Advanced photolithographic mask repair using electron beams

Mask repair plays an important role in yielding advanced masks that support the lithography roadmap. It is also one of the more challenging parts of mask fabrication. Electron beam induced deposition and etching have shown great potential for mask repair applications. Our work has demonstrated that e-beam mask repair provides the superior resolution and damage-free process that is needed to support mask generations for the 32 nm technology node and beyond. This article describes an installed e-beam mask repair tool at Intel Mask Operation and discusses the capabilities of this enabling technology based on results obtained from repairing masks with defects intentionally inserted into the design (programmed defect masks). Specifically, results are presented for quartz etch repair of alternating phase shift masks and TaBN absorber etch of extreme ultraviolet masks, two of the most difficult types of mask to repair using conventional methods. (c) 2005 American Vacuum Society.