Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080206898 | Pattern Monitor Mark and Monitoring Method Suitable for Micropattern - A method of forming a monitor mark includes forming an insulating film on a semiconductor substrate, and forming a first repetitive line pattern group and a second repetitive line pattern group by patterning the insulating film on the semiconductor substrate, such that the first repetitive line pattern group and the second repetitive line pattern group face each other with a predetermined space therebetween. | 08-28-2008 |
20080301621 | MASK PATTERN CORRECTING METHOD - In a model-based OPC which makes a suitable mask correction for each mask pattern using an optical image intensity simulator, a mask pattern is divided into subregions and the model of optical image intensity simulation is changed according to the contents of the pattern in each subregion. When the minimum dimensions of the mask pattern are smaller than a specific threshold value set near the exposure wavelength, the region is calculated using a high-accuracy model and the other regions are calculated using a high-speed model. | 12-04-2008 |
20090004581 | Exposure apparatus, exposure method and optical proximity correction method - There is disclosed an exposure apparatus which includes an illumination optical system including a light source which emits illumination light, a mask stage which holds a photomask having a mask pattern thereon to be illuminated with the illumination light, and a light intensity distribution filter arranged on a plane, which plane is positioned in the illumination optical system and is optically in relation of Fourier transform to the mask pattern, the light intensity distribution filter configured to vary a light intensity distribution of the illumination light in a cross section of a bundle of the illumination light. | 01-01-2009 |
20090190118 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS INSPECTION MASK, AND METHOD OF INSPECTING EXPOSURE APPARATUS USING EXPOSURE APPARATUS INSPECTION MASK - An exposure apparatus inspection mask has asymmetric diffraction grating regions for generating +1-order diffracted light and −1-order diffracted light having a different diffraction efficiency. The asymmetric diffraction grating region includes: a transparent substrate; semi-transparent phase shifter films selectively and periodically disposed on the transparent substrate at a predetermined pitch; and shade films selectively and periodically disposed on the phase shifter films at a predetermined pitch. The phase shifter films are formed to have such a thickness that the phase difference between the phase of first light passing through only the transparent substrate and the phase of second light passing through the phase shifter films and the transparent substrate is set to a value other than 180°×n (n is an integer equal to or larger than 0). | 07-30-2009 |
20090220894 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes applying illumination light to a photomask, and projecting diffracted light components from the photomask via a projection optical system to form a photoresist pattern on a substrate. The photomask includes a plurality of opening patterns which are arranged on each of a plurality of parallel lines at regular second intervals in a second direction and which have regular first intervals in a first direction perpendicular to the second direction. The plurality of opening patterns arranged on the adjacent ones of the plurality of parallel lines are displaced from each other half the second interval in the second direction. Moreover, the dimensions of the plurality of opening patterns and the complex amplitude transmittance of nontransparent region in the photomask are set so that three of the diffracted light components passing through the pupil of the projection optical system have equal amplitude. | 09-03-2009 |
20090231568 | METHOD OF MEASURING WAVEFRONT ERROR, METHOD OF CORRECTING WAVEFRONT ERROR, AND METHOD OF FABRICATING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A method of measuring a wavefront error of an exposure light that occurs when the exposure light passes through an optical system that is used in an exposure apparatus is proposed. The method includes measuring the wavefront error of the exposure light by using a measurement optical element including a pellicle arranged in an optical path of the exposure light that passes through the optical system. | 09-17-2009 |
20090233189 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR OBTAINING EXPOSURE CORRECTION INFORMATION, AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A method of obtaining exposure correction information includes adjusting intensity of light incident on a photomask so that intensity of light output from the photomask has a desired distribution, and includes obtaining the exposure correction information as a distribution of the adjusted intensity of light incident on the photomask. | 09-17-2009 |
20090244504 | PROJECTION EXPOSURE METHOD - A projection exposure method that projects the shape of a hole onto a wafer by projecting a diffracted light, which is produced by applying light to a mask having a pattern for forming a hole pattern, onto the wafer through a projection optical system for exposure, wherein, in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis, the light applied to the mask has a first intensity distribution in which the intensity is higher in the vicinity of eight apexes of an octagon centered at the optical axis than in other areas, the mask has a plurality of first opening patterns are arranged in a rectangular lattice configuration having sides parallel to diagonals of the octagon passing through the optical axis, and a plurality of second opening patterns are arranged in a face-centered rectangular lattice configuration having sides parallel to diagonals of the octagon passing through the optical axis. | 10-01-2009 |
