Photomask design for generating plasmonic effect

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10685950-B2
Application number	US-201715638010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2017
Priority date	Jun 29, 2017
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

A method includes providing a photomask having a patterned absorption layer over a substrate. The photomask is irradiated with a beam having a mixture of transverse electronic (TE) waves and transverse magnetic (TM) waves. The irradiating includes generating surface plasmonic polaritons (SPP) on a sidewall of the patterned absorption layer. The SPP is used to suppress the TM waves while reflecting the TE waves. A target substrate is exposed to TE waves.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of semiconductor device fabrication, comprising:
selecting a lithography source having radiation of a wavelength centered around 193 nanometers (nm);
determining a composition having a dielectric function with a real part of about −1 at the wavelength;
forming a layer of the composition on a mask substrate;
patterning the layer according to a layout design; and
irradiating the patterned layer with radiation of the wavelength, wherein the irradiating includes:
absorbing a least a portion of the radiation by the patterned layer; and
imaging a pattern associated with the layout design and defined by the patterned layer onto a semiconductor substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a thickness of the layer to provide for surface plasmonic polaritons (SPPs) during the irradiating.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing an optical proximity correction technique after the determining the composition.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the irradiating includes:
irradiating the patterned layer with the radiation having a first polarization and a second polarization; and
wherein the absorbing the least a portion of the radiation includes suppressing the second polarization using the patterned layer.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first polarization is transverse electric (TE) waves.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second polarization is transverse magnetic (TM) waves.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the composition includes selecting palladium (Pa).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein irradiating includes:
providing surface plasmonic polaritons (SPP) waves on a surface of the patterned layer.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the SPP waves are formed on a sidewall surface of the patterned layer.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the sidewall surface defines an edge of the patterned layer adjacent a gap.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the composition includes doping a semiconductor composition with an n-type dopant.

12. A method of semiconductor device fabrication, comprising:
providing a photomask having a patterned absorption layer over a semiconductor substrate having a photosensitive material formed thereon;
irradiating the photomask with a beam from an ultraviolet source having a mixture of transverse electronic (TE) waves and transverse magnetic (TM) waves, wherein the irradiating including generating surface plasmonic polaritons (SPP) on a sidewall of the patterned absorption layer;
using the SPP to suppress the TM waves while reflecting the TE waves; and
exposing portion of the photosensitive material of the semiconductor substrate using the TE waves.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining a composition of the patterned absorption layer to provide for the generating SPP.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the composition has a dielectric function with a real part of about −1.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the composition is palladium having the real part of −1.1.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
performing an optical proximity correction (OPC) technique on the provided mask.

17. A method of semiconductor device fabrication, comprising:
selecting a lithography source having radiation of a wavelength;
determining a composition having a dielectric function with a real part of about −1 at the wavelength;
forming a layer of the composition on a mask substrate;
patterning the layer according to a layout design; and
irradiating the patterned layer with radiation of the wavelength, wherein the irradiating includes:
irradiating the photomask with a beam having a mixture of transverse electronic (TE) waves and transverse magnetic (TM) waves, wherein the irradiating includes generating surface plasmonic polaritons (SPP);
using the SPP to suppress the TM waves while reflecting the TE waves; and
exposing a target substrate using the TE waves to image a pattern associated with the layout design and defined by the patterned layer onto a semiconductor substrate.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein determining the composition includes selecting palladium (Pa).

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the SPP waves are formed on a sidewall surface of the patterned layer.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the determining the composition includes doping a semiconductor composition with an n-type dopant.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chen Minfeng
• Chou Shuo-Yen

Classifications

• H10D89/10 Primary

  Integrated device layouts · CPC title

• G03F1/54 Primary

  Absorbers, e.g. of opaque materials · CPC title

• G03F1/62

  Pellicles, e.g. pellicle assemblies, e.g. having membrane on support frame; Preparation thereof · CPC title

• G03F7/70958

  Optical materials or coatings, e.g. with particular transmittance, reflectance or anti-reflection properties · CPC title

• G03F7/70125

  Use of illumination settings tailored to particular mask patterns (details of setting means G03F7/70091) · CPC title