Mask plate manufacturing method and mask plate

Abstract

The invention provides a manufacturing method of a mask plate and the mask plate. The manufacturing method comprises the following steps: providing a stacking structure; taking the hard mask layer as a mask, removing a part of the shading material layer to transfer a pattern of the hard mask layer to the shading material layer to obtain a first intermediate, and forming a groove in the shading material layer by the pattern; removing the hard mask layer in a first target removal duration, and extending the depth of the groove to remove a part of the phase shift material layer to obtain a second intermediate; measuring the critical dimension of the shading material layer in the second intermediate; according to the key size, the target size and a preset configuration relation, determining a second target removal duration, the preset configuration relation being used for representing a corresponding relation between the removal duration and a size difference value, and the size difference value being a difference between the key size of the shading material layer and the target size of the phase shift material layer; and continuously removing a part of the phase shift material layer of the second intermediate with a second target removal duration to obtain the mask plate. Therefore, the size accuracy of the mask plate can be effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of electronic manufacturing technology, and in particular to a method for manufacturing a mask plate and a mask plate. Background Art

[0002] A mask, also known as a photomask or a photomask, is a graphic master used in the photolithography process in the manufacture of microelectronics and integrated optoelectronics. It has been widely used in various fields such as semiconductors, flat panel displays, and micro-electromechanical systems.

[0003] Phase Shift Mask (PSM) technology is a common mask technology that can effectively improve the contrast and resolution of graphics, and Hard Mask (HM) technology is a mask technology that can improve the accuracy of the photolithography process and the ability to produce complex graphics. In the related art, PSM technology and HM technology are combined to meet the mask requirements of more advanced processes, thereby producing integrated circuits with smaller feature sizes and higher performance. However, the HM-PSM technology in the related art has the problem of low dimensional accuracy. Summary of the invention

[0004] The following is a summary of the subject matter of the detailed description of the present disclosure. This summary is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0005] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing a mask is provided, the method comprising:

[0006] Providing a stacked structure, the stacked structure comprising a transparent base material layer, a phase shift material layer, a light shielding material layer and a hard mask layer that are stacked;

[0007] Using the hard mask layer as a mask, removing a portion of the light-shielding material layer to transfer the pattern of the hard mask layer to the light-shielding material layer to obtain a first intermediate, wherein the pattern forms a groove on the light-shielding material layer;

[0008] removing the hard mask layer for a first target removal time, and extending the depth of the groove to remove a portion of the phase-shift material layer, to obtain a second intermediate;

[0009] measuring a critical dimension of the light-shielding material layer in the second intermediate;

[0010] Determining a second target removal time according to the critical size, the target size and a preset configuration relationship, wherein the preset configuration relationship is used to characterize a corresponding relationship between the removal time and a size difference, wherein the size difference is a difference between a critical size of the light-shielding material layer and a target size of the phase-shift material layer;

[0011] Continue to remove part of the phase-shift material layer of the second intermediate body for the second target removal time to obtain a mask.

[0012] In some embodiments, the manufacturing method further comprises:

[0013] A target linear graph is determined, and the target linear graph is used as the preset configuration relationship.

[0014] In some embodiments, determining the target linear graph comprises:

[0015] Providing n groups of test stack structures, each group of test stack structures includes a plurality of test stack structures, each of the test stack structures includes a test transparent substrate material layer, a test phase shift material layer, a test light shielding material layer and a test hard mask layer;

[0016] Each group of test stack structures is tested with different parameter values ​​to obtain multiple groups of test data;

[0017] A plurality of linear graphs are obtained respectively according to the plurality of test data sets, each of the linear graphs having a coefficient of determination;

[0018] The linear graph corresponding to the largest determination coefficient is selected as the target linear graph.

