Defectivity reduction in EUV resists through novel high-performance Point-Of-Use (POU) filters

Yiren Zhang; Toru Umeda; Hirokazu Sakakibara; Sheik Ansar Usman Ibrahim; Atsushi Sakamoto; Amarnauth Singh; Robert Shick; Karl Skjonnemand; Philippe Foubert; Waut Drent

doi:10.1117/12.2660389

30 April 2023 Defectivity reduction in EUV resists through novel high-performance Point-Of-Use (POU) filters

Yiren Zhang, Toru Umeda, Hirokazu Sakakibara, Sheik Ansar Usman Ibrahim, Atsushi Sakamoto, Amarnauth Singh, Robert Shick, Karl Skjonnemand, Philippe Foubert, Waut Drent

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 12498, Advances in Patterning Materials and Processes XL; 124981Y (2023) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2660389
Event: SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning, 2023, San Jose, California, United States

Conference Poster

Abstract

Filters for Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) lithography chemicals, like chemically amplified photoresist (CAR), are attractive because of their capabilities to remove aggregated species and reduce microbridges in high volume manufacturing. Unlike bulk filters used in high-flow circulation mode, point-of-use (POU) filter is used in single-pass mode, so the retention performance and cleanliness become the most critical factors. Earlier presentations have demonstrated the benefit of reducing on-wafer defectivities through filtration of EUV photoresists with the state-of-the-art HDPE membranes filters, Pall^® sub-1nm HDPE (XPR3L). In this study, we present a novel HDPE filter specifically designed to provide high retention performance, which is mainly enabled by an improvement in retention characteristics of membrane and cleanliness in finished POU filters. The membrane was designed to have a finer pore size and better pore geometry to improve defect retention. To expedite the filter start-up process, optimized device cleaning process was applied to further improve initial cleanliness, which was indicated by GC-MS, LC-MS/MS and ICP-MS measurements, etc. Finally, the POU filters were evaluated at imec EUV cluster consisting of TEL CleanTrack™ LITHIUS Pro™-Z and ASML NXE:3400B, and comparative defect data was obtained from patterned wafers with 16nm L/S.

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Yiren Zhang, Toru Umeda, Hirokazu Sakakibara, Sheik Ansar Usman Ibrahim, Atsushi Sakamoto, Amarnauth Singh, Robert Shick, Karl Skjonnemand, Philippe Foubert, and Waut Drent "Defectivity reduction in EUV resists through novel high-performance Point-Of-Use (POU) filters", Proc. SPIE 12498, Advances in Patterning Materials and Processes XL, 124981Y (30 April 2023); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2660389

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