IP Library Granted Patent US 10,928,721
Granted Patent B2
US 10,928,721 · App. 15/168,572 · Granted Feb 23, 2021

Reflective mask blank for EUV lithography

Inventor: Yoshiaki Ikuta (Chiyoda-ku, JP)
Assignee: AGC, Inc.
G03F1/24
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,928,721
App. No.
15/168,572
Granted
Feb 23, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

To provide a reflective mask blank for EUV lithography which is excellent in flatness, whereby the deterioration of the overlay accuracy at the time of pattern transfer can be relatively easily corrected, and the deterioration of the overlay accuracy due to the flatness is small. A reflective mask blank for EUVL, which is a reflective mask blank for EUV lithography having a reflective layer for reflecting EUV light and an absorber layer for absorbing EUV light formed in this order on the main surface of a substrate and having a conductive film formed on the rear surface opposite to the main surface, of the substrate, wherein when the shapes of quality-guaranteed regions of the main surface and the rear surface of the reflective mask blank for EUVL are measured by a laser interferometer, and the measured values obtained are fitted to quadratic function, the proportion of the quadratic function components is at least 35%, and the flatness at the quality-guaranteed regions of the main surface and the rear surface is at most 600 nm.

Claims (25)

1. A reflective mask blank for EUVL, which is a reflective mask blank for EUV lithography having a reflective layer for reflecting EUV light and an absorber layer for absorbing EUV light formed in this order on a main surface of a substrate and having a conductive film formed on a rear surface opposite to the main surface, of the substrate,

wherein when the absolute value of flatness of 142×142 mm regions of a main surface of the reflective mask blank and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of a rear surface of the reflective mask blank are measured by a laser interferometer, and the measured values of the flatness are fitted to a quadratic function, the proportion of the quadratic function components is at least 35%, and the absolute value of flatness at the 142×142 mm regions of the main surface of the reflective mask blank and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of the rear surface of the reflective mask blank is at most 600 nm, and

wherein the overlay error due to blank flatness is at most 2.2 nm.

2. The reflective mask blank for EUVL according to claim 1 , wherein between the reflective layer and the absorber layer, a protective layer for the reflective layer is formed.

3. The reflective mask blank for EUVL according to claim 1 , wherein on the absorber layer, a low reflective layer for inspection light to be used for inspection of a mask pattern is formed.

4. The reflective mask blank for EUVL according to claim 1 , wherein the absolute value of flatness at the 142×142 mm regions of the main surface of the reflective mask blank and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of the rear surface of the reflective mask blank is at most 500 nm.

5. The reflective mask blank for EUVL according to claim 1 , wherein the absolute value of flatness at the 142×142 mm regions of the main surface of the reflective mask blank and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of the rear surface of the reflective mask blank is at most 407 nm.

6. A reflective mask blank for EUVL, which is a reflective mask blank for EUV lithography having a reflective layer for reflecting EUV light and an absorber layer for absorbing EUV light formed in this order on a main surface of a substrate and having a conductive film formed on a rear surface opposite to the main surface, of the substrate,

wherein when the absolute value of flatness of 142×142 min regions of a main surface of the reflective mask blank and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of a rear surface of the reflective mask blank are measured by a laser interferometer, and the measured values of the flatness are fitted to a quadratic function to obtain central coordinate F on the main surface of the reflective mask blank and central coordinate B on the rear surface of the reflective mask blank, the distances between the central coordinates F and B obtained and the center coordinate C of the substrate, which coordinate is a central coordinate in the inside of the substrate, are at most 0.5 mm, and the absolute value of flatness at the 142×142 mm regions of the main surface of the reflective mask blank and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of the rear surface of the reflective mask blank is at most 600 nm, and

wherein the overlay error due to blank flatness is at most 2.2 nm.

7. The reflective mask blank for EUVL according to claim 6 , wherein after forming at least one selected from the group consisting of the reflective layer, the absorber layer and the conductive film, a heating treatment is carried out, and

when the absolute value of flatness of 142×142 mm regions of the main surface of the reflective mask blank and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of the rear surface of the reflective mask blank are measured by a laser interferometer respectively before and after the heating treatment, and the differences of the absolute value of flatness of the 142×142 mm regions of the main surface of the reflective mask blank and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of the rear surface of the reflective mask blank before and after the heating treatment, are fitted to a quadratic function to obtain central coordinate ΔF h on the main surface of the reflective mask blank and central coordinate ΔB h on the rear surface of the reflective mask blank, the distances between the central coordinates ΔF h and ΔB h obtained and the center coordinate C of the substrate are at most 0.5 mm.

