| US 7,549,140 B2 | ||
| Method and apparatus for decomposing semiconductor device patterns into phase and chrome regions for chromeless phase lithography | ||
| Doug Van Den Broeke, Sunnyvale, Calif. (US); Jang Fung Chen, Cupertino, Calif. (US); Thomas Laidig, Point Richmond, Calif. (US); Kurt E. Wampler, Sunnyvale, Calif. (US); and Stephen Hsu, Fremont, Calif. (US) | ||
| Assigned to ASML Masktools B. V., Ah Veldhoven (Netherlands) | ||
| Filed on Jan. 18, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/35,737. | ||
| Application 11/035737 is a division of application No. 10/395903, filed on Mar. 25, 2003, granted, now 6,851,103. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/366545, filed on Mar. 25, 2002. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2005/0125765 A1, Jun. 09, 2005 | ||
| Int. Cl. G06F 17/50 (2006.01); G06F 19/00 (2006.01); G21K 5/00 (2006.01); G03F 1/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 716—19 [700/120; 700/121; 430/5; 378/35] | 13 Claims |
| 1. A method of forming a mask for optically transferring a target pattern to a substrate, said method comprising the steps
of:
generating a mask pattern representing said target pattern to be imaged on said substrate;
identifying open areas in said mask pattern which do not contain any features of said target pattern to be imaged on said
substrate;
modifying said mask pattern to contain a plurality of sub-resolution flare reduction features in said open areas, said plurality
of sub-resolution flare reduction features comprising chromeless phase-shifting structures and partially reducing the amount
of light passing through said open areas in said mask pattern; and forming the mask based on said modified mask pattern.
|