20090258319 | EXPOSURE METHOD AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - In an exposure method, an anti-reflection film and a photoresist are stacked in order on the surface of a substrate. A periodic pattern of a pitch P is formed on a pattern surface of a photomask. A medium having a refractive index n is present between a projection lens having a numerical aperture NAp and the substrate. The refractive index, coefficient of extinction and thickness of the anti-reflection film are selected so that the reflectance of exposure light of a wavelength λ at an interface between the photoresist and the anti-reflection film is less than or equal to a desired value when an angle of incidence θ is within a range determined by λ/P−NAp≦n×sin θ≦NAp. The angle of incidence θ is formed to a perpendicular line in the medium by light incident on the surface of the substrate. | 10-15-2009 |
20100001386 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREFOR - A semiconductor device and a manufacturing method therefor wherein a wire for coupling an inner lead and a semiconductor chip with each other can be prevented from being electrically short-circuited to any other conductive part are provided. An inner lead portion has a tip arranged outside the outer circumferential end of the semiconductor chip as viewed on a plane. A power supply bar has a jutted portion extended between the outer circumferential end of the semiconductor chip and the tip of the inner lead portion as viewed on a plane. The upper face of the jutted portion is in a position lower than the upper face of the tip of the inner lead portion. A bonding wire for electrically coupling the semiconductor chip and the inner lead portion with each other has a bent portion outside the outer circumferential end of the semiconductor chip as viewed on a plane. | 01-07-2010 |
20100028789 | METHOD OF CONTROLLING EXPOSURE DEVICE, METHOD OF FABRICATING SEMICONDUCTOR, AND PHOTOMASK - A method of controlling exposure device according to an embodiment includes preparing a photomask in which a check pattern is formed, wherein the check pattern comprising a plurality of patterns which have a first diameter and a second diameter and have pattern dimensions being changeable after being transferred according to polarization degree of exposure light are arranged in the second diameter direction, irradiating the photomask with the exposure light having a predetermined polarization degree so as to transfer the check pattern to a transferred object, and measuring the dimensions of the images of the check pattern transferred to the transferred object so as to obtain the polarization degree. | 02-04-2010 |
20100035167 | EXPOSURE METHOD, MASK DATA PRODUCING METHOD, AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - An exposure method has irradiating a mask with light based on an exposure performing condition, a first mask pattern and a second mask pattern being formed in the mask, and projecting images of the first mask pattern and second mask pattern onto a wafer through a projection lens, a lower-layer film material and a photoresist being sequentially laminated on the wafer, wherein the exposure performing condition is a condition on which, when exposure is performed on a predetermined exposure condition, the predetermined exposure condition is adjusted such that a difference between a wafer position at which a best focus is obtained for the image of the first mask pattern and a wafer position at which a best focus is obtained for the image of the second mask pattern falls within a predetermined range, the wafer position of the first mask pattern and the wafer position of the second mask pattern being predicted using film thicknesses and optical characteristics of the photoresist and the lower-layer film material. | 02-11-2010 |
20100055584 | EXPOSURE DEVICE AND EXPOSURE METHOD - An exposure device according to an embodiment includes an exposure light source for irradiating a reflective mask with an exposure light, an alignment light source for irradiating the reflective mask with an alignment light and an optical element having a structure that a light path of the exposure light extending from the alignment light source to the reflective mask shares at least part in common with a light path of the alignment light extending from the alignment light source to the reflective mask. | 03-04-2010 |
20100081093 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS INSPECTION METHOD AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A mask pattern includes a first pattern having a line-and-space pattern extending in a first direction, a second pattern formed as a line-and-space pattern having a larger period than the first pattern and extending in the first direction, a third pattern having a line-and-space pattern extending in a second direction, and a fourth pattern formed as a line-and-space pattern having a larger period than the third pattern and extending in the second direction. Illumination light is obliquely incident on the first pattern and the second pattern from a first oblique direction, illumination light is obliquely incident on the third pattern and the fourth pattern from a second oblique direction, and a relative distance from the first pattern to the second pattern transferred on to an image receptor and a relative distance from the third pattern to the fourth pattern transferred onto the image receptor are measured and an optical characteristic of an exposure apparatus is ascertained based on the relative distances. | 04-01-2010 |