[0019] In some embodiments, testing each group of test stack structures with different parameter values ​​includes:

[0020] Etching n groups of test stack structures respectively with different hard mask layer removal times to obtain n groups of first test intermediates, each group of first test intermediates including a plurality of first test intermediates;

[0021] For each group of first test intermediates, measuring the critical dimensions of the test light shielding material layer of each of the first test intermediates based on m different measurement thresholds, to obtain (m×n) first measurement data;

[0022] Etching (m×n) of the first test intermediates respectively with z different phase-shift material layer removal times to obtain (m×n×z) second test intermediates;

[0023] Measuring critical dimensions of the test phase-shift material layers of (m×n×z) second test intermediates to obtain (m×n×z) second measurement data;

[0024] The z types of phase-shift material layer removal time periods, the measurement thresholds corresponding to the various phase-shift material layer removal time periods, the hard mask layer removal time periods, the first measurement data, and the second measurement data constitute a set of test data.

[0025] In some embodiments, obtaining a plurality of linear graphs according to the plurality of groups of test data respectively comprises:

[0026] According to each set of test data, a linear graph of the corresponding relationship between the difference between the first measurement data and the second measurement data and the phase-shift material layer removal time is established to obtain (m×n) linear graphs.

[0027] In some embodiments, the hard mask layer removal time duration corresponding to the target linearity graph serves as the first target removal time duration.

[0028] In some embodiments, measuring the critical dimension of the light-shielding material layer in the second intermediate includes:

[0029] The critical dimension of the light shielding material layer in the second intermediate is measured based on a target measurement threshold.

[0030] In some embodiments, the measurement threshold corresponding to the target linear graph serves as the target measurement threshold.

[0031] In some embodiments, continuing to remove a portion of the phase-shift material layer of the second intermediate body for the second target removal time to obtain a mask includes:

[0032] Using the light-shielding material layer of the second intermediate as a mask, and continuing to etch the phase-shift material layer of the second intermediate for the second target removal time;

[0033] The mask is obtained after removing part of the light-shielding material layer.

[0034] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a mask plate, wherein the mask plate is manufactured by the manufacturing method described in the first aspect.

[0035] In the method for manufacturing a mask provided by the present invention, before measuring the critical size of the material light-shielding layer in the second intermediate, the hard mask layer is first removed with a first target removal time, and the removal time for removing the hard mask layer is controlled. Then, based on the critical size, the target size and a preset configuration relationship, a second target removal time for etching the phase-shift material layer is determined, and then part of the phase-shift material layer of the second intermediate is continued to be removed with the second target removal time. The critical size of the phase-shift material layer of the mask obtained in this way is closer to the target size, thereby effectively improving the dimensional accuracy of the mask.

[0036] Other aspects will be apparent upon reading and understanding the drawings and detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The accompanying drawings incorporated into the specification and constituting a part of the specification illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and are used together with the description to explain the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure. In these drawings, similar reference numerals are used to represent similar elements. The drawings described below are some embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all embodiments. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0038] Figure 1 The figure is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing a mask according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0039] 2(a)-(e) are schematic diagrams showing a method for manufacturing a mask according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0040] Figure 3 The figure is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing a mask according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0041] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a flowchart of step S20 according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0042] Figure 5 FIG. 4 is a flowchart of step S600 according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0043] Reference numerals :

[0044] 10-stacked structure; 101-first intermediate; 102-second intermediate; 11-transparent base material layer; 12-phase shift material layer; 13-light shielding material layer; 14-hard mask layer;

[0045] 20 - mask; 21 - transparent base layer; 22 - phase shift layer; 23 - light shielding layer; 24 - phase shift region; 25 - light transmission region. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions in the disclosed embodiments will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the embodiments in the present disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined with each other without conflict.

[0047] In the related art, the PSM technology and the HM technology are combined to meet the mask requirements of more advanced processes, thereby producing integrated circuits with smaller feature sizes and higher performance. However, the HM-PSM technology in the related art has the problem of low dimensional accuracy.

[0048] For example, when the HM-PSM technology is used in the related art to make a mask, the removal time of the hard mask layer and the etching time of the phase shift material layer are based on personal experience, and the final size is adjusted through multiple measurements and etching. As a result, the critical size of the manufactured mask is greatly different from the target size of the product, resulting in low dimensional accuracy.

