Radiation imagery chemistry: process – composition – or product th – Radiation modifying product or process of making – Radiation mask
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-30
2003-12-16
Rosasco, S. (Department: 1756)
Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th
Radiation modifying product or process of making
Radiation mask
C716S030000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06664010
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing integrated circuits; in particular a method for generating corrected patterns for a phase-shifting mask and its associated trimming mask.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In a method generally called an optimal proximity correction (OPC), an initial layout is predetermined for producing a circuit configuration with the aid of a photolithography method. From the initial layout, a pattern is generated for a phase-shifting mask, with the aid of which part of the circuit configuration is to be produced. From the initial layout, a pattern for a trimming mask is also generated, with the aid of which configurations of the circuit configuration adjoining the circuit configuration of the first part can be produced and with the aid of which places are exposed at which there are direct phase transitions of the phase mask. The pattern for the phase-shifting mask and the pattern for the trimming mask are corrected, taking into consideration neighborhoods of the configurations of the patterns having influence on the imaging during the photolithography, in such a manner that a circuit configuration which can be produced by means of the corrected patterns is more similar with regard to the geometry of the initial layout than a circuit configuration which can be produced by means of the uncorrected patterns.
Thus, neighborhood-induced diffraction effects are corrected. During the correction, neighborhoods are taken into consideration which have an influence on the imaging during the photolithography.
The phase-shifting mask is either a dark-field mask or a bright-field mask. For example, a phase-shifting mask of the dark-field type contains at least two types of radiation-transparent regions with mutually different influence on the phase of electromagnetic waves transmitted through the permeation regions. Usually, a phase shift of 180° is generated between adjacent permeation regions.
A method with the above-mentioned method steps is explained in the article “Integration of Optical Proximity Correction Strategies in Strong Phase Shifters Design for Poly-Gate Layers” by Christopher Spence, Marina Plat, Emile Sahouria, et al. This article is a part of the 19th Annual BACUS Symposium on Photomask Technology, Monterey, Calif., September 1999 and published in SPIE, Vol. 3873, pages 277 to 287. During the correction, the patterns for the phase-shifting mask and the trimming mask are corrected simultaneously. In the publication, circuit configurations having a critical dimension CD of 100 nm are produced with the aid of 248 nm lithography devices. In addition, the production process is simulated. However, configurations shown in the publication have comparatively large distances from one another. The ratio between minimum spacing of the configurations and minimum configuration width is much greater than two.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the invention to specify an improved OPC method for correcting patterns for a phase-shifting mask and its trimming mask. In addition, an associated device, an associated program, a data medium with this program and an integrated circuit configuration are to be specified.
The object relating to the method is achieved by the method steps specified in patent claim 1. Further developments are specified in the subclaims.
The invention is based on the consideration that phase-shifting masks are usually used for producing circuit configurations, the critical dimension of which is so small that during the imaging of the configurations with the aid of the masks, neighborhoods of the configurations influence the imaging. Although simultaneous correction of the pattern of the phase-shifting mask and of the pattern of the trimming mask is possible, it is associated with a comparatively great expenditure because the influence of the neighborhoods on the imaging during the photolithography can be estimated only with difficulty.
In the method according to the invention, the pattern for the phase-shifting mask is firstly corrected in accordance with correction rules for the pattern of the phase-shifting mask in a first correcting step in addition to the method steps initially mentioned. Subsequently, the pattern for the trimming mask is corrected in accordance with correction rules for the pattern of the trimming mask with use of the corrected pattern for the phase-shifting mask in a second correction step. Separating the correction of the pattern for the phase-shifting mask from the correction of the pattern for the trimming mask has the result that, during the correction method, not so many different influences need to be taken into consideration at the same time. The influence of the neighborhoods on the imaging during the photolithography can thus be controlled more easily. Overall, the expenditure for the correction is much less in the method according to the invention than with simultaneous correction of both patterns.
In an alternative of the method according to the invention, the pattern for the trimming mask is firstly corrected in accordance with correction rules for the pattern of the trimming mask in a first correction step. Subsequently, the pattern for the phase-shifting mask is corrected in accordance with correction rules for the pattern of the phase-shifting mask with use of the corrected pattern for the trimming mask in a second correction step. The order of correction steps can thus be selected. The order is established in such a manner that the simplest possible correction rules can be set up.
In a further embodiment, the pattern for the phase-shifting mask is corrected with use of the uncorrected pattern for the trimming mask in the first correction step. As an alternative, the pattern for the trimming mask is corrected with use of the uncorrected pattern for the phase-shifting mask in the first correction step. These measures make it possible to determine more accurate correction rules.
In the first correction step, essentially all corrections or, respectively, all corrections which can be performed for the first corrected mask on its pattern in accordance with the predetermined correction rules are preferably performed. In the second correction step, essentially all or, respectively, all corrections which can be performed on the pattern of the mask corrected as the second mask in accordance with the correction rules predetermined for the second mask to be corrected at the time of the performance of the method are then performed. Essentially all this means is that, for example, individual corrections can still be performed later manually in the sense of a touch-up. Thus, corrections are performed at all places of the pattern at which corrections can be performed in accordance with the correction rules. Thus, the correction steps are clearly separate from one another.
For example, the following is done on the basis of the correction rules:
Line shortenings during the production of the circuit configuration in comparison with the pattern or, respectively, initial layout are eliminated by lengthening of the relevant configuration in one of the two patterns,
Roundings of corners in the circuit configuration produced or, respectively, Roundings of corners occurring during the simulation of the production are avoided by “adding pieces” of correction areas in one of the two patterns, and
Narrowings in the circuit configuration produced or, respectively, simulated are avoided in that the configurations causing these circuit configurations are widened in the areas of the narrowing in one of the two patterns.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the correction is essentially ended after the second correction step has been performed, i.e., for example, apart from slight manual touch-ups.
The patterns generated with the aid of the method according to the invention or, respectively, with the aid of its further developments are used as the basis in the production or the simulation of the production of a phase-shifting mask and of a trimming mask. For example, m
Ahrens Marco
Knobloch Juergen
Maurer Wilhelm
Zimmermann Rainer
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