20100136488 | PATTERN CREATION METHOD, SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM - A pattern creation method has extracting a first pattern and a second pattern which are different from each other from among first mask patterns created based on a first design pattern, calculating a best focus difference between the first pattern and the second pattern based on first exposure conditions, comparing the best focus difference to a predetermined threshold value, and if the best focus difference is larger than the threshold value, correcting the first design pattern to create a second design pattern. | 06-03-2010 |
20100144148 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURE OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes designing a resist structure including a film having antireflection function for exposure light and a resist on the film to be formed on a substrate, designing an exposure condition of the resist obtained by exposing and developing the resist such that a resist pattern is finished as designed, obtaining criteria value for estimating influence of a resist pattern upon a dimension or shape of a device pattern, the resist pattern being obtained by exposing the resist under the designed exposure condition and developing the exposed resist, the device pattern being obtained by etching the resist structure using the resist pattern as a mask, determining whether the designed exposure condition is acceptable or not based on the criteria value, and redesigning the exposure condition of the resist without changing the designed resist structure when the designed exposure condition is determined not acceptable. | 06-10-2010 |
20100195069 | EXPOSURE METHOD AND EXPOSURE SYSTEM - An exposure method has acquiring first OPE (Optical Proximity Effect) error corresponding to a first and second transcriptional pattern portions formed by transcribing a first and second pattern portions of a mask pattern onto a substrate with an exposure apparatus, computing a first correction amount of an exposure condition, the first correction amount reducing the first OPE error, computing a best focus difference between the first transcriptional pattern portion and the second transcriptional pattern portion transcribed with the exposure apparatus to which the first correction amount is imparted, computing a second correction amount of a projection optical system of the exposure apparatus, the second correction amount reducing the best focus difference, acquiring second OPE error corresponding to the first and second transcriptional pattern portions transcribed with the exposure apparatus to which the first and second correction amounts are imparted, and performing exposure processing with the exposure apparatus using a mask comprising the mask pattern, the first correction amount and the second correction amount being imparted to the exposure apparatus, when the second OPE error is included in a predetermined range. | 08-05-2010 |
20100209829 | PHOTOMASK MANUFACTURING METHOD AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - This invention discloses a photomask manufacturing method. A pattern dimensional map is generated by preparing a photomask in which a mask pattern is formed on a transparent substrate, and measuring a mask in-plane distribution of the pattern dimensions. A transmittance correction coefficient map is generated by dividing a pattern formation region into a plurality of subregions, and determining a transmittance correction coefficient for each of the plurality of subregions. The transmittance correction value of each subregion is calculated on the basis of the pattern dimensional map and the transmittance correction coefficient map. The transmittance of the transparent substrate corresponding to each subregion is changed on the basis of the transmittance correction value. | 08-19-2010 |
20100225890 | METHOD FOR EVALUATING FLARE IN EXPOSURE TOOL - A method for evaluating flare of an exposure tool has measuring a first reference integral exposure amount of illumination light emitted from the light source, and a unit reference integral exposure amount of illumination light emitted from the light source, the first reference integral exposure amount being required for the first evaluation pattern to be developed on the photosensitive film, the unit reference integral exposure amount being required for the first effective exposure region to be developed on the photosensitive film; calculating a first evaluation value by dividing the unit reference integral exposure amount by the first reference integral exposure amount; and evaluating a total flare amount of the illuminating optical system and the projecting optical system, using the first evaluation value. | 09-09-2010 |
20100266960 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND EXPOSURE DEVICE - A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes determining a second exposure parameter including exposure parameters except for an exposure amount from a dimension distribution information so that a resist pattern of a first resist pattern formed based on a second pattern has a desired dimension in a plurality of regions to be shot within a surface of a wafer. | 10-21-2010 |