[0049] In order to solve the above problems, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a mask template, comprising the following steps: providing a stacking structure, the stacking structure comprising a transparent base material layer, a phase-shift material layer, a light-shielding material layer and a hard mask layer that are stacked; using the hard mask layer as a mask, removing part of the light-shielding material layer to transfer the pattern of the hard mask layer to the light-shielding material layer, to obtain a first intermediate, wherein the pattern forms a groove on the light-shielding material layer; removing the hard mask layer with a first target removal time, and being able to extend the depth of the groove to remove part of the phase-shift material layer, to obtain a second intermediate; measuring the critical dimension of the light-shielding material layer in the second intermediate; determining a second target removal time according to the critical dimension, the target dimension and a preset configuration relationship, the preset configuration relationship being used to characterize the correspondence between the removal time and the size difference, the size difference being the difference between the critical dimension of the light-shielding material layer and the target dimension of the phase-shift material layer; continuing to remove part of the phase-shift material layer of the second intermediate with the second target removal time to obtain the mask template. Before measuring the critical size of the material light-shielding layer in the second intermediate, the hard mask layer is first removed with a first target removal time. By controlling the removal time of the hard mask layer, a second target removal time for etching the phase-shift material layer is determined based on the critical size, the target size and the preset configuration relationship. Then, part of the phase-shift material layer of the second intermediate is removed with the second target removal time. The critical size of the phase-shift material layer of the mask obtained in this way is closer to the target size, thereby effectively improving the dimensional accuracy of the mask.

[0050] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a method for manufacturing a mask, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0051] Step S100: providing a stacked structure, wherein the stacked structure includes a transparent base material layer, a phase-shift material layer, a light-shielding material layer and a hard mask layer that are stacked.

[0052] In this step, as shown in FIG. 2( a ), the stacked structure 10 is a blank for making the mask plate 20. The stacked structure 10 includes a hard mask layer 14, a light shielding material layer 13, a phase shift material layer 12, and a transparent base material layer 11, which are stacked. The phase shift material layer 12 is located between the light shielding material layer 13 and the transparent base material layer 11, and the light shielding material layer 13 is located between the phase shift material layer 12 and the hard mask layer 14. Exemplarily, when making the stacked structure 10, the phase shift material layer 12, the light shielding material layer 13, and the hard mask material layer can be sequentially deposited on the transparent base material, and then, for example, a layer of photoresist is coated on the hard mask material layer, a pattern is made by exposure, development, etc., and the hard mask material layer is etched to form the hard mask layer 14, and then the photoresist is removed. The light shielding material layer 13 blocks light from passing through the phase shift material layer 12 while protecting the phase shift material layer 12. 2( e ), the shading material layer 13 in the stacked structure 10 is used to form the shading layer 23 of the mask plate 20 , the phase shift material layer 12 is used to form the phase shift layer 22 of the mask plate 20 , and the transparent base material layer 11 is used to form the transparent base layer 21 of the mask plate 20 .

[0053] The hard mask layer 14 is an inorganic thin film material generated by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology, and is usually formed of materials such as tungsten silicide or titanium nitride (TiN). The hard mask layer 14 is used as a mask, and the pattern on the hard mask layer 14 is transferred to the light shielding material layer 13 through a removal process such as etching. Since the hard mask layer 14 has high hardness, strong chemical inertness, high melting point, high etching selectivity, and a thinner thickness than photoresist, it can etch a deeper target depth, thereby enabling the mask plate 20 to meet the mask requirements of more advanced processes.

[0054] The light shielding material layer 13 is mainly composed of an opaque material, and hard light shielding materials such as chromium, silicon, and iron oxide are usually used. These materials can effectively block light from passing through specific areas of the mask plate 20, especially areas that do not need to be exposed, so as to form bright areas and dark areas on the mask plate 20, thereby forming a precise pattern outline. Among them, chromium is the most commonly used material for the light shielding layer 23 due to its high mechanical strength and ability to form fine patterns.

[0055] The phase shift material layer 12 is used to achieve synchronous adjustment of the phase shift degree and transmittance through its partial light transmittance, thereby improving the resolution and contrast of imaging. Typical materials include molybdenum silicide (MoSi) and the like.

