Method and apparatus for dynamic lithographic exposure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11520237-B2
Application number	US-202117308293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2021
Priority date	Jan 27, 2016
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to a photolithography tool. The photolithography tool includes a source configured to generate electromagnetic radiation. A dynamic focal system is configured to provide the electromagnetic radiation to a plurality of different vertical positions over a substrate stage. The plurality of different vertical positions include a first position having a first depth of focus and a second position having a second depth of focus that is below the first depth of focus and that vertically overlaps the first depth of focus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photolithography tool, comprising:
a source configured to generate electromagnetic radiation;
a dynamic focal system configured to provide the electromagnetic radiation to a plurality of different vertical positions over a substrate stage; and
wherein the plurality of different vertical positions comprise a first position having a first depth of focus and a second position having a second depth of focus that is below the first depth of focus and that vertically overlaps the first depth of focus.

2. The photolithography tool of claim 1 , wherein the substrate stage is configured to hold a substrate, the first position and the second position configured to be within a photosensitive material over the substrate.

3. The photolithography tool of claim 2 , wherein the first depth of focus and the second depth of focus both expose a same pattern in the photosensitive material.

4. The photolithography tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
projection optics disposed between a photomask and the substrate stage, wherein the dynamic focal system is configured to operate on the projection optics to provide the electromagnetic radiation to the plurality of different vertical positions.

5. The photolithography tool of claim 4 , wherein the photomask comprises a pellicle mounted on an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) reticle.

6. The photolithography tool of claim 4 , wherein the projection optics comprise a plurality of mirrors.

7. The photolithography tool of claim 1 , wherein a first maximum dose of the electromagnetic radiation within the first depth of focus is vertically separated from a second maximum dose of the electromagnetic radiation within the second depth of focus.

8. The photolithography tool of claim 1 ,
wherein the electromagnetic within the first depth of focus has a first dose that is above a first value over a first spatial region spanning a first depth and the electromagnetic radiation within the second depth of focus has a second dose that is above the first value over a second spatial region spanning a second depth; and
wherein a collective dose of the electromagnetic radiation, received over both the first depth of focus and the second depth of focus, is above the first value over a third spatial region spanning a third depth that is larger than the first depth or the second depth.

9. The photolithography tool of claim 1 , wherein the first position is directly above or below the second position.

10. A photolithography tool, comprising:
a source configured to generate electromagnetic radiation;
a dynamic focal system configured to focus the electromagnetic radiation over a first depth of focus at a first time and to focus the electromagnetic radiation over a second depth of focus at a second time, wherein the first depth of focus has a largest dose at a first position and the second depth of focus has a largest dose at a second position; and
wherein the first depth of focus and the second depth of focus collectively provide a highest dose within an area of overlap between the first depth of focus and the second depth of focus.

11. The photolithography tool of claim 10 , further comprising:
a substrate stage configured to hold a substrate, wherein the first position and the second position are configured to be within a photoresist material over the substrate.

12. The photolithography tool of claim 10 , wherein the source is configured to generate the electromagnetic radiation to have a wavelength of approximately 13.5 nm.

13. The photolithography tool of claim 10 , wherein the dynamic focal system comprises:
an actuator in communication with one or more optical elements configured to act upon the electromagnetic radiation; and
a control unit configured to control operation of the actuator.

14. The photolithography tool of claim 10 , wherein the first depth of focus and the second depth of focus collectively define a cumulative depth of focus that has a first process window that is over 30% larger than a second process window provided by either the first depth of focus or the second depth of focus.

15. A photolithography tool, comprising:
a source configured to generate electromagnetic radiation;
a dynamic focal system configured to focus the electromagnetic radiation at a first depth of focus at a first time and to focus the electromagnetic radiation at a second depth of focus at a second time, the first depth of focus vertically offset from the second depth of focus; and
wherein a photosensitive material that is over a substrate is configured to receive the electromagnetic radiation at both the first time and at the second time.

16. The photolithography tool of claim 15 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation exposes the photosensitive material to a same pattern at both the first depth of focus and the second depth of focus.

17. The photolithography tool of claim 15 , wherein the first depth of focus and the second depth of focus are respectively smaller than a thickness of the photosensitive material.

18. The photolithography tool of claim 15 , wherein the photosensitive material is exposed to separate bursts of electromagnetic radiation at the first time and at the second time.

19. The photolithography tool of claim 15 , wherein the first depth of focus and the second depth of focus collectively define a cumulative depth of focus that has a first process window that is larger than a second process window provided by either the first depth of focus or the second depth of focus.

20. The photolithography tool of claim 15 , further comprising:
a control unit configured to control an actuator that changes the dynamic focal system between the first depth of focus and the second depth of focus.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd
• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yu Jun-Yih
• Huang De-Fang
• Tseng De-Chen
• Chang jia-feng
• Hsu Li-Fang

Classifications

• G03F7/3007 Primary

  combined with electrical means, e.g. force fields · CPC title

• G03F7/063

  Additives or means to improve the lithographic properties; Processing solutions characterised by such additives; Treatment after development or transfer, e.g. finishing, washing; Correction or deletion fluids · CPC title

• G03F7/203 Primary

  comprising an imagewise exposure to electromagnetic radiation or corpuscular radiation · CPC title

• G03F7/70333 Primary

  Focus drilling, i.e. increase in depth of focus for exposure by modulating focus during exposure [FLEX] · CPC title

• G03F7/22

  Exposing sequentially with the same light pattern different positions of the same surface {(G03F7/70 takes precedence)} · CPC title