20100308513 | TEMPLATE AND PATTERN FORMING METHOD - According to one embodiment, a template for imprint lithography includes a transparent substrate having a pattern with a recess portion and a protruding portion, and a light-shielding portion formed on a bottom surface of the recess portion and on a top surface of the protruding portion. A side wall of the protruding portion is inclined. | 12-09-2010 |
20100315643 | METHOD FOR INSPECTING NANO-IMPRINT TEMPLATE - A method for inspecting a nano-imprint template, includes irradiating light onto a template for nano-imprinting from a back surface side of the template, the template having a front surface where a pattern is formed, detecting near-field light which is generated near the front surface of the template by the irradiation of the light, and performing an inspection of the template on the basis of the detected near-field light. | 12-16-2010 |
20110032501 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS, EXPOSURE SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - In one embodiment, an exposure apparatus is configured to irradiate a mask with illumination light and to irradiate a wafer with light from the mask irradiated with the illumination light. The apparatus includes an information acquisition unit configured to acquire use history information that is information regarding a use history of the mask. The apparatus further includes a condition derivation unit configured to derive a setting value or a change amount of an optical setting condition of the exposure apparatus, based on the acquired use history information and correspondence information that indicates a correspondence between the use history of the mask and the optical setting condition of the exposure apparatus. The apparatus further includes an exposure unit configured to set the optical setting condition of the exposure apparatus to an optical setting condition specified by the derived setting value or change amount, and to expose the wafer under the set optical setting condition. | 02-10-2011 |
20110068081 | Pattern Forming Method - According to one embodiment, a pattern forming method is disclosed. The method includes contacting a template with light curable resin on a substrate. The template comprises a concave-convex pattern including concave portions and convex portions, and a metal layer provided on a convex portion of the concave-convex pattern. The concave-convex pattern is to be contacted with the light curable resin. The pattern forming method further includes irradiating the light curable resin with light of a predetermined wavelength under a condition ε | 03-24-2011 |
20110177458 | EXPOSURE DETERMINING METHOD, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - According to one embodiment, a deviation amount distribution of a two-dimensional shape parameter between a mask pattern formed on a mask and a desired mask pattern is acquired as a mask pattern map. Such that a deviation amount of the two-dimensional shape parameter between a pattern on substrate formed when the mask is subjected to exposure shot to form a pattern on a substrate and a desired pattern on substrate fits within a predetermined range, an exposure is determined for each position in the exposure shot in forming the pattern on substrate based on the mask pattern map. | 07-21-2011 |
20110300472 | Exposure Apparatus Inspection Mask and Exposure Apparatus Inspection Method - According to one embodiment, an exposure apparatus inspection mask includes a substrate and a first pattern portion. The substrate has a major surface reflective to exposure light. The first pattern portion is provided on the major surface. The first pattern portion includes a first lower layer and a plurality of first reflection layers. The first lower layer is provided on the major surface and includes a plurality of first absorption layers periodically arranged at a prescribed pitch along a first direction parallel to the major surface and is absorptive to the exposure light. The plurality of first reflection layers are provided on a side of the first lower layer opposite to the substrate, are periodically arranged at the pitch along the first direction, expose at least part of each of the plurality of first absorption layers, and have higher reflectance for the exposure light than the first absorption layers. | 12-08-2011 |
20120070985 | EXPOSURE METHOD AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - According to one embodiment, an exposure method is disclosed. The method can include applying light to a photomask by an illumination. The method can include converging diffracted beams emitted from the photomask by a lens. In addition, the method can include imaging a plurality of point images on an exposure surface. On the photomask, a light transmitting region is formed at a lattice point represented by nonorthogonal unit cell vectors, and in the illumination, a light emitting region is set so that three or more of the diffracted beams pass through positions equidistant from center of a pupil of the lens. | 03-22-2012 |
20120163699 | MASK DETERMINATION METHOD, EXPOSURE METHOD, AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - According to one embodiment, a mask determination method includes at least one of the in-plane error average value and the distribution of in-plane dispersions in a mask plane are measured with respect to at least one of the dimension and the optical characteristics of a mask pattern formed on a mask. Then, an illumination condition, under which a cost function representing an image performance formed on a substrate approaches a desired value when the exposure light is irradiated onto the mask and an on-substrate pattern is formed, is calculated based on at least one of the measured values. Further, whether the mask is acceptable or defective is determined based on the image performance when the on-substrate pattern is formed under the illumination condition. | 06-28-2012 |