[0056] The transparent base material layer 11 can usually be made of synthetic quartz glass material. Compared with ordinary glass, quartz has the advantages of high light transmittance (especially in the deep ultraviolet band), small thermal expansion coefficient, stable optical properties, etc., and its refractive index n is moderate, which is conducive to precise control of the light wave phase, and is a more ideal base material.

[0057] Of course, the hard mask layer 14 , the light shielding material layer 13 , the phase shift material layer 12 and the transparent base material layer 11 may also be made of other materials, which is not limited here.

[0058] Step S200: using the hard mask layer as a mask, removing part of the light shielding material layer to transfer the pattern of the hard mask layer to the light shielding material layer to obtain a first intermediate, wherein the pattern forms a groove on the light shielding material layer.

[0059] In this step, as shown in FIG. 2( b ), the shading material layer 13 may be etched along the contour area of ​​the pattern on the hard mask layer 14 , or other removal means may be used to make the pattern penetrate the shading material layer 13 to form a groove on the shading material layer 13 .

[0060] For example, before obtaining the first intermediate 101 by removing part of the shading material layer 13 , parameters may be adjusted so that the critical dimension of the shading material layer 13 of the second intermediate 102 is larger than the target dimension, thereby facilitating subsequent dimension correction.

[0061] Step S300: removing the hard mask layer with a first target removal time, and extending the depth of the groove to remove a portion of the phase-shift material layer, to obtain a second intermediate.

[0062] Since the removal time of the hard mask layer 14 will affect the surface morphology of the second intermediate 102, and thus will affect the subsequent measurement data of the key dimensions of the light-shielding material layer 13, a large error will occur when determining the removal time of the phase-shift material layer 12 according to the measurement data, thus affecting the dimensional accuracy of the phase-shift material layer 12.

[0063] Based on this, as shown in FIG. 2( c ), in this step, the first target removal time for removing the hard mask layer 14 is first determined, and then the hard mask layer 14 is removed with the first target removal time, which is beneficial to improving the dimensional accuracy of the phase shift layer 22 in the mask plate 20. In the process of removing the hard mask layer 14, part of the phase shift material layer 12 will be removed. Alternatively, it can be understood that since the thickness of the hard mask layer 14 is extremely thin, it can be regarded as that the hard mask layer 14 is removed at the same time in the process of removing the phase shift material layer 12 with the first target removal time.

[0064] The determination of the first target removal duration will be described in detail later.

[0065] Step S400: measuring a critical dimension of the light shielding material layer in the second intermediate.

[0066] Atomic force microscope (AFM) can provide a true three-dimensional surface image, and does not require special treatment of the sample. It can directly observe the surface morphology and physical properties at the nanometer level, and can avoid irreversible damage to the second intermediate 102. Referring to FIG2(c), by detecting the surface of the second intermediate 102 and analyzing the detection results, the critical dimension (CD) of the light-shielding material layer 13 in the second intermediate 102 can be obtained. It is understood that the CD value refers to the actual size of the pattern formed on the light-shielding material layer 13.

[0067] Step S500: determining a second target removal time according to the critical size, the target size and a preset configuration relationship, wherein the preset configuration relationship is used to characterize the correspondence between the removal time and the size difference, and the size difference is the difference between the critical size of the shading material layer and the target size of the phase shift material layer.

[0068] In this step, the second target removal time is determined based on the critical size, the target size and the preset configuration relationship, and then when the phase-shift material layer 12 is removed by the precise removal time, the dimensional accuracy of the phase-shift material layer 12 can be effectively improved, so that the CD value of the phase-shift material layer 12 is closer to the target size. The specific determination process of the second target removal time will be described in detail later.

[0069] Step S600: continuing to remove part of the phase-shift material layer of the second intermediate body for a second target removal time to obtain a mask.

[0070] In this step, as shown in FIG. 2( d ), based on the second intermediate 102 , the phase-shift material layer 12 is etched for a second target removal time along the contour area of ​​the pattern on the light-shielding material layer 13 , so that the depth of the groove is deepened, thereby transferring the pattern to the phase-shift material layer 12 , or other removal methods may also be used.

