Mask blank, phase shift mask, and method of manufacturing semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12529953-B2
Application number	US-202318114452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2023
Priority date	Mar 31, 2022
Publication date	Jan 20, 2026
Grant date	Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

A mask blank comprises: a light-transmissive substrate; and a phase shift film formed on the light-transmissive substrate, in which the phase shift film includes a lower layer containing hafnium and oxygen and an upper layer formed on the lower layer and containing silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen, a total content of hafnium and oxygen in the lower layer is 95 atom % or more, and a content of nitrogen in the upper layer is 15 atom % or more.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A mask blank comprising:
a light-transmissive substrate; and a phase shift film formed on the light-transmissive substrate, wherein the phase shift film includes
a lower layer containing hafnium and oxygen and
an upper layer formed on the lower layer and containing silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen,
a total content of hafnium and oxygen in the lower layer is 95 atom % or more, and a content of nitrogen in the upper layer is 15 atom % or more.

2 . The mask blank according to claim 1 , wherein a content of oxygen in the upper layer is 50 atom % or less.

3 . The mask blank according to claim 1 , wherein a content of oxygen in the lower layer is 50 atom % or more.

4 . The mask blank according to claim 1 , wherein a content of nitrogen in the upper layer is 60 atom % or less.

5 . The mask blank according to claim 1 , wherein
the phase shift film includes an intermediate layer formed between the lower layer and the upper layer, and the intermediate layer consisting of a material having a total content of silicon and oxygen of 90 atom % or more.

6 . The mask blank according to claim 5 , wherein the intermediate layer consists of silicon and oxygen.

7 . The mask blank according to claim 1 , wherein film thickness of the phase shift film is 60 nm or less.

8 . The mask blank according to claim 1 , wherein the phase shift film has a transmittance of 20% or more and a phase shift amount of 150 degrees or more and 210 degrees or less with respect to exposure light of an ArF excimer laser.

9 . The mask blank according to claim 1 , comprising a light-shielding film on the phase shift film.

10 . A phase shift mask comprising:
a light-transmissive substrate; and a phase shift film on which a transfer pattern is formed, the phase shift film being provided on the light-transmissive substrate, wherein the phase shift film includes
a lower layer containing hafnium and oxygen and
an upper layer formed on the lower layer and containing silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen,
a total content of hafnium and oxygen in the lower layer is 95 atom % or more, and a content of nitrogen in the upper layer is 15 atom % or more.

11 . The phase shift mask according to claim 10 , wherein a content of oxygen in the upper layer is 50 atom % or less.

12 . The phase shift mask according to claim 10 , wherein a content of oxygen in the lower layer is 50 atom % or more.

13 . The phase shift mask according to claim 10 , wherein a content of nitrogen in the upper layer is 60 atom % or less.

14 . The phase shift mask according to claim 10 , wherein
the phase shift film includes an intermediate layer formed between the lower layer and the upper layer, and the intermediate layer consisting of a material having a total content of silicon and oxygen of 90 atom % or more.

15 . The phase shift mask according to claim 14 , wherein the intermediate layer consists of silicon and oxygen.

16 . The phase shift mask according to claim 10 , wherein film thickness of the phase shift film is 60 nm or less.

17 . The phase shift mask according to claim 10 , wherein the phase shift film has a transmittance of 20% or more and a phase shift amount of 150 degrees or more and 210 degrees or less with respect to exposure light of an ArF excimer laser.

18 . The phase shift mask according to claim 10 , comprising a light-shielding film on which a light-shielding pattern is formed, the light-shielding film being provided on the phase shift film.

19 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising transferring, by exposure, the transfer pattern onto a resist film on a semiconductor substrate using the phase shift mask according to claim 10 .

Assignees

• Hoya Corp

Inventors

• Maeda Hitoshi
• Nozawa Osamu

Classifications

• G03F1/54

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

• G03F1/26

  Phase shift masks [PSM]; PSM blanks; Preparation thereof · CPC title

• G03F1/32 Primary

  Attenuating PSM [att-PSM], e.g. halftone PSM or PSM having semi-transparent phase shift portion,; Preparation thereof · CPC title