IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,044,959
Granted Patent B2
US 12,044,959 · App. 18/114,848 · Granted Jul 23, 2024

EUV photo masks and manufacturing method thereof

Inventors: Hung-Yi Tsai (Zhubei, TW); Wei-Che Hsieh (Taipei, TW); Ta-Cheng Lien (Cyonglin Township, TW); Hsin-Chang Lee (Zhubei, TW); Ping-Hsun Lin (New Taipei, TW); Hao-Ping Cheng (Hsinchu, TW); Ming-Wei Chen (Hsinchu, TW); Szu-Ping Tsai (Hsinchu, TW)
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
G03F1/24
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,044,959
App. No.
18/114,848
Granted
Jul 23, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A reflective mask includes a substrate, a reflective multilayer disposed on the substrate, a capping layer disposed on the reflective multilayer, and an absorber layer disposed on the capping layer. The absorber layer includes a base material made of one or more of a Cr based material, an Ir based material, a Pt based material, or Co based material, and further contains one or more additional elements selected from the group consisting of Si, B, Ge, Al, As, Sb, Te, Se and Bi.

Claims (40)

1. A reflective mask, comprising:

a substrate;

a reflective multilayer disposed on the substrate;

a capping layer disposed on the reflective multilayer; and

an absorber layer disposed on the capping layer;

wherein the absorber layer includes a base layer and multiple intermediate layers disposed in or on the base layer, and

the multiple intermediate layers are made of at least one selected from the group consisting of Si, B, Ge, Al, As, Sb, Te, Se and Bi.

2. The reflective mask of claim 1 , wherein the base layer includes one or more of a Cr-based material, an Ir-based material, a Pt-based material, or a Co-based material.

3. The reflective mask of claim 1 , wherein one of the multiple intermediate layers is disposed at a bottom of the absorber layer and one of the multiple intermediate layers is disposed at a top of the absorber layer.

4. The reflective mask of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of each of the multiple intermediate layers is in a range from 0.1 nm to 1 nm.

5. The reflective mask of claim 1 , wherein:

the absorber layer is patterned, and

the reflective mask further comprises a protective layer disposed on sidewalls of the patterned absorber layer.

6. The reflective mask of claim 5 , wherein the protective layer includes a compound of at least one selected from the group consisting of Si, B, Ge, Al, As, Sb, Te, Se and Bi.

7. The reflective mask of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the multiple intermediate layers is made of a different material than another of the multiple intermediate layers.

8. The reflective mask of claim 1 , wherein a thicknesses of at least one of the multiple intermediate layers is different from a thickness of another of the multiple intermediate layers.

9. A method of manufacturing a reflective mask, the method comprising:

forming a photo resist layer over a mask blank, the mask blank including a substrate, a reflective multilayer on the substrate, a capping layer on the reflective multilayer, an absorber layer on the capping layer and a hard mask layer;

patterning the photo resist layer;

patterning the hard mask layer by using the patterned photo resist layer as a mask;

patterning the absorber layer by using the patterned hard mask layer as a mask; and

removing the hard mask layer,

wherein the absorber layer includes a base material layer, and the base material layer further contains one or more additional elements selected from the group consisting of Si, B, Ge, Al, As, Sb, Te, Se and Bi, which are not included in the base material layer.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the base material layer is made of one or more of a Cr-based material, an Ir-based material, a Pt-based material, or a Co-based material.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein during the patterning the absorber layer, a protective layer is formed on an etched sidewall of the absorber layer to suppress lateral etching of the absorber layer.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the protective layer includes a compound of the one or more additional elements.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the protective layer includes an oxide of the one or more additional elements.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the absorber layer is patterned by plasma dry etching using a gas containing oxygen.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plasma dry etching further uses a gas containing chlorine.

16. A method of manufacturing a reflective mask, the method comprising:

forming a photo resist layer over a mask blank, the mask blank including a substrate, a reflective multilayer on the substrate, a capping layer on the reflective multilayer, an intermediate layer on the capping layer, an absorber layer on the intermediate layer and a hard mask layer;

patterning the photo resist layer;

patterning the hard mask layer by using the patterned photo resist layer as a mask;

patterning the absorber layer by using the patterned hard mask layer as a mask; and

removing the hard mask layer,

wherein the intermediate layer includes a layer of one or more additional elements selected from the group consisting of Si, Ge, Al, As, Se and Bi.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the absorber layer comprises a base material made of one or more of a Cr-based material, an Ir-based material, a Pt-based material, or a Co-based material.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the one or more additional elements are not a constituent element of the absorber layer.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein during an over etching step of the patterning the absorber layer, a protective layer is formed on an etched sidewall of the absorber layer to suppress lateral etching of the absorber layer.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the protective layer includes an oxide of the one or more additional elements.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 22, 2023
From: TSAI, HUNG-YI; HSIEH, WEI-CHE; LIEN, TA-CHENG; LEE, HSIN-CHANG; LIN, PING-HSUN; CHENG, HAO-PING; CHEN, MING-WEI; TSAI, SZU-PING
To: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 063408/0629 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17103023 · Nov 24, 2020
Provisional Application 63032444 · May 29, 2020
Related Publication 20230205072A1 · Jun 29, 2023