[0071] In this embodiment, before measuring the critical dimension of the material light-shielding layer 23 in the second intermediate body 102, the hard mask layer 14 is first removed with a first target removal time, and the removal time of the hard mask layer 14 is controlled. Then, according to the critical dimension, the target dimension and the preset configuration relationship, a second target removal time for etching the phase-shift material layer 12 is determined, and then part of the phase-shift material layer 12 of the second intermediate body 102 is continued to be removed with the second target removal time. The critical dimension of the phase-shift material layer 12 of the mask plate 20 obtained in this way is closer to the target dimension, thereby effectively improving the dimensional accuracy of the mask plate 20.

[0072] In some embodiments, the manufacturing method further comprises the following steps:

[0073] A target linear graph is determined, and the target linear graph is used as a preset configuration relationship.

[0074] The linear graph can clearly show the trend of data changes over time or other continuous changes, so that the target linear graph is used as a preset configuration relationship. When determining the second target removal time according to the key size, target size and preset configuration relationship, the determination process can be simpler and faster, thereby improving the accuracy of the second target removal time, further improving the dimensional accuracy of the mask plate 20, and at the same time, it can also improve the production efficiency of the mask plate 20.

[0075] In this embodiment, before manufacturing the mask plate 20 , a target linear graph is first determined. When the mask plate 20 is subsequently manufactured, the second target removal time is determined in combination with the target linear graph, thereby ensuring the dimensional accuracy of the manufactured mask plate 20 .

[0076] In some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, determining the target linear graph specifically includes the following steps:

[0077] Step S10: providing n groups of test stack structures, each group of test stack structures comprising a plurality of test stack structures, each test stack structure comprising a test transparent substrate material layer, a test phase shift material layer, a test light shielding material layer and a test hard mask layer.

[0078] In this step, n groups of test stack structures 10 are provided to determine the target linear graph. The number of groups of the test stack structures 10 can be set by the user, such as 3 groups, 6 groups, 10 groups, etc.

[0079] Step S20: testing each group of test stack structures with different parameter values ​​to obtain multiple groups of test data.

[0080] In this step, different parameter values ​​may be, for example, different removal times for the hard mask layer 14, different removal times for the phase-shift material layer 12, etc., so that the linear graph obtained according to the test data can characterize the corresponding relationship between the removal time and the size difference, wherein the size difference is the difference between the critical size of the shading material layer 13 and the target size of the phase-shift material layer 12.

[0081] Step S30: obtaining a plurality of linear graphs according to the plurality of test data sets, each of which has a coefficient of determination.

[0082] In this step, multiple linear graphs are obtained according to multiple groups of test data, which can be calculated by software, and the determination coefficient of each linear graph can also be calculated by software. The calculation process is existing technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0083] Step S40: Select the linear graph corresponding to the largest determination coefficient as the target linear graph.

[0084] The coefficient of determination (R 2 ) is an indicator to measure the goodness of model fit. Its value ranges from 0 to 1. The closer it is to 1, the better the model fit is, that is, the higher the degree of explanation of the independent variable on the dependent variable, that is, the closer the model prediction value is to the actual value.

[0085] By selecting the linear graph corresponding to the largest determination coefficient as the target linear graph, when determining the second target removal time according to the key dimension, target dimension and preset configuration relationship, the accuracy of the second target removal time can be effectively improved, thereby improving the dimensional accuracy of the phase-shift material layer 12 of the mask 20.

[0086] In some embodiments, Figure 4 As shown, the testing of each group of test stack structures with different parameter values ​​in step S20 specifically includes the following steps:

[0087] Step S21: etching n groups of test stack structures respectively with different hard mask layer removal times to obtain n groups of first test intermediates, each group of first test intermediates including a plurality of first test intermediates.

[0088] In this step, the n groups of test stack structures 10 are etched with different hard mask layer removal times. For example, the different hard mask layer removal times are 0s, 15s, 20s, etc., which can be set based on experience.

[0089] Step S22: for each group of first test intermediate bodies, the critical dimensions of the test light shielding material layer of each first test intermediate body are measured based on m different measurement thresholds to obtain (m×n) first measurement data.

