Fujitsu Corporation

Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited

Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited

Satoru Asai

Isamu Hanyu

Teruyoshi Yao

Morimi Osawa

Kenji Nakagawa

Tamae Haruki

Masao Taguchi

Hiroyuki Tanaka

Hiromi Hoshino

Tomohiko Yamamoto

Kazumasa Morishita

Kouzou Ogino

Mitsuji Nunokawa

Toshihide Kikkawa

Kozo Makiyama

Masato Matsumiya

Toshimi Ikeda

Takayoshi Minami

Hiroshi Arimoto

Hiroki Futatsuya

Masahiko Takikawa

Yusuke Matsukura

Yasuko Tabata

In view of realizing a lithographic process which makes it possible to estimate and correct flare with an extremely high accuracy, and causes only an extremely small dimensional variation in width, over the entire portion not only of a single shot region, but also of a single chip region, a mask pattern correction device of the present invention has a numerical aperture calculation unit calculating, for every single shot region, flare energy for a mask pattern corresponding to a transferred pattern, based on an exposure layout of a plurality of shot regions, or more specifically, while considering flare from a plurality of shot regions located around every single shot region.

Mask pattern correction device, method of correcting mask pattern, light exposure correction device, and method of correcting light exposure

Double exposure is performed by using a pair of photomasks, an attenuated phase shift mask or the like which is not an alternating phase shift mask, and a pattern is transferred onto a photoresist. Here, on the occasion of performing exposure with the photomask for forming a finer pattern, double pole illumination is used as an illumination system.

Pattern forming method and method for manufacturing semiconductor device

A method for creating a pattern on a photomask includes steps of recognizing a space between main patterns by using pattern data which indicate the main patterns to be adjacently transferred onto a wafer, determining a 1st rule about arrangement of an assist pattern on the photomask, the assist pattern being adjacent to the main patterns and not being transferred onto the wafer, estimating a depth of focus in the presence of the assist pattern among the main patterns, determining a 2nd rule about arrangement of the assist pattern on the photomask to improve the depth of focus in the presence of the 1st assist pattern among the main patterns in a group having one or more number of appearance times of the space between main patterns, and correcting the assist pattern on the photomask using the assist pattern data on the basis of the 2nd rule.

Creating method of photomask pattern data, photomask created by using the photomask pattern data, and manufacturing method of semiconductor apparatus using the photomask

A correction of a local flare generated at a time of exposure when manufacturing a semiconductor device, wherein a substantial numerical aperture to a pattern in a region to be exposed is calculated for the each region, after that, the flare correction amount for the pattern in the each region is adjusted in conformity with the substantial numerical aperture and exposure conditions in the each region. Backed by this, the effect of the local flare on the pattern exposed by photolithography can be quantitatively corrected in conformity with the respective exposure conditions, so that a desired pattern can be formed readily and accurately.

Local flare correction

The width values of transferred patterns of respective evaluation patterns transferred using a test photo mask () are calculated by first calculation unit () based on the relationship with the opening ratio of flare generation patterns. The distribution of the calculated width values of the respective transferred patterns is linearly approximated by second calculation unit () and the inclination thereof is calculated. On the basis of a table defining the inclination of the width values of the respective transferred patterns (the ratio of dimension fluctuation), the amount of correction is changed for each pattern by correction unit (). Consequently, the amount of dimension fluctuation caused by local flares can be accurately calculated. This enables accurately performing pattern-dimension corrections against local flares.

Apparatus and method for correcting pattern dimension and photo mask and test photo mask

The simulation equipment has division unit for dividing a layout of a photo mask (mask layout) into a plurality of areas, average light intensity value calculation unit for calculating an average value of light intensity in each of the areas, smoothing unit for subjecting the calculated average value to smoothing processing, and multiplication unit for multiplying the smoothed average value by a predetermined multiplier.

Method and equipment for simulation

There exist a pattern-dense region where patterns having an F-letter shape are dense and a pattern-interspersed region where small rectangular dummy patterns are interspersed. In the pattern-interspersed region, the dummy patterns are arranged in a manner that at least one dummy pattern exists in a scan target range of a mask pattern defect inspecting apparatus. With the dummy patterns formed in the pattern-interspersed region at the intervals as described above, when one scan target range is scanned by the mask pattern defect inspecting apparatus, at least one dummy pattern is included in the scan target range in the pattern-interspersed region. Therefore, mix-up of alignment in this range is prevented from occurring, which makes it possible to perform proper defect inspection.

Photomask, method for detecting pattern defect of the same, and method for making pattern using the same

An optical exposure method in photolithography applied for precise processing when semiconductor devices are produced. A pattern on a photomask is projected and exposed on a register on a base plate with an exposure device including a deformation illumination system, a photomask and a projection lens. The deformation illumination system is composed of a light source, a diaphragm and a condenser lens, and the diaphragm is provided with a linear through-hole. The optical exposure method uses a ray of linear light for illumination or two rays of linear light for illumination that are parallel with the pattern. The two rays of linear light are symmetrical with respect to an optical axis. These rays are parallel with the pattern in a position separate from the optical axis of the exposure device when the photomask pattern is a line and space pattern.

Optical exposure method

A photomask has a plurality of transparent regions defined in an opaque region and classified into first and second groups. Each of the transparent regions belonging to one of the first and second groups is provided with a phase shifter, so that the phase of light transmitted through the transparent region belonging to the first group becomes different from the phase of light transmitted through the transparent region belonging to the second group. The photomask includes: a pair of first transparent regions belonging to the first group and including linear portions disposed in parallel, a virtual straight line interconnecting one ends of the first transparent regions intersecting at a right angle with the extension direction of the linear portions; and a second transparent region belonging to the second group and disposed at the center between, and in parallel to, the linear portions of the pair of first transparent regions, the second transparent region including a linear thickportion and a linear thin portion, the linear thin portion being disposed in an area between the pair of first transparent regions and continuously coupled to the linear thick portion, and a connection portion between the thick and thin portions being indented from the virtual straight line toward the area between the pair of first transparent regions.

Levenson type phase shift photomask and manufacture method of

An optical exposure mask for patterning an optical beam comprises an etching stop layer of a material that is substantially transparent with respect to the optical beam, a transparent pattern provided on one of upper and lower major surfaces of the etching stop layer, and an opaque pattern provided on one of the upper and lower major surfaces of the etching stop layer for patterning the optical beam, wherein the material for the etching stop layer is selected from a group essentially consisted of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, MgO and a mixture thereof, and the etching stop layer has an etching rate that is substantially smaller than the etching rate of a material forming the transparent pattern for any of dry and wet etching processes.

Patterned mask having a transparent etching stopper layer

A method of fabricating a compound semiconductor device includes a step of removing a semiconductor layer by an etching process to expose an upper major surface of an underlying semiconductor layer, followed by a growth of another semiconductor layer of the p-type on the surface thus exposed, wherein the exposed surface is cleaned by a flushing of a gaseous metal organic compound containing a group V element for removing impurities therefrom and further doping the exposed surface to the p-type.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Satoru Asai