Computational inspection applied to a mask inspection system with advanced aerial imaging capability

Amir Sagiv; Aviram Tam; Wolf Staud; Linyong Pang; Danping Peng; Lin He; Dongxue Chen; Thuc Dam; Vikram Tolani

doi:10.1117/12.868053

26 May 2010 Computational inspection applied to a mask inspection system with advanced aerial imaging capability

Amir Sagiv, Aviram Tam, Wolf Staud, Linyong Pang, Danping Peng, Lin He, Dongxue Chen, Thuc Dam, Vikram Tolani

Proceedings Volume 7748, Photomask and Next-Generation Lithography Mask Technology XVII; 77480P (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.868053
Event: Photomask and NGL Mask Technology XVII, 2010, Yokohama, Japan

Abstract

Traditional patterned mask inspection has been off-wavelength. For the better part of the past 25years mask inspection systems never adhered to the wavelength of the exposure tools. While in the days of contact and proximity printing this was not a major issue, with the arrival of steppers and scanners and the slow migration from 436nm, 405nm, 365nm and 248nm to ultimately 193nm, on-wavelength inspection has become a necessity. At first there was the option with defect and printline review using an at-wavelength AIMS tool [Fig 1], but now the industry has moved towards Patterned Mask Inspection to be at-wavelength too. With ever decreasing wavelength, more and more materials have become opaque, and especially the 266/257nm inspection to 193nm printing wavelength has proven to be a reliability issue. The industry took a major step forward with the adoption of at-wavelength aerial inspection, a paradigm shift in mask inspection, as it uses a hardware emulation to parallel the scanner's true illumination settings [Fig 2]. The technology has found wide-spread acceptance by now, and 19xnm inspection is now the industry standard.

Citation Download Citation

Amir Sagiv, Aviram Tam, Wolf Staud, Linyong Pang, Danping Peng, Lin He, Dongxue Chen, Thuc Dam, and Vikram Tolani "Computational inspection applied to a mask inspection system with advanced aerial imaging capability", Proc. SPIE 7748, Photomask and Next-Generation Lithography Mask Technology XVII, 77480P (26 May 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.868053

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