[0090] In this step, the measurement threshold is a parameter in the measurement process. For example, when measuring through an atomic force microscope, the received signal is an electronic signal. The surface morphology of the test shading material layer is, for example, a peak structure. At this time, the starting point and end point of the CD are defined according to the electronic signal requirements.

[0091] Exemplarily, the lowest point of the peak structure is defined as 0%, and the top of the peak structure is defined as 100%. Between the height of 0% and 100%, there are different heights such as 25%, 50%, 75%, etc. These percentages between 0% and 100% are the measurement thresholds. Taking the measurement with a height of 25% as an example, the height of the 25% measurement threshold is a horizontal line, and the horizontal line has two intersections with the left and right sides of the peak structure, for example, the left intersection is defined as the starting point of CD, and the right intersection is defined as the end point of CD, and the width between the starting point and the end point is the CD value.

[0092] By measuring the critical dimensions of the test shading material layer of the first test intermediate based on m different measurement thresholds, it is convenient to examine whether there is linearity between the measurement threshold number and the CD value and the phase-shift material layer removal time, thereby examining the influence of different measurement thresholds on the phase-shift material layer removal time.

[0093] The measurement threshold can be set based on experience, such as 25%, 50%, 75%, etc.

[0094] Step S23: etching the (m×n) first test intermediates respectively with z different phase-shift material layer removal times to obtain (m×n×z) second test intermediates.

[0095] In this step, the z different phase-shift material layers are etched for a certain removal time, which can also be set based on experience, such as 5s, 10s, 15s, 20s, etc.

[0096] Step S24: measuring the critical dimensions of the test phase-shift material layers of (m×n×z) second test intermediates to obtain (m×n×z) second measurement data.

[0097] Among them, the z types of phase-shift material layer removal time periods and the measurement thresholds corresponding to the various phase-shift material layer removal time periods, the hard mask layer removal time periods, the first measurement data, and the second measurement data constitute a set of test data.

[0098] In this embodiment, the data obtained by controlling the hard mask layer removal time, the measurement threshold, and the phase-shift material layer removal time can enable the linear graph to better reflect the corresponding relationship between the removal time and the size difference when the linear graph is subsequently determined, thereby facilitating improving the size accuracy of the phase-shift material layer 12 in the mask template 20.

[0099] In some embodiments, obtaining a plurality of linear graphs according to a plurality of groups of test data in step S30 specifically comprises the following steps:

[0100] According to each set of test data, a linear graph of the corresponding relationship between the difference between the first measurement data and the second measurement data and the phase-shift material layer removal time is established to obtain (m×n) linear graphs.

[0101] With the phase-shift material layer removal time as the horizontal coordinate and the difference between the first measurement data and the second measurement data as the vertical coordinate, a linear graph of the corresponding relationship between the difference between the first measurement data and the second measurement data and the phase-shift material layer removal time is established. When determining the second target removal time according to the key size, the target size and the preset configuration relationship, the determination process can be made simpler and faster, thereby improving the accuracy of the second target removal time, further improving the dimensional accuracy of the mask plate 20, and at the same time, it can also improve the manufacturing efficiency of the mask plate 20.

[0102] Select the coefficient of determination R 2 The largest linear graph is used as the target linear graph. In the target linear graph, the target size is a known quantity, the critical size is the critical size measured in step S400, and the difference between the critical size and the target size is the y value of the functional relationship of the linear graph (y=ax+b). Then, the x value of the functional relationship can be calculated, which is the second target removal time.

[0103] In some embodiments, the hard mask layer removal time duration corresponding to the target linearity graph is used as the first target removal time duration.

[0104] Each linear graph includes the hard mask layer removal time corresponding to the linear graph, the measurement threshold, the first measurement data (the critical dimension of the test light-shielding material layer 13 of the first test intermediate), the second measurement data (the critical dimension of the test phase-shift material layer 12 of the second test intermediate), and the phase-shift material layer removal time.

[0105] After the target linear graph is determined, the hard mask layer removal time length among all parameters corresponding to the target linear graph is used as the first target removal time length. As can be seen from the foregoing, the first target removal time length for removing the hard mask layer 14 is first determined, and then the hard mask layer 14 is removed with the first target removal time length, which is beneficial to improving the dimensional accuracy of the phase shift material layer 12 in the mask plate 20.

