Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Sheng-Chi Chin

Ting-Hao Hsu

Chi-Lun Lu

Wen-Chuan Wang

Kuan-Wen Lin

Ching-Fang Yu

Shih-Ming Chang

Yu-Ching Lee

Anthony Yen

Chin-Hsiang Lin

Yuan-Chih Chu

Chung-Hsing Chang

Chih-Cheng Chin

Hsin-Chang Lee

Jun-Hao Deng

Shinn-Sheng Yu

Shy-Jay Lin

Chun-Hung Lin

Chia-Jen Chen

Ching-Wei Shen

Tzu-Ting Chou

Yueh-Hsun Li

Burn Jeng Lin

Chun-Kuang Chen

Hung-Chang Hsieh

Chun-Hao Tseng

Ching-Hsiang Chang

Hung Chang Hsieh

Hsun-Chuan Shih

Chung-Hsuan Liu

San-De Tzu

I-Hsiung Huang

Heng-Jen Lee

Yao-Ching Ku

Wei-Zen Chou

Huang-Sheng Lin

Shang-Lun Tsai

Yeh Lee-Chih

Mei-Chun Lin

Shu-Hsien Wu

Shouh-Dauh Fred Lin

Lawrence Chen

Chun-Mai Liu

Chi-Lin Lu

Chih-Chen Chin

Hsin-Chang Li

Mark Chang

An extreme ultraviolet lithography method is disclosed. In an example, the EUVL method includes forming a resist layer on a substrate; performing a first exposure process to image a first pattern of a first sub-region of a first mask to the resist layer; performing a second exposure process to image a second pattern of a second sub-region of the first mask to the resist layer; and performing a third exposure process to image a third pattern of a first sub-region of a second mask to the resist layer. The second and third patterns are identical to the first pattern. The first, second and third exposure processes collectively form a latent image of the first pattern on the resist layer.

Lithography method with reduced impacts of mask defects

Methods and systems disclosed herein use acoustic energy to determine a gap between a wafer and an integrated circuit (IC) processing system and/or determine a thickness of a material layer of the wafer during IC processing implemented by the IC processing system. An exemplary method includes emitting acoustic energy through a substrate and a material layer disposed thereover. The substrate is positioned within an IC processing system. The method further includes receiving reflected acoustic energy from a surface of the substrate and a surface of the material layer disposed thereover and converting the reflected acoustic energy into electrical signals. The electrical signals indicate a thickness of the material layer.

Acoustic measurement of fabrication equipment clearance

An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask is received. The EUV mask has an EUV pellicle disposed thereover. The EUV pellicle is coupled to the EUV mask at least in part via glue that is disposed on the EUV mask. The EUV pellicle is removed, thereby exposing the glue. A localized glue-removal process is performed by targeting a region of the EUV mask on which the glue is disposed. The localized glue-removal process is performed without affecting other regions of the EUV mask that do not have the glue disposed thereon. The localized glue-removal process may include injecting a cleaning chemical onto the glue and removing a waste chemical produced by the cleaning chemical and the glue. The localized glue-removal process may also include a plasma process that applies plasma to the glue. The localized glue-removal process may further include a laser process that shoots a focused laser beam at the glue.

System and method for localized EUV pellicle glue removal

A method for fabricating a pellicle assembly for a lithography process includes providing a carrier. A membrane layer is fabricated over the carrier. A pellicle frame is attached to the membrane layer. The carrier is then separated from the membrane layer using a release treatment process.

Method to fabricate mask-pellicle system

Acoustic measurement of film thickness

A system and method for determining clearance between a fabrication tool and a workpiece is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes receiving a substrate within a tool such that a gap is defined there between. A transducer disposed on a bottom surface of the substrate opposite the gap provides an acoustic signal that is conducted through the substrate. The transducer also receives a first echo from a top surface of the substrate that defines the gap and a second echo from a bottom surface of the tool that further defines the gap. A width of the gap is measured based on the first echo and the second echo. In some embodiments, the bottom surface of the tool is a bottom surface of a nozzle, and the nozzle provides a liquid or a gas in the gap while the transducer is receiving the first and second echoes.

