region away from the first shifter region and the phase conflict region. The modification of the elbow region further comprises forming a jog region in the line end section of the first feature.

Method to resolve line end distortion for alternating phase shift mask

A semiconductor design is provided having at least one feature at one of a line end and a line junction, and phase regions. At least one cut line is added to at least one of such features at line ends and such features at line junctions. Phases are assigned to the phase regions. The manufacturing of a photomask with the assigned phase regions is directed.

System and method for phase shift assignment

A method for fabricating a phase shift mask is provided. A trenched phase shift mask having portions of a light-blocking layer thereon is formed. A layer of anti-reflective material is then formed on the trenched phase shift mask and the portions of the light-blocking layer. The anti-reflective material is then removed on horizontal surfaces of the trenched phase shift mask and of the portions of the light-blocking layer.

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Singapore, Singapore

Qunying Lin