Simulation study of process latitude for liquid immersion lithography

So-Yeon Baek; Daniel C. Cole; Mordechai Rothschild; Michael Switkes; Michael S. Yeung; Eytan Barouch

doi:10.1117/12.504600

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26 June 2003 Simulation study of process latitude for liquid immersion lithography

So-Yeon Baek, Daniel C. Cole, Mordechai Rothschild, Michael Switkes, Michael S. Yeung, Eytan Barouch

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Proceedings Volume 5040, Optical Microlithography XVI; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.504600
Event: Microlithography 2003, 2003, Santa Clara, California, United States

Abstract

A simulation package has been developed for predicting the influence of immersion, i.e. the presence of a uniform liquid layer between the last objective lens and the photoresist, on optical projection lithography. This technology has engendered considerable interest in the microlithography community during the past year, as it enables the real part of the index of refraction in the image space, and thus the numerical aperture of the projection system, to be greater than unity. The simulation program described here involves a Maxwell vector solution approach, including polarization effects and arbitrary thin film multilayers. We examine here the improvement in process window afforded by immersion under a variety of conditions, including λ = 193 nm and 157 nm, annular illumination, and the use of alternating phase shift mask technology. Immersion allows printing of dense lines and spaces as small as 45 nm with acceptable process window. We also examine the effect of variations in liquid index on the process window and conclude that the index of the liquid must be known to and maintained within a few parts-per-million. This has important implications for the temperature control required in future liquid immersion projection systems.

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So-Yeon Baek, Daniel C. Cole, Mordechai Rothschild, Michael Switkes, Michael S. Yeung, and Eytan Barouch "Simulation study of process latitude for liquid immersion lithography", Proc. SPIE 5040, Optical Microlithography XVI, (26 June 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.504600

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