IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,699,315
Granted Patent B2
US 12,699,315 · App. 17/712,161 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Methods of manufacturing a pellicle having graphite layer

Inventors: Mun Ja Kim (Hwaseong-si, KR); Ji-Beom Yoo (Seoul, KR); Qicheng Hu (Suwon-si, KR); Changyoung Jeong (Yongin-si, KR); Ki-Bong Nam (Suwon-si, KR); Jin-Ho Yeo (Suwon-si, KR)
G03F1/64C23C16/0272C23C16/26C23C16/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,699,315
App. No.
17/712,161
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for manufacturing a pellicle according to the technical idea of the present invention includes preparing a support substrate, forming a catalyst layer including nickel (Ni) in which one selected from a (110) plane and a (100) plane is a dominant crystal plane, on the support substrate, and performing a chemical vapor deposition process on the catalyst layer at about 1050° C. or less to form a membrane having a graphite layer.

Claims (49)

1 . A method for manufacturing a pellicle, the method comprising:

preparing a support substrate;

forming a catalyst layer on the support substrate, the catalyst layer including nickel (Ni) in which a (110) plane is a dominant crystal plane; and

performing a chemical vapor deposition process on the catalyst layer at about 1050° C. or less to form a membrane having a graphite layer,

wherein a first surface roughness of the catalyst layer before forming the membrane is about 5 nm to about 15 nm,

wherein a second surface roughness of the catalyst layer after forming the membrane is about 20 nm to about 35 nm,

wherein the membrane is used in lithography equipment using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light as a light source,

wherein in the membrane, a transmittance of the EUV light is about 80% or more, and a reflectance of the EUV light is about 0.04% or less, and

wherein the graphite layer of the membrane has a polycrystalline structure, and a polycrystal grain size is about 1 μm or less.

2 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the nickel (Ni) in the catalyst layer has a crystal size of about 100 nm or less, and

wherein the nickel (Ni) in the catalyst layer has a thickness selected from about 500 nm to about 5 μm.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a sintering process of the graphite layer is performed at a temperature selected from about 700° C., about 780° C., about 800° C., about 860° C., and about 900° C.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the sintering process of the graphite layer is performed for a time selected from about 1 minute to about 120 minutes.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming one material film between the support substrate and the catalyst layer, the material film selected from silicon oxide, silicon nitride, metal oxide, and polymer thin film.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein a thickness of the material film is between about 100 nm and about 300 nm.

7 . A method for manufacturing a pellicle, the method comprising:

preparing a nickel (Ni) foil;

forming a catalyst layer on the nickel (Ni) foil, the catalyst layer including nickel (Ni), in which a (110) plane is a dominant crystal plane;

performing a chemical vapor deposition process on the catalyst layer at about 1050° C. or less to form a membrane having a graphite layer; and

removing the nickel (Ni) foil,

wherein a first surface roughness of the catalyst layer before forming the membrane is from about 5 nm to about 15 nm, and

wherein a second surface roughness of the catalyst layer after forming the membrane is about 20 nm to about 35 nm,

wherein the membrane is used in lithography equipment using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light as a light source, and

wherein in the membrane, a transmittance of the EUV light is about 80% or more, and a reflectance of the EUV light is about 0.04% or less, and

wherein the graphite layer of the membrane has a polycrystalline structure, and a polycrystal grain size is about 1 μm or less.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein a thickness of the nickel (Ni) foil is about 25 μm.

9 . The method of claim 7 ,

wherein nickel (Ni) in the catalyst layer has a crystal size of about 100 nm or less, and

wherein the nickel (Ni) in the catalyst layer has a thickness selected from about 500 nm to about 5 μm.

10 . A method of manufacturing a pellicle for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) exposure used in lithography equipment using EUV light as a light source, the method comprising:

preparing a support substrate;

forming a catalyst layer on the support substrate, the catalyst layer including nickel (Ni), in which a (110) plane is a dominant crystal plane;

forming a membrane having a graphite layer on the catalyst layer by performing a chemical vapor deposition process using a hydrocarbon-based precursor at about 1050° C. or less; and

transferring the membrane having the graphite layer onto a frame,

wherein a first surface roughness of the catalyst layer before forming the membrane is from about 5 nm to about 15 nm,

wherein a second surface roughness of the catalyst layer after forming the membrane is about 20 nm to about 35 nm,

wherein in the membrane, a transmittance of the EUV light is about 80% or more, and a reflectance of the EUV light is about 0.04% or less, and

wherein the graphite layer of the membrane has a polycrystalline structure, and a polycrystal grain size is about 1 μm or less.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the membrane has a size of about 50 mm in width and about 50 mm in length.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein a thickness of the graphite layer is about 10 nm to about 30 nm.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the support substrate is a silicon (Si) wafer substrate or a nickel (Ni) foil having a thickness of about 25 μm.

14 . The method of claim 10 ,

wherein the catalyst layer acts as a catalyst in the forming of the membrane having the graphite layer.

15 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein a surface roughness of the catalyst layer changes from the first surface roughness to the second surface roughness due to a catalytic reaction of the nickel (Ni) in the catalyst layer.

16 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the nickel (Ni) in the catalyst layer is formed to have a thickness of any one selected from about 500 nm, about 1 μm, or about 5 μm.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 25, 2022
From: KIM, MUN JA; YOO, JI-BEOM; HU, QICHENG; JEONG, CHANGYOUNG; NAM, KI-BONG; YEO, JIN-HO
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.; RESEARCH AND BUSINESS FOUNDATION SUNGKYUNKWAN UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 059697/0185 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2021-0057481 · May 3, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220350240A1 · Nov 3, 2022
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