Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Sung-chul Lim

Seong-yong Moon

Sang-gyun Woo

In-kyun Shin

Sung-gi Kim

Kwang-soo No

Ho-young Kang

Jong-wook Kye

A half tone phase shift mask includes a substrate which is transparent with respect to exposure radiation and a phase shifter pattern on the substrate. The phase shifter pattern comprises chromium oxide (Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3) and alumina (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3). Fine patterns can therefore be formed using phase shift masking of exposure radiation having a 193 nm wavelength, such as light from an ArF excimer laser.

Phase shift masks including chromium oxide and alumina phase shifter

A phase-shifting mask is provided for irradiating a microelectronic wafer having first and second wafer regions wherein the first wafer region has a large step difference relative to the second wafer region. The phase-shifting mask includes a substrate which transmits light therethrough and a patterned layer of a phase shifting material which shifts a phase of light transmitted by the substrate. The phase-shifting mask also includes a layer which controls the transmissivity of light through the phase-shifting mask so that a transmissivity of light through a first mask region is small relative to a transmissivity of light through a second mask region wherein the first mask region corresponds to the first wafer region and the second mask region corresponds to the second wafer region. Related masks and structures are also discussed.

Photolithography masks including phase-shifting layers and related

Methods of forming half-tone phase-shift masks include the steps of forming a series of layers on a face of a transparent substrate such as quartz. These layers include a phase-shift layer of MoSiON, a layer of opaque material (e.g., chrome) for blocking light on the phase-shift layer and a photoresist layer on the layer of opaque material. The photoresist layer is then patterned to define a mask having openings therein which expose the layer of opaque material. The layer of opaque material is then patterned using a wet etchant, to expose portions of the phase-shift layer. The patterned photoresist layer is then stripped and a cleaning step is then performed to remove residual defects and marks from the patterned layer of opaque material. The patterned layer of opaque material is then used as a mask during the step of anisotropically dry etching the phase-shift layer using a gas containing CF.sub.4 and O.sub.2, but not CHF.sub.3. The use of a gas containing CF.sub.4 and O.sub.2 inhibits parasitic sputtering of chrome from the patterned layer of opaque material onto the exposed portions of the face of the transparent substrate, during the dry etching step. In contrast, the use of a gas containing CHF.sub.3 and O.sub.2 during dry etching of the phase-shift layer may cause the formation of parasitic defects containing chrome on the face of the transparent substrate. These parasitic defects typically cause a reduction in yield when the phase-shift mask is used in the formation of integrated circuits.

Methods of forming half-tone phase-shift masks with reduced

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Kyungki-do, South Korea

Sung-chul Lim