Indo-German Winter Academy 2006

Optical Lithography
Martina Ryssel

Martina Ryssel

Optical Lithography - Outline

1. Introduction
2. Lithography Process
3. Photoresist
4. Mask Technology
5. Beyond the Basics

Martina Ryssel

Optical Lithography - Introduction

Lithography in the Integrated Circuit Production Process

new layer

lithography

test

etching

implantation/
diffusion

Martina Ryssel

Optical Lithography - Introduction

Lithography Classification by Wavelenght

Optical lithography

= 100 - 450 nm

(EUV: 10 15 nm)

X-ray lithography

= 0.5 2 nm

Electron beam lithography

= 0.02 0.01 nm

Ion beam lithography

<< 0.001 nm

Martina Ryssel

Optical Lithography - Introduction

Optical Lithography Light Sources (I)

Mercury arc lamp
Intensity

I-Line
G-Line
H-Line

Spectrum of
an Hg-Lamp
400

500
600
Wavelength (nm)

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Optical Lithography - Introduction

Optical Lithography Light Sources (II)

Excimer laser
transparency limit
of optical materials

Typical gases:

KrF
ArF
F2

248 nm
193 nm
157 nm

Martina Ryssel

Optical Lithography - Outline

1. Introduction
2

2. Lithography Process
3. Photoresist
4. Mask Technology
5. Beyond the Basics

Martina Ryssel

Optical Lithography - Process

Lithography Process

pattern transfer

Martina Ryssel

Optical Lithography - Process

Substrate Preparation

Cleaning: removes contaminations

Dehydration bake: evaporates any moisture present at the
surface of the wafer
Application of primer: promotes adhesion of the photoresist by
providing a hydrophobic surface
Most commonly used: Hexamethyldisilizane (HMDS)

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Optical Lithography - Process

Photoresist Application

Spin-on method: used to get resist onto the substrate

with the required uniform thickness
The resulting thickness depends on:
Spinning speed and time
Resist viscosity and quantity
Nature and concentration of solvent
Humidity
Substrate material and topography
...
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Optical Lithography - Process

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Prebake (soft bake)

Prebake is used to drive the solvent from the resist

film thickness is reduced

post-exposure bake and development properties are changed

adhesion is improved

the film becomes less sticky and thus less susceptible to

particulate contamination

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Optical Lithography - Process

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Exposure Contact and Proximity

UV Light

Mask

Contact Lithography
better resolution

cheaper

PR

defects

N-Silicon

surface bow and warp can bend mask

~10 m

UV Light

Proximity Lithography
less problems with defects
diffraction effects

PR
N-Silicon

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Mask

Optical Lithography - Process

Exposure Projection
mirror

lightsource
filter
condenser lense

reticle
reduction lense
wafer

movable wafer
stage

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Optical Lithography - Process

Exposure - Numerical Aperture

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D = lens diameter
f = focal length

NA = n sin = D/2f

mask

Rayleigh criterion:

(minimum resolvable feature size)

xmin = k1

NA

k1 depends on several parameters

(structures, mask, resist, illumination)

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Si-wafer

Optical Lithography - Process

Post-Exposure Bake
standard photoresist:
2

/nP
photoresist

PEB to reduce the standing

wave effect

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substrate
overexposure
underexposure

Also: important process step

for chemically amplified
resists (see there)

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photoresist
substrate

Optical Lithography - Process

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Development

developer
puddle

Developer (for example

tetramethyl ammonium
hydroxide, TMAH)

wafer

dissolves the softened

part of photoresist
Puddle
Wafer is spin-rinsed after development

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Spray

Optical Lithography - Process

Postbake

Evaporation of all solvents in PR

Improvement of etch and implantation resistance
Improvement of PR adhesion with surface
Polymerize and stabilize photoresist
But: Overbaking can cause degradation of image by flowing resist

PR

PR
Substrate

Substrate

normal baking

over baking
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Optical Lithography - Process

Pattern Transfer

subtractive transfer (etching)

additive transfer (selective deposition lift off)
and impurity doping (ion implantation)

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Optical Lithography - Process

Lift-off

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photoresist

2
substrate and
additional layer

deposited layer

photomask

Steep resist flanks are required for this method!

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Optical Lithography - Process

Strip

After pattern transfer, the remaining resist has to be

removed.
This can be done by
- dissolving in acid (f.e. H2O2 and H2SO4)
- plasma stripping

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Optical Lithography - Outline

1. Introduction
2. Lithography Process
3

3. Photoresist
4. Mask Technology
5. Beyond the Basics

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Optical Lithography - Photoresist

Positive and Negative

Photoresist

Positive resist becomes

soluble with exposure to
light.

Negative resist becomes

insoluble.

