Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Shu-Hao Chang

Jeng-Horng Chen

Shang-Chieh Chien

Ming-Chin Chien

Anthony Yen

Kuo-Chang Kau

Jui-Ching Wu

Chia-Chen Chen

Kevin Huang

Tsiao-Chen Wu

Norman Chen

Shinn-Sheng Yu

Chih-Tsung Shih

Tsung-Yu Chen

Yen-Cheng Lu

Te-Chih Huang

Shih-Che Wang

Yi-Hao Chen

Ta-Ching Yu

Tzu-Hsiang Chen

Hsiang-Yu Chou

Chen-Yen Kao

Yuan-Fu Hsu

Hsin-Chang Lee

Chia-Jen Chen

Chia-Hao Hsu

Chien-Chih Chen

Chi-Lun Lu

Jen-Yang Chung

Tzu-Li Lee

Chieh-Jen Cheng

Ying-Yu Chen

Shun-Der Wu

Ying-Chih Lin

Chia-Tsung Shih

Pei-Chung Hsu

Pi-Yeh Chia

Chi-Ren Chen

An apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a reflective optical element arranged in the vacuum chamber and configured to reflect an extreme ultra-violet (EUV) light, and a cleaning module positioned in the vacuum chamber. the cleaning module is operable to provide a mitigation gas flowing towards the reflective optical element and provide a hydrogen-containing gas flowing towards the reflective optical element. The mitigation gas mitigates, by chemical reaction, contamination of the reflective optical element.

Mask cleaning

A lithography system includes a first load lock chamber configured to receive a mask, a cleaning module configured to clean the mask, a second load lock chamber configured to receive a wafer, an exposure module configured to expose the wafer to a light source through use of the cleaned mask. A direct path is provided between the first load lock chamber and the exposure module allowing the first load lock chamber to directly couple to the exposure module without through the cleaning module.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods for defect inspection. After pattern features are formed in a structure layer, a dummy filling material having dissimilar optical properties from the structure layer is filled in the pattern features. The dissimilar optical properties between materials in the pattern features and the structure layer increase contrast in images captured by an inspection tool, thus increasing the defect capture rate.

Methods of defect inspection

A lithography system includes a load lock chamber comprising an opening configured to receive a mask, an exposure module configured to expose a semiconductor wafer to a light source through use of the mask, and a cleaning module embedded inside the lithography tool, the cleaning module being configured to clean carbon particles from the mask.

Systems and methods that include providing for measuring a first topographical height of a substrate at a first coordinate on the substrate and measuring a second topographical height of the substrate at a second coordinate on the substrate are provided. The measured first and second topographical heights may be provided as a wafer map. An exposure process is then performed on the substrate using the wafer map. The exposure process can include using a first focal point when exposing the first coordinate on the substrate and using a second focal plane when exposing the second coordinate on the substrate. The first focal point is determined using the first topographical height and the second focal point is determined using the second topographical height.

System and method for performing lithography process in semiconductor device fabrication

Provided is a material composition and method for that includes providing a substrate and forming a resist layer over the substrate. In various embodiments, the resist layer includes a multi-metal complex including an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) absorption element and a bridging element. By way of example, the EUV absorption element includes a first metal type and the bridging element includes a second metal type. In some embodiments, an exposure process is performed to the resist layer. After performing the exposure process, the exposed resist layer is developed to form a patterned resist layer.

Material composition and methods thereof

A method of fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) is disclosed. An inverse mask is provided. A sacrificial layer is deposited over a substrate. A patterned photoresist layer is formed over the sacrificial layer using the inverse mask. The sacrificial layer is then etched through the patterned photoresist layer to form a patterned sacrificial layer. A hard mask layer is deposited over the patterned sacrificial layer. The patterned sacrificial layer is then removed to form a second pattern on the hard mask layer.

Semiconductor integrated circuit fabrication with pattern-reversing process

Disclosed is an apparatus for lithography patterning. The apparatus includes a substrate stage configured to hold a substrate coated with a deposition enhancement layer (DEL), a radiation source for generating a patterned radiation towards a surface of the DEL, and a supply pipe for flowing an organic gas near the surface of the DEL, wherein elements of the organic gas polymerize upon the patterned radiation, thereby forming a resist pattern over the DEL.

Lithography patterning with a gas phase resist

A method of removing particles from a surface of a reticle is disclosed. The reticle is placed in a carrier, a source gas is flowed into the carrier, and a plasma is generated within the carrier. Particles are then removed from a surface of the reticle using the generated plasma. A system of removing particles from a surface includes a carrier configured to house a reticle, a reticle stocker including the carrier, a power supply configured to apply a potential between an inner cover and an inner baseplate of the carrier, and a gas source configured to flow a gas into the carrier. A plasma may be generated within the carrier, and particles can be removed from a surface of the reticle using the generated plasma. An acoustic energy source configured to agitate at least one of the source gas and the generated plasma may be provided to facilitate particle removal using an agitated plasma.

Particle removal system and method thereof

Disclosed is a method for lithography patterning. The method includes providing a substrate, forming a deposition enhancement layer (DEL) over the substrate, and flowing an organic gas near a surface of the DEL. During the flowing of the organic gas, the method further includes irradiating the DEL and the organic gas with a patterned radiation. Elements of the organic gas polymerize upon the patterned radiation, thereby forming a resist pattern over the DEL. The method further includes etching the DEL with the resist pattern as an etch mask, thereby forming a patterned DEL.

An EUV collector is rotated between or during operations of an EUV photolithography system. Rotating the EUV collector causes contamination to distribute more evenly over the collector's surface. This reduces the rate at which the EUV photolithography system loses image fidelity with increasing contamination and thereby increases the collector lifetime. Rotating the collector during operation of the EUV photolithography system can induce convection and reduce the contamination rate. By rotating the collector at sufficient speed, some contaminating debris can be removed through the action of centrifugal force.

Rotary EUV collector

The method includes performing a photolithography process which includes using a photomask to pattern a radiation beam. The photolithography process also includes exposing a target substrate to the patterned radiation beam. During the exposing of the target surface, there is a real-time monitoring for particles incident or approximate the photomask.

System and method for photomask particle detection

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Taipei, Taiwan

Shu-Hao Chang