Photomask design for generating plasmonic effect

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.