20120206702 | COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM RECORDING EXPOSING CONDITION DETERMINATION PROGRAM - Certain embodiments provide a computer-readable recording medium recording an exposing condition determination program. The program allows a computer to perform: a first step of dividing an illumination pupil into a plurality of regions; a second step of calculating, for each region, an imaging performance response indicative of relation between a brightness change from a first illumination shape and a change in an imaging performance evaluation amount for a transfer pattern; a third step of finding a brightness change amount for each region so that the imaging performance evaluation amount is maintained in a specified range; a fourth step of adding the brightness change amount to the first illumination shape to find a second illumination shape; and a step of performing the first to the fourth steps multiple times while changing a calculation condition parameter to find a second illumination shape as an illumination shape supplied to the exposure apparatus. | 08-16-2012 |
20120328992 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes applying illumination light to a photomask, and projecting diffracted light components from the photomask via a projection optical system to form a photoresist pattern on a substrate. The photomask includes a plurality of opening patterns which are arranged on each of a plurality of parallel lines at regular second intervals in a second direction and which have regular first intervals in a first direction perpendicular to the second direction. The plurality of opening patterns arranged on the adjacent ones of the plurality of parallel lines are displaced from each other half the second interval in the second direction. Moreover, the dimensions of the plurality of opening patterns and the complex amplitude transmittance of nontransparent region in the photomask are set so that three of the diffracted light components passing through the pupil of the projection optical system have equal amplitude. | 12-27-2012 |
20130020741 | IMPRINT METHOD AND IMPRINT SYSTEM - According to one embodiment, an imprint method comprises coating a photo-curable organic material on a film to be processed, bringing a concave-convex pattern of a template into contact with the photo-curable organic material, applying a force to the template in such a state that the template is brought into contact with the photo-curable organic material, curing the photo-curable organic material by irradiating light onto the photo-curable organic material, in such a state that the template is brought into contact with the photo-curable organic material, and releasing the template from the photo-curable organic material after the light irradiation. The force applied to the template corresponds to a gap between a surface of the film to be processed and the template. | 01-24-2013 |
20130179846 | PHOTOMASK MANUFACTURING METHOD AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - This invention discloses a photomask manufacturing method. A pattern dimensional map is generated by preparing a photomask in which a mask pattern is formed on a transparent substrate, and measuring a mask in-plane distribution of the pattern dimensions. A transmittance correction coefficient map is generated by dividing a pattern formation region into a plurality of subregions, and determining a transmittance correction coefficient for each of the plurality of subregions. The transmittance correction value of each subregion is calculated on the basis of the pattern dimensional map and the transmittance correction coefficient map. The transmittance of the transparent substrate corresponding to each subregion is changed on the basis of the transmittance correction value. | 07-11-2013 |
20130217155 | PATTERN FORMING METHOD, PATTERN FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - According to one embodiment, a pattern forming method using a template containing a pattern that has at least one recess section or protrusion section to transfer the shape of the pattern to a resin layer on a substrate, is provided. The method includes a process for coating the resin on the substrate, a process for making the hardness of the first portion as a portion of the resin higher than the hardness of the second portion as the portion other than the first portion, and a process in which the portion other than the pattern of the template makes contact with the first portion, in a state where a gap is maintained between the template and the resin, the shape of the pattern is transferred to the second portion, and the resin is cured. Embodiments of an apparatus for pattern forming are also provided. | 08-22-2013 |
20130244141 | PHOTOMASK AND PATTERN FORMING METHOD - According to one embodiment, a photomask includes a mask substrate transparent to light, a light shielding pattern formed on the mask substrate, and a thin film portion that is provided at a part of the light shielding pattern and is thinned to have a higher light transmittance than the light shielding pattern, in which the thin film portion is arranged with respect to a light shielding pattern that is sensitive to a focus shift so that a sensitivity becomes stable and is not arranged with respect to a light shielding pattern whose sensitivity to a focus shift is stable. | 09-19-2013 |