[0106] In some embodiments, measuring the critical dimension of the light-shielding material layer in the second intermediate in step S400 specifically includes the following steps:

[0107] A critical dimension of the light shielding material layer in the second intermediate is measured based on a target metrology threshold.

[0108] By measuring the critical dimensions of the light-shielding material layer 13 in the second intermediate 102 based on the target measurement threshold, the measured critical dimensions are more conducive to improving the accuracy of the determined second target removal time, thereby making the critical dimensions of the phase-shift material layer 12 in the mask plate 20 more accurate, thereby improving the dimensional accuracy of the phase-shift material layer 12 in the mask plate 20.

[0109] In some embodiments, a measurement threshold corresponding to a target linear graph is used as a target measurement threshold.

[0110] As can be seen from the above, each linear graph includes the hard mask layer removal time corresponding to the linear graph, the measurement threshold, the first measurement data (the critical dimension of the test light-shielding material layer 13 of the first test intermediate), the second measurement data (the critical dimension of the test phase-shift material layer 12 of the second test intermediate), and the phase-shift material layer removal time.

[0111] After the target linear graph is determined, the measurement threshold removal time length in all parameters corresponding to the target linear graph is used as the target measurement threshold. By measuring the critical dimension of the light shielding material layer 13 in the second intermediate 102 based on the target measurement threshold, the measured critical dimension is more conducive to improving the accuracy of the determined second target removal time length, thereby making the critical dimension of the phase shift material layer 12 in the mask plate 20 more accurate, and improving the dimensional accuracy of the phase shift material layer 12 in the mask plate 20.

[0112] In some embodiments, Figure 5 As shown, step S600 specifically includes the following steps:

[0113] Step S610: using the light shielding material layer of the second intermediate body as a mask, and continuing to etch the phase shift material layer of the second intermediate body with a second target removal time.

[0114] In this step, referring to FIG. 2( d ), on the basis of the second intermediate 102 , the phase-shift material layer 12 is etched along the contour area of ​​the pattern on the light-shielding material layer 13 for a second target removal time, so that the depth of the groove is deepened, thereby transferring the pattern to the phase-shift material layer 12 .

[0115] Step S620: removing part of the light shielding material layer to obtain a mask.

[0116] In this step, referring to FIG. 2( e), the light-transmitting area of ​​the mask plate 20 includes light-transmitting areas 25 and phase shift areas 24 that are alternately arranged. When light passes through the mask plate 20 through the light-transmitting areas 25 and the phase shift areas 24 respectively, a phase difference of 180 degrees can be generated to obtain a pattern with clear edges. At the same time, the light-transmitting area of ​​the mask plate 20 also has a high light transmittance, which can ensure that sufficient light can pass through and participate in imaging. In order to allow light to pass through the phase shift area 24, it is necessary to remove the light-shielding material layer 13 on the phase shift area 24.

[0117] In this embodiment, the mask 20 obtained through the above steps not only makes the dimensional accuracy of the phase shift layer 22 of the mask 20 higher, but also can improve the contrast and resolution of the pattern of the mask 20, thereby improving the imaging effect of the mask 20.

[0118] As shown in FIG2( e ), this embodiment provides a mask plate 20 , which can be manufactured by using the manufacturing method in any of the above embodiments. The mask plate 20 provided in this embodiment includes a light shielding layer 23 , a phase shift layer 22 and a transparent base layer 21 .

[0119] In the process of making the mask plate 20, before measuring the critical size of the material light shielding layer 23 in the second intermediate body 102, the hard mask layer 14 is first removed with a first target removal time, and then the removal time of the hard mask layer 14 is controlled. Then, according to the critical size, the target size and the preset configuration relationship, the second target removal time for etching the phase-shift material layer 12 is determined, and then part of the phase-shift material layer 12 of the second intermediate body 102 is continued to be removed with the second target removal time. The critical size of the phase-shift layer 22 of the mask plate 20 obtained in this way is closer to the target size, thereby effectively improving the dimensional accuracy of the mask plate 20.

