Aerial plane inspection for advanced photomask defect detection

Won Sun Kim; Jin Hyung Park; Dong Hoon Chung; Chan Uk Jeon; Han Ku Cho; Trent Hutchinson; Oscar Lee; William Huang; Aditya Dayal

doi:10.1117/12.830139

23 September 2009 Aerial plane inspection for advanced photomask defect detection

Won Sun Kim, Jin Hyung Park, Dong Hoon Chung, Chan Uk Jeon, Han Ku Cho, Trent Hutchinson, Oscar Lee, William Huang, Aditya Dayal

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7488, Photomask Technology 2009; 74882Q (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.830139
Event: SPIE Photomask Technology, 2009, Monterey, California, United States

Abstract

A new methodology - Aerial Plane Inspection (API) - has been developed to inspect advanced photomasks used for the 45 nm node and beyond. Utilizing images from a high resolution mask inspection system, a mask image is recovered by combining the transmitted and reflected images. A software transformation is then performed to replicate the aerial image planes produced in a photolithography exposure system. These aerial images are used to compare adjacent die in a Die-Die inspection mode in order to find critical defects on the photomask. The mask recovery process and modeling of the aerial plane image allows flexibility to simulate a wide range of lithographic exposure systems, including immersion lithography. Any source shape, Sigma, and numerical aperture (NA) can be used at all common lithographic wavelengths. Sensitivity of the inspection can be fully adjusted to match photomask specifications for CD control, lineend shortening, OPC features, and for small and large defective areas. An additional adaptive sensitivity option can be utilized to automatically adjust sensitivity as a function of MEEF. Using the Aerial Plane Inspection to compare pattern images has the benefit of filtering out non-printing defects, while detecting very small printing defects. In addition, defects that are not printing at ideal exposure condition, but may be reducing the lithographic process window, can also be detected. Performing defect detection at the aerial image plane is more tolerant to small Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) sub-resolution assist features (SRAFs) that are difficult to inspect at the reticle image plane.

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Won Sun Kim, Jin Hyung Park, Dong Hoon Chung, Chan Uk Jeon, Han Ku Cho, Trent Hutchinson, Oscar Lee, William Huang, and Aditya Dayal "Aerial plane inspection for advanced photomask defect detection", Proc. SPIE 7488, Photomask Technology 2009, 74882Q (23 September 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.830139

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KEYWORDS

Inspection

Photomasks

SRAF

Lithography

Defect detection

Reticles

Semiconducting wafers

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