SEMATECH produces defect-free EUV mask blanks: defect yield and immediate challenges

Alin O. Antohe; Dave Balachandran; Long He; Patrick Kearney; Anil Karumuri; Frank Goodwin; Kevin Cummings

doi:10.1117/12.2176126

6 April 2015 SEMATECH produces defect-free EUV mask blanks: defect yield and immediate challenges

Alin O. Antohe, Dave Balachandran, Long He, Patrick Kearney, Anil Karumuri, Frank Goodwin, Kevin Cummings

Proceedings Volume 9422, Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Lithography VI; 94221B (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2176126
Event: SPIE Advanced Lithography, 2015, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

Availability of defect-free reflective mask has been one of the most critical challenges to extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL). To mitigate the risk, significant progress has been made on defect detection, pattern shifting, and defect repair. Clearly such mitigation strategies are based on the assumption that defect counts and sizes from incoming mask blanks must be below practical levels depending on mask specifics. The leading industry consensus for early mask product development is that there should be no defects greater than 80 nm in the quality area, 132 mm x 132 mm. In addition less than 10 defects smaller than 80 nm may be mitigable. SEMATECH has been focused on EUV mask blank defect reduction using Veeco Nexus ^TM IBD platform, the industry standard for mask blank production, and assessing if IBD technology can be evolved to a manufacturing solution. SEMATECH has recently announced a breakthrough reduction of defects in the mask blank deposition process resulting in the production of two defect-free EUV mask blanks at 54 nm inspection sensitivity (SiO₂ equivalent). This paper will discuss the dramatic reduction of baseline EUV mask blank defects, review the current deposition process run and compare results with previous process runs. Likely causes of remaining defects will be discussed based on analyses as characterized by their compositions and whether defects are embedded in the multilayer stack or non-embedded.

Citation Download Citation

Alin O. Antohe, Dave Balachandran, Long He, Patrick Kearney, Anil Karumuri, Frank Goodwin, and Kevin Cummings "SEMATECH produces defect-free EUV mask blanks: defect yield and immediate challenges", Proc. SPIE 9422, Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Lithography VI, 94221B (6 April 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2176126

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