Pellicle-mask systems for advanced lithography, such as extreme ultraviolet lithography, are disclosed herein. An exemplary pellicle-mask system includes a mask having an integrated circuit (IC) pattern, a pellicle membrane, and a pellicle frame. The pellicle frame has a first surface attached to the pellicle membrane and a second surface opposite the first surface attached to the mask, such that the IC pattern of the mask is positioned within an enclosed space defined by the mask, the pellicle membrane, and the pellicle frame. A void is defined between the pellicle frame and the mask, where the void is defined by a portion of the second surface of the pellicle membrane not attached to the mask. The void is not in communication with the enclosed space and is not in communication with an exterior space of the pellicle-mask system.

Pellicle for advanced lithography

An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask having a pellicle disposed thereover is received. The EUV pellicle is coupled to the EUV mask at least in part via glue that is disposed on the EUV mask. The EUV pellicle is removed, thereby exposing the glue. A localized glue-removal process is performed by targeting a region of the EUV mask on which the glue is disposed. The localized glue-removal process is performed without affecting other regions of the EUV mask that do not have the glue disposed thereon. The localized glue-removal process may include injecting a cleaning chemical onto the glue and removing a waste chemical produced by the cleaning chemical and the glue. The localized glue-removal process may also include a plasma process that applies plasma to the glue. The localized glue-removal process may further include a laser process that shoots a focused laser beam at the glue.

The present disclosure provides an apparatus for a semiconductor lithography process in accordance with some embodiments. The apparatus includes a pellicle membrane, a pellicle frame attached to the pellicle membrane. The pellicle frame has a surface that defines at least one groove. The apparatus further includes a substrate that is in contact with the surface of the pellicle frame such that the grove is positioned between the pellicle frame and the substrate.

A method includes loading a mask having a defect into a chamber. The defect of the mask is repaired by forming a repair feature in a repair region of the mask. The forming the repair feature includes irradiating the repair region of the mask with a radiation beam. The forming the repair feature further includes while irradiating the repair region, injecting a precursor gas into the chamber to form a first film of the repair feature on the repair region, and while irradiating the repair region, injecting a cleaning gas into the chamber. The cleaning gas reacts with an impurity material in the first film to transform the first film into a first cleaned film.

Focused radiation beam induced deposition

A pellicle is disposed over a lithography mask. An acoustic wave generator is placed over the pellicle. The acoustic wave generator is configured to generate acoustic waves to cause the pellicle to vibrate at a target resonance frequency. A resonance detection tool is configured to detect an actual resonance frequency of the pellicle in response to the acoustic waves. One or more electronic processors are configured to estimate an age condition of the pellicle as a function of a shift of the actual resonance frequency from the target resonance frequency.

Pellicle aging estimation and particle removal from pellicle via acoustic waves

A semiconductor device fabrication method includes irradiating a first surface of a substrate with a radiation beam. While irradiating the first surface of the substrate, a precursor gas is introduced near the first surface to deposit a layer including a first material. The precursor gas is removed from near the first surface after the depositing the layer. After the removing the precursor gas and prior to forming another layer over the layer, while irradiating a second surface of the layer, a cleaning gas is introduced near the second surface of the layer to transform the first material into a second material.

The present disclosure provides a method of repairing a mask. The method includes receiving a mask that includes a patterned feature, the patterned feature producing a phase-shift and having a transmittance; identifying a defect region on the mask; and forming a repair feature over the defect region on the mask, wherein forming the repair feature includes forming a first patterned material layer over the defect region and forming a second patterned material layer over the first patterned material layer to form the repair feature, the repair feature producing the phase-shift and having the transmittance.

Method for repairing a mask

Growing community of inventors

Hsinchu, Taiwan

Sheng-Chi Chin