Infineon Technologies Ag

Qimonda Ag

Ralf Ziebold

David Howard Ziger

Christoph Nölscher

Andreas Jahnke

Torsten Maehr

Bernd Küchler

Frank Goodwin

A photomask for a lithography apparatus includes a chip pattern configured to be transferred into a resist layer on a workpiece and at least one registration mark that is configured not to be transferred into the resist layer. Mask qualification may be improved without impacting wafer level processes.

Mask with registration marks and method of fabricating integrated circuits

A method is provided for improving a photolithographic simulation model of the photolithographic simulation of a pattern formed on a photomask. Proceeding from a two-dimensional simulation model that takes account of the physical-chemical processes during lithography, a frequency-dependent intensity loss is calculated which is determined by multiplication of the simulated intensity distribution in the Fourier space by a filter function. An accurate calculation of the intensity distribution in the substrate plane is obtained. This method achieves the accuracy of three-dimensional models with a significantly shorter processing duration and is further suitable in particular for the calculation of OPC structures.

Method for improving a simulation model of photolithographic projection

Systems, methods, and lithography masks for measuring flare in semiconductor lithography. A layer of photosensitive material is exposed to a first test pattern and a second test pattern, the second test pattern comprising an opaque or attenuated region. The second test pattern is placed proximate features formed in a photosensitive material in a first exposure by the first test pattern, in a second exposure by the second test pattern on the same mask or a different mask. Alternatively, the second test pattern may be disposed proximate a portion of the first test pattern on a single mask using a single exposure. If flare exists in the optical system, the second test pattern causes line shortening in the features formed in the photosensitive material of the first test pattern. The line shortening can be measured to determine the effect of flare in the lithography system.

Measuring flare in semiconductor lithography

Growing community of inventors

Radebeul, Germany

Ralf Ziebold