Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Seong-woon Choi

Yool Kang

Jeong-yun Lee

Hee-bom Kim

Byung-Gook Kim

Il-Yong Jang

Hyoung-hee Kim

Seong-Yong Moon

Won-Suk Ahn

Sang-Wook Kim

Myeong-Cheol Kim

Hyun-woo Kim

Sung-Yong Cho

Dong-Wan Kim

Jeong-Ho Yeo

Dong-gun Lee

Sung-Ho Park

Woo-Sung Han

Kwang-sub Yoon

Sung-Gon Jung

Suk-Joo Lee

Jin-hong Park

Young-Ju Park

Shi-Yong Yi

Seok-Hwan Oh

Moon-Gyu Jeong

Chan-Uk Jeon

Dong-Woon Park

Seok-hwan Oh

Sung-min Huh

Kyoung-Yun Baek

So-Ra Han

Hai-sub Na

Seong-Ho Moon

Dong-Ki Yoon

Seong-Bo Shim

Chun-Suk Suh

Sung-jae Han

Jin-young Yoon

Kyoung-taek Kim

Jee-Eun Jung

Moon-gyu Sung

Woo-sung Han

Sang-Yong Yu

Sung-Hoon Jang

Mi-kyeong Lee

Hak-won Kim

Weoun-ju Kim

Jung Hoon Ser

Jung-hoon Ser

Moon-gyu Jeong

Hak-seung Han

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes preparing a layout of the semiconductor device, obtaining contrast of an exposure image of the layout through a simulation under a condition of using a crosspole illumination system, separating the layout into a plurality of sub-layouts based on the contrast of the exposure image, forming a photomask having a mask pattern corresponding to the plurality of sub-layouts, and performing an exposure process using the photomask under an exposure condition of using a dipole illumination system.

Method of fabricating semiconductor device

A photoacid generator represented by Formula 1 or Formula 2: wherein R, R, and Rare each independently a C1-C10 alkyl group, X is a C3-C20 alicyclic hydrocarbon group forming a ring with S, and at least one CHgroup in the alicyclic hydrocarbon group may be replaced with at least one selected from the group consisting of S, O, NH, a carbonyl group, and R&#x2014;SA, where Ris a C1-C10 alkyl group, and Ais a counter-ion.

Photoacid generator, chemically amplified resist composition including the same, and associated methods

A method of forming a layout of a photomask includes receiving a layout of a mask pattern, obtaining image parameters of a two-dimensional (2D) layout mask from a simulation, obtaining image parameters of a three-dimensional (3D) layout mask from a simulation, and obtaining differences between the image parameters of the 2D and 3D masks. The differences between the image parameters of the 2D and 3D masks can be compensated by convolving a probability function with respect to an open area, represented by a visible kernel function, with a mask function to produce a first function, convolving a probability function with respect to a blocked area, represented by a visible kernel function, with the mask function to produce a second function, and summing the first function and the second function to produce a compensated vector. The layout of the mask pattern can be corrected using the compensated vector.

Method of forming a photomask layout using optical proximity correction to compensate for a three-dimensional mask effect

At least one pattern of a photomask is identified that has a likelihood of causing collapse of a microelectronic device feature that is formed using the photomask, due to surface tension of a solution that is applied to the feature during manufacture of the microelectronic device. The patterns of the photomask are then modified to reduce the likelihood of the collapse. The photomask may be formed and the photomask may be used to manufacture microelectronic devices. Related methods, systems, devices and computer program products are described.

Systems, methods and computer program products for forming photomasks with reduced likelihood of feature collapse, and photomasks so formed

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes dividing a design pattern layout into a repetitive pattern part and a non-repetitive pattern part, obtaining an optical proximity correction (OPC) bias from an extracted portion, the extracted portion being a partial portion of the repetitive pattern part, applying the OPC bias obtained from the extracted portion equally to the extracted portion and other portions of the repetitive pattern part so as to form a first corrected layout in which corrected layouts of the other portions are the same as that of the extracted portion, and forming a photomask in all portions of the repetitive pattern part according to the first corrected layout.

Method of manufacturing semiconductor device by using uniform optical proximity correction

A method of forming a line/space pattern includes forming a plurality of first pattern structures on a layer of hard mask material disposed on a substrate, forming a plurality of second pattern structures along sidewalls of the first pattern structures, removing the first pattern structures such that the second pattern structures stand alone on the layer of hard mask material, forming a first mask that exposes a location where a space of the line/space pattern to be formed is to have a width greater than the distance between adjacent ones of the second pattern structures, removing those of the second pattern structures which are exposed by the first mask such that others of the second pattern structures remain on the layer of hard mask material, forming a second mask that covers a location where a line of the line/space pattern to be formed is to have a width that is greater than the widths of the second pattern structures, forming a hard mask by etching the hard mask material layer using the second mask and the remaining second pattern structures as an etch mask, and etching the substrate using the hard mask as an etch mask.

Method of forming line/space patterns

Methods and apparatus are disclosed that arrange mask patterns in response to the contribution of a second pattern to image intensity. In some methods of arranging mask patterns, a distribution of functions h(&#x3be;&#x2212;x) is obtained which represents the contribution of a second pattern to image intensity on a first pattern. Neighboring regions of the first pattern are discretized into finite regions, and the distribution of the functions h(&#x3be;&#x2212;x) is replaced with representative values(x,&#x3be;) of the discretized regions. A position of the second pattern is determined using polygonal regions having the same(x,&#x3be;). As described, the term x is the position of the first pattern and the term &#x3be; is the position of the assist.

