Pellicle for preventing thermal accumulation and extreme ultra-violet lithography apparatus having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9952502-B2
Application number	US-201614993237-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2016
Priority date	May 13, 2015
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A pellicle for lithography processes, including extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography may mitigate thermal accumulation in a membrane of the pellicle. The pellicle includes a membrane and at least one thermal buffer layer on at least one surface of the membrane. An emissivity of the thermal buffer layer may be greater than an emissivity of the membrane. A carbon content of the thermal buffer layer may be greater than a carbon content of the membrane. Multiple thermal buffer layers may be on separate surfaces of the membrane, and the thermal buffer layers may have different properties. A capping layer may be on at least one thermal buffer layer, and the capping layer may include a hydrogen resistant material. A thermal buffer layer may extend over some or all of a surface of the membrane. A thermal buffer layer may be between at least two membranes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pellicle comprising:
a membrane configured to be on an optical pattern of a reticle; and
a first thermal buffer layer on a first surface of the membrane, the first thermal buffer layer being associated with a first emissivity, the first emissivity being greater than an emissivity of the membrane,
wherein the pellicle is configured to be on the reticle during EUV lithography, such that EUV light passes through the first thermal buffer layer and the membrane to be reflected from the optical pattern in the reticle, heat is generated at the membrane based on the EUV light passing through the membrane, and the first thermal buffer layer discharges the heat generated at the membrane to an external environment based on the first thermal buffer layer being associated with the first emissivity that is greater than the emissivity of the membrane.

2. The pellicle of claim 1 , wherein the first thermal buffer layer includes carbon.

3. The pellicle of claim 2 , wherein the first thermal buffer layer includes at least one of amorphous carbon, graphene, nanographite, a carbon nanosheet, a carbon nanotube, silicon carbide (SiC), and boron carbide (BC).

4. The pellicle of claim 1 , wherein a vertical thickness of the first thermal buffer layer is lower than a vertical thickness of the membrane.

5. The pellicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second thermal buffer layer on a second surface of the membrane, the second surface being an opposite surface of the membrane relative to the first surface of the membrane, the second thermal buffer layer associated with a second emissivity, the second emissivity being greater than the emissivity of the membrane.

6. The pellicle of claim 5 , wherein the second thermal buffer layer includes carbon.

7. The pellicle of claim 5 , wherein the second emissivity is equal to the first emissivity.

8. The pellicle of claim 5 , further comprising:
a frame on the second surface of the membrane; and
a capping layer on the second surface of the membrane,
wherein the frame includes an inner side and an outer side, the inner side at least partially bounding an inner portion of the second surface of the membrane, the outer side facing the external environment, the capping layer on the inner portion of the second surface.

9. A pellicle comprising:
a membrane;
a first capping layer; and
a first thermal buffer layer between a first surface of the membrane and the first capping layer, the first thermal buffer layer including a first carbon content, the first carbon content being greater than each of a carbon content of the membrane and a carbon content of the first capping layer.

10. The pellicle of claim 9 , wherein a vertical thickness of the first capping layer is lower than a vertical thickness of the first thermal buffer layer.

11. The pellicle of claim 9 , further comprising:
a second capping layer on a second surface of the membrane, the second surface being an opposite surface of the membrane relative to the first surface of the membrane, the first carbon content being greater than a carbon content of the second capping layer.

12. The pellicle of claim 11 , further comprising:
a frame on the second surface of the membrane, the frame including an inner side and an outer side, the inner side at least partially bounding an inner portion of the second surface of the membrane, the outer side facing an external environment, the second capping layer is on the inner portion of the second surface.

13. The pellicle of claim 11 , further comprising:
a second thermal buffer layer between the membrane and the second capping layer, the second thermal buffer layer including a second carbon content, the second carbon content being greater than the carbon content of each of the membrane and the second capping layer.

14. The pellicle of claim 13 , wherein the second carbon content equals the first carbon content.

15. The pellicle of claim 9 , wherein the first capping layer includes a hydrogen resistant material.

16. A pellicle comprising:
a membrane configured to be on an optical pattern of a reticle; and
a thermal buffer layer on a surface of the membrane, the thermal buffer layer configured to emit thermal radiation, the thermal radiation emitted by the thermal buffer layer associated with an intensity exceeding an intensity of thermal radiation emitted by the membrane,
wherein the pellicle is configured to be on the reticle during EUV lithography, such that EUV light passes through the thermal buffer layer and the membrane to be reflected from the optical pattern in the reticle, heat is generated at the membrane based on the EUV light passing through the membrane, and the thermal buffer layer discharges the heat generated at the membrane to an external environment based on the thermal buffer layer being emitting thermal radiation associated with the intensity exceeding the intensity of thermal radiation emitted by the membrane.

17. The pellicle of claim 16 , further comprising a capping layer on a surface of the thermal buffer layer, the capping layer including a lower amount of carbon than an amount of carbon included in the thermal buffer layer.

18. The pellicle of claim 16 , further comprising a frame on the surface of the membrane, the frame including an inner side and an outer side, the inner side at least partially bounding an inner portion of the surface of the membrane, the outer side facing the external environment, wherein the thermal buffer layer is on the inner portion of the surface.

19. The pellicle of claim 16 , wherein the thermal buffer layer includes:
a first thermal buffer layer on a first surface of the membrane; and
a second thermal buffer layer on a second surface of the membrane, the second surface being an opposite surface of the membrane relative to the first surface of the membrane, the first and second thermal buffer layers configured to emit different intensities of thermal radiation.

20. The pellicle of claim 19 , wherein a vertical thickness of the second thermal buffer layer is different than a vertical thickness of the first thermal buffer layer.

Assignees

• Jeon Hwanchul
• Kim Munja
• Kwon Sungwon
• Kim Byunggook
• Chalykh Roman
• Jung Yongseok
• Choi Jaehyuck
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jeon Hwanchul
• Kim Munja
• Kwon Sungwon
• Kim Byunggook
• Chalykh Roman
• Jung Yongseok
• Choi Jaehyuck

Classifications

• G03F1/64 Primary

  characterised by the frames, e.g. structure or material, including bonding means therefor · CPC title

• G03F7/70983

  Optical system protection, e.g. pellicles or removable covers for protection of mask · CPC title

• G03F1/62

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

• G03F7/2004 Primary

  characterised by the use of a particular light source, e.g. fluorescent lamps or deep UV light · CPC title