Exploring the limits of high contrast contact imaging using split pupil exposures in high-NA EUV lithography

Andreas Erdmann; Hazem Mesilhy; Peter Evanschitzky; Gerardo Bottiglieri; Tim Brunner; Eelco van Setten; Claire van Lare; Mark van de Kerkhof

doi:10.1117/12.3009996

10 April 2024 Exploring the limits of high contrast contact imaging using split pupil exposures in high-NA EUV lithography

Andreas Erdmann, Hazem Mesilhy, Peter Evanschitzky, Gerardo Bottiglieri, Tim Brunner, Eelco van Setten, Claire van Lare, Mark van de Kerkhof

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 12953, Optical and EUV Nanolithography XXXVII; 1295302 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3009996
Event: SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning, 2024, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

The lithographic imaging performance of contact holes is limited by the efficient use of light and contrast fading caused by 3D mask effects. ”Split pupil” exposures have been proposed to mitigate contrast fading for line-space-patterns. We present a simulation study investigating the extendibility of split pupil exposures to dense arrays of contacts on dark field and light field masks using different mask absorber options. Our simulations indicate that the combination of split pupil exposures and low-n/low-k absorbers can offer comfortable imaging performance for arrays of 10 nm square contacts with a pitch of 20 nm on a dark field mask. These results indicate the potential of combining low-n absorbers and split pupil exposure strategies to enable high-NA EUV lithography to reach its ultimate optical resolution limits.

Conference Presentation

(2024) Published by SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Citation Download Citation

Andreas Erdmann, Hazem Mesilhy, Peter Evanschitzky, Gerardo Bottiglieri, Tim Brunner, Eelco van Setten, Claire van Lare, and Mark van de Kerkhof "Exploring the limits of high contrast contact imaging using split pupil exposures in high-NA EUV lithography", Proc. SPIE 12953, Optical and EUV Nanolithography XXXVII, 1295302 (10 April 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3009996

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