Methods of arranging mask patterns and associated apparatus

A method of forming fine patterns of a semiconductor device by using carbon (C)-containing films includes forming an etching target film on a substrate including first and second regions; forming a plurality of first C-containing film patterns on the etching target film in the first region; forming a buffer layer which covers top and side surfaces of the plurality of first C-containing film patterns; forming a second C-containing film; removing the second C-containing film in the second region; exposing the plurality of first C-containing film patterns by removing a portion of the buffer layer in the first and second regions; and etching the etching target film by using the plurality of first C-containing film patterns, and portions of the second C-containing film which remain in the first region, as an etching mask.

Method of forming patterns of semiconductor device

A method of forming a mask pattern, a method of forming a minute pattern, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the same, the method of forming the mask pattern including forming first mask patterns on a substrate; forming first preliminary capping layers on the first mask patterns; irradiating energy to the first preliminary capping patterns to form second preliminary capping layers ionically bonded with the first mask patterns; applying an acid to the second preliminary capping layers to form capping layers; forming a second mask layer between the capping layers, the second mask layer having a solubility lower than that of the capping layers; and removing the capping layers to form second mask patterns.

Method of forming a mask pattern, method of forming a minute pattern, and method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the same

A method of forming fine patterns of a semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of first mask patterns on a substrate such that the plurality of first mask patterns are separated from one another by a space located therebetween, in a direction parallel to a main surface of the substrate, forming a plurality of capping films formed of a first material having a first solubility in a solvent on sidewalls and a top surface of the plurality of first mask patterns. The method further includes forming a second mask layer formed of a second material having a second solubility in the solvent, which is less than the first solubility, so as to fill the space located between the plurality of first mask patterns, and forming a plurality of second mask patterns corresponding to residual portions of the second mask layer which remain in the space located between the plurality of first mask patterns, after removing the plurality of capping films and a portion of the second mask layer using the solvent.

Method of forming fine patterns of a semiconductor device

A method of fabricating a photomask may include forming a light-shielding layer and a first resist film on a substrate, forming a first resist pattern by exposing first exposed regions of the first resist film to a first exposure source that may have a first energy, forming a first light shielding pattern by etching the selectively exposed light-shielding layer by using the first resist pattern as an etching mask, removing the first resist pattern, forming a second resist film on the first light-shielding layer, exposing second exposed regions of the second resist film that may have a desired pattern shape to a second exposure source that may have a second energy, forming a second light shielding pattern by etching the selectively exposed first light shielding pattern by using the second resist pattern as an etching mask, and removing the second resist pattern.

Photomask using separated exposure technique, method of fabricating photomask, and apparatus for fabricating photomask by using the method

Provided methods for forming a pattern using electron beam and cell masks for electron beam lithography. The methods may include forming a resist layer on a substrate, the resist layer including a first region, a second region surrounding the first region, and a third region surrounding the second region. The second may be irradiated with electron beam at a first dose, and the third region may be irradiated with an electron beam at a second dose less than the first dose. The cell mask may include a mask substrate and a shielding region disposed on the mask substrate. A transmitting region may extend a distance from the shielding region. A gray pattern region may be disposed around the transmitting region. The gray pattern region may include patterns having a pitch smaller than a resolution limit.

Methods for forming pattern using electron beam and cell masks used in electron beam lithography

A method of manufacturing an extreme ultra-violet lithography (EUVL) alternating phase-shift mask comprises preparing a substrate having a reflective layer, forming a light-shielding layer pattern on the reflective layer to cover part of the reflective layer while leaving a reflective region of the reflective layer exposed, forming a trench in a phase-shift region of the reflective layer by etching the reflective layer, and changing the physical structure of a non phase-shift region of the reflective region to lower its reflectivity with respect to extreme ultra-violet (EUV) light.

Method of manufacturing EUVL alternating phase-shift mask

A photo-mask has a main mask pattern in a main region, a density correcting pattern in a peripheral region, and an exposure blocking pattern interposed between the main mask pattern and density correcting pattern. The exposure blocking pattern is configured to prevent the density correcting pattern from being transcribed to a wafer. The photo-mask is made by providing mask substrate on which a mask layer and a photoresist layer are disposed, providing design data that specifies at least the main mask pattern, and using the design data to derive exposure data that controls the exposure of the photoresist layer. The exposure data includes information that specifies the exposure blocking pattern, the portion of the peripheral region to be occupied by the density correcting pattern, and the pattern density of that portion of the peripheral region to be occupied by the density correcting pattern.

Photo-mask having exposure blocking region and methods of designing and fabricating the same

A method of repairing a phase shift mask includes exposing upper and side surfaces of the phase shift pattern of the mask, selectively forming a passivation layer on the surfaces of the exposed phase shift patterns, and then cleaning the phase shift mask on which the passivation layers are formed. The repairing of the phase shift mask is carried out in the midst of a series of photolithographic exposure processes in which the phase shift mask is used to transfer an image to a photoresist layer or layers. After the photomask is cleaned, a determination is made as to whether the transmittance of the phase shift pattern is above a threshold value.

Method of repairing phase shift mask

Growing community of inventors

Suwon-si, South Korea

Seong-woon Choi