The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 13, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 04, 2000
San-De Tzu, Taipei, TW;
Ching-Shiun Chiu, Kaohsiung, TW;
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Hsin-Chu, TW;
Abstract
A method of fabricating an attenuating phase-shifting photomask, comprising the following steps. A photomask blank is provided having an upper resist layer overlying a chromium layer, the chromium layer overlying a phase-shifting layer, and the phase-shifting layer over a substrate. The photomask blank having a low pattern density area with a pattern density less than 0.25, a middle pattern density area with a pattern density from about 0.25 to 0.70, and a high pattern density area with a pattern density between about 0.70 and 1.00. The photomask blank is exposed to a first E-beam energy in a single step wherein the low pattern density area is exposed to the first E-beam energy adjusted by a first dosage factor, the middle pattern density area is exposed to the first E-beam energy adjusted by a second dosage factor, and the high pattern density area is exposed to the first E-beam energy adjusted by a third dosage factor. The photoresist blank is exposed to a second E-beam energy in a single step wherein the low and middle density areas are equally exposed to the second E-beam energy. The exposed resist layer is exposed wherein portions of the resist is removed to expose the chromium layer. The exposed chromium layer is etched to expose the underlying phase-shifting layer. The exposed phase-shifting layer is etched to expose the substrate. The resist overlying the chromium layer is etched away to complete fabrication of the attenuating phase-shifting photomask.