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Etching

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Optical Lithography - Photoresist

Chemistry of Standard Resists

- long molecule chains are dissolved by exposure to light
(positive resist)
-Example: DNQ (Diazonaphthoquinone) + Novolack
3

- long molecule chains are produced by exposure to light

(negative resist)

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Optical Lithography - Photoresist

Chemically Amplified Resist

- Resist molecules are photoacid generators (PAG)
- PAGs produce acid when exposed to light
- Acid acts like a catalyst in dissolving the molecule chains
3

Incident light

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Post exposure bake

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Optical Lithography - Photoresist

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Photoresist Characteristics
positive resist

log(dose)

negative resist

log(dose)

Film Thickness after Develop

Sensitivity: Exposure dose where resist is totally dissolved (positive)

Contrast:

1
=
D
log 0
D100

(inverse of curve slope)

Today:
Line edge roughness: molecular structure of resist becomes important
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Optical Lithography - Photoresist

Photoresist Characteristics (secondary)

-Low particle content
-Low ion content
3

-Good substrate adhesion

-Good thermal stability
-Easy removability

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Optical Lithography - Outline

1. Introduction
2. Lithography Process
3. Photoresist
4. Mask Technology
4

5. Beyond the Basics

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Optical Lithography Mask Technology

Example

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Optical Lithography Mask Technology

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Production

Quartz substrate
Cr/CrO2 layer (sputtering)
PR coating

Pattern writing by
E-beam lithography

Development and etching

PR removal
Source: PKL

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Optical Lithography Mask Technology

Pellicles
Protection for photomasks (projection lithography)

4
193nm: Organic pellicles
Below 193 nm:Transparency and durability problems

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Optical Lithography Mask Technology

Phase Shift Masks

Alternating PSM

Attenuated PSM

Phase shift
Amplitude
(mask)

Amplitude
(wafer)

4
Intensity
(wafer)

without PS
with PS
Source: ASML

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Optical Lithography Mask Technology

Optical Proximity Correction (OPC)

Mask modifications to reduce image imprecisions

Serifs/Hammerheads improved precision at corners

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Optical Lithography Mask Technology

Optical Proximity Correction (II)

4
Dummy structures below resolution limit
improved result due to more homogeneous
distribution of etchant
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Optical Lithography - Outline

1. Introduction
2. Lithography Process
3. Photoresist
4. Mask Technology
5. Beyond the Basics
5

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Optical Lithography Beyond the Basics

Immersion Lithography

x = k 1

NA

= k1

n sin

Advantages:
- Higher numerical
aperture can be achieved
- smaller patterns without
smaller wavelengths
5

But: - expensive technique

- defects in the liquid
- complex process

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Optical Lithography Beyond the Basics

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EUV Lithography
high absorption of
EUV radiation

mask station

EUV radiation

Optics and masks

need to be reflective

optics

Needs vacuum

wafer station

Source:
Plasma (laser or gas discharge stimulated)
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collector optic

Optical Lithography Beyond the Basics

X-ray Lithography
Source: Synchrotron X-rays

Problems: expensive, complex masks required (f.e. gold on SiC,

produced by electron beam writing)

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Optical Lithography Beyond the Basics

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Electron Beam Lithography

Scale
resolution of ~20nm
Masks
No physical mask-plates are needed
Cost and Maintenance
Time
The electron beam must be scanned across patterned areas pixel by
pixel

Fabrication
Conventional fabrication techniques such as metal lift-off and
etching can become difficult at sub-micron length scales
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Optical Lithography Beyond the Basics

Ion Beam Lithography

similar to electron beam lithography,
but using a focused ion beam

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ion source
focussing
ion beam

Scales below 100nm

ion separator
unwanted ions

No masks needed

aperture

Ion implantation

objective lenses

Ion/Atom scattering

aperture
control electrodes
substrate
table

Martina Ryssel

Optical Lithography - Sources

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Grtler, Strowitzki: Kompakte, hochrepetierende Excimerlaser fr industrielle Anwendungen, TuiLaser AG

MICROLITHOGRAPHY From Computer Aided Design (CAD) to Patterned Substrate, Cornell Nanofabrication Facility,
Microlithography Manual
pi.physik.uni-bonn.de/hertz/bilingual/Vorlesungen/Atomphysik_WS0607/AtomphysikKB2.pdf
http://www.lpm.u-nancy.fr/webperso/nanomag/download/Cours%20MicroNano/Techno%20CMOS_Chihiwu/ch06%20rev1.ppt
Thomas Zell: Lithography, 3. Dresdner Sommerschule Mikroelektronik
Prof. Dr. Herberger (FHM), Praktikum Mikroelektronik, WS 06/07
Uwe Stamm, Heinrich Schwoerer und Rainer Lebert, Strahlungsquellen fr die EUV-Lithographie
H. Kck, bersicht ber gngige Belichtungsverfahren der Mikrotechnik, izfm, Uni Stuttgart
Vorlesung Nanobiotechnologie, Zentrum fr NanoBiotechnologie, Universitt fr Bodenkultur Wien
Prof. Heiner Ryssel, Vorlesung Technologie Integrierter Schaltungen, Lehrstuhl Elektronische Bauelemente, FAU Erlangen
Andreas Erdmann, Lithography Course, Part 1, Fraunhofer Institut IISB, Erlangen
Prof. Dr. Roland Zengerle, Vorlesung Mikrosystemtechnik 1
Kurt Ronse, Optical Lithography, The Microelectronics Training Center, IMEC
Prof. Heiner Ryssel und Andreas Erdmann, Optik fr die Mikro- und Nanoelektronik
Reiser, Huang, The molecular mechanism of novolakdiazonaphthoquinone resists, European Polymer Journal
http://www.lithoguru.com/scientist/lithobasics.html
http://sst.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARCHI&Subsection=Display&ARTICLE_ID=205024&p=28
Andrew Wagner: Resist Sensitivity and Contrast Experiment, Rochester Institute of Technology

Martina Ryssel

Indo-German Winter Academy 2006

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Optical Lithography
Thank you for your kind attention!

Martina Ryssel