8. The reflective mask blank for EUVL according to claim 6 , wherein between the reflective layer and the absorber layer, a protective layer for the reflective layer is formed.

9. The reflective mask blank for EUVL according to claim 6 , wherein on the absorber layer, a low reflective layer for inspection light to be used for inspection of a mask pattern is formed.

10. The reflective mask blank for EUVL according to claim 6 , wherein the absolute value of flatness at the 142×142 mm regions of the main surface of the reflective mask blank and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of the rear surface of the reflective mask blank is at most 500 nm.

11. The reflective mask blank for EUVL according to claim 6 , wherein the absolute value of flatness at the 142×142 mm regions of the main surface of the reflective mask blank and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of the rear surface of the reflective mask blank is at most 407 nm.

12. A reflective mask blank for EUVL which is a reflective mask blank for EUV lithography having a reflective layer for reflecting EUV light and an absorber layer for absorbing EUV light formed in this order on a main surface of a substrate and having a conductive film formed on a rear surface opposite to the main surface, of the substrate,

wherein the absolute value of flatness of 142×142 mm regions of a main surface of the reflective mask blank and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of a rear surface of the reflective mask blank, and the absolute value of flatness of 142×142 mm regions of the main surface of the substrate and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of the rear surface of the substrate before forming the reflective layer, the absorber layer and the conductive film are measured by a laser interferometer respectively, and the differences between the absolute value of flatness of 142×142 mm regions of the main surface of the reflective mask blank and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of the rear surface of the reflective mask blank, and the absolute value of flatness of 142×142 mm regions of the main surface of the substrate and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of the rear surface of the substrate, are fitted to a quadratic function to obtain central coordinate ΔF on the main surface of the reflective mask blank and central coordinate ΔB on the rear surface of the reflective mask blank, the distances between the central coordinates ΔF and ΔB obtained and the center coordinate C of the substrate, which coordinate is a central coordinate in the inside of the substrate, are at most 0.5 mm, and the absolute value of flatness at the 1427×142 mm regions of the main surface of the reflective mask blank and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of the rear surface of the reflective mask blank is at most 600 nm, and

wherein the overlay error due to blank flatness is at most 2.2 nm.

13. The reflective mask blank for EUVL according to claim 12 , wherein after forming at least one selected from the group consisting of the reflective layer, the absorber layer and the conductive film, a heating treatment is carried out, and

when the absolute value of flatness of 142×142 mm regions of the main surface of the reflective mask blank and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of the rear surface of the reflective mask blank are measured by a laser interferometer respectively before and after the heating treatment, and the differences of the absolute value of flatness of the 142×142 mm regions of the main surface of the reflective mask blank and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of the rear surface of the reflective mask blank before and after the heating treatment, are fitted to a quadratic function to obtain central coordinate ΔF h on the main surface of the reflective mask blank and central coordinate ΔB h on the rear surface of the reflective mask blank, the distances between the central coordinates ΔF h and ΔB h obtained and the center coordinate C of the substrate are at most 0.5 mm.

14. The reflective mask blank for EUVL according to claim 12 , wherein between the reflective layer and the absorber layer, a protective layer for the reflective layer is formed.

15. The reflective mask blank for EUVL according to claim 12 , wherein on the absorber layer, a low reflective layer for inspection light to be used for inspection of a mask pattern is formed.

16. The reflective mask blank for EUVL according to claim 12 , wherein the absolute value of flatness at the 142×142 mm regions of the main surface of the reflective mask blank and the absolute value of flatness of 14×146 mm regions of the rear surface of the reflective mask blank is at most 500 nm.

17. The reflective mask blank for EUVL according to claim 12 , wherein the absolute value of flatness at the 142×142 mm regions of the main surface of the reflective mask blank and the absolute value of flatness of 146×146 mm regions of the rear surface of the reflective mask blank is at most 407 nm.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 7, 2018
From: ASAHI GLASS COMPANY, LIMITED
To: AGC INC.
Reel/Frame 046730/0786 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 31, 2016
From: IKUTA, YOSHIAKI
To: ASAHI GLASS COMPANY, LIMITED
Reel/Frame 038749/0744 →