[0120] The various embodiments or implementation methods in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0121] In the description of this specification, reference to the terms "embodiment", "exemplary embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiment", "example", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure.

[0122] In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0123] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be noted that the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present disclosure.

[0124] It is to be understood that the terms "first", "second", etc. used in the present disclosure can be used to describe various structures in the present disclosure, but these structures are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish a first structure from another structure.

[0125] In one or more of the accompanying drawings, the same elements are represented by similar reference numerals. For the sake of clarity, the parts in the accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale. In addition, some well-known parts may not be shown. For the sake of simplicity, the structure obtained after several steps can be described in one figure. Many specific details of the present disclosure, such as the structure, materials, dimensions, processing technology and technology of the device are described below to more clearly understand the present disclosure. However, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, the present disclosure may not be implemented in accordance with these specific details.

[0126] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, rather than to limit them. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein by equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a mask, characterized in that: The production method comprises: Providing a stacked structure, the stacked structure comprising a transparent base material layer, a phase shift material layer, a light shielding material layer and a hard mask layer that are stacked; Using the hard mask layer as a mask, removing a portion of the light-shielding material layer to transfer the pattern of the hard mask layer to the light-shielding material layer to obtain a first intermediate, wherein the pattern forms a groove on the light-shielding material layer; removing the hard mask layer with a first target removal time, and extending the depth of the groove to remove a portion of the phase-shift material layer, to obtain a second intermediate; measuring a critical dimension of the light-shielding material layer in the second intermediate; Determining a second target removal time according to the critical size, the target size and a preset configuration relationship, wherein the preset configuration relationship is used to characterize a corresponding relationship between the removal time and a size difference, wherein the size difference is a difference between a critical size of the light-shielding material layer and a target size of the phase-shift material layer; Continue to remove part of the phase-shift material layer of the second intermediate body for the second target removal time to obtain a mask.

2. The method for manufacturing a mask according to claim 1, characterized in that: The production method further comprises: A target linear graph is determined, and the target linear graph is used as the preset configuration relationship.

3. The method for manufacturing a mask according to claim 2, characterized in that: Determining the target linear graph includes: Providing n groups of test stack structures, each group of test stack structures includes a plurality of test stack structures, each of the test stack structures includes a test transparent substrate material layer, a test phase shift material layer, a test light shielding material layer and a test hard mask layer; Each group of test stack structures is tested with different parameter values ​​to obtain multiple groups of test data; A plurality of linear graphs are obtained respectively according to the plurality of groups of test data, each of the linear graphs having a coefficient of determination; The linear graph corresponding to the largest determination coefficient is selected as the target linear graph.

4. The method for manufacturing a mask according to claim 3, characterized in that: The testing of each group of test stack structures with different parameter values ​​includes: Etching n groups of test stack structures respectively with different hard mask layer removal times to obtain n groups of first test intermediates, each group of first test intermediates including a plurality of first test intermediates; For each group of first test intermediates, measuring the critical dimensions of the test light shielding material layer of each of the first test intermediates based on m different measurement thresholds, to obtain (m×n) first measurement data; Etching (m×n) of the first test intermediates respectively with z different phase-shift material layer removal times to obtain (m×n×z) second test intermediates; Measuring critical dimensions of the test phase-shift material layers of (m×n×z) second test intermediates to obtain (m×n×z) second measurement data; The z types of phase-shift material layer removal time periods, the measurement thresholds corresponding to the various phase-shift material layer removal time periods, the hard mask layer removal time periods, the first measurement data, and the second measurement data constitute a set of test data.

5. The method for manufacturing a mask according to claim 4, characterized in that: The method of obtaining a plurality of linear graphs according to the plurality of groups of test data respectively comprises: According to each set of test data, a linear graph of the corresponding relationship between the difference between the first measurement data and the second measurement data and the phase-shift material layer removal time is established to obtain (m×n) linear graphs.

6. The method for manufacturing a mask according to claim 4, characterized in that: The hard mask layer removal time duration corresponding to the target linear graph is used as the first target removal time duration.

7. The method for manufacturing a mask according to claim 4, characterized in that: The measuring of the critical dimension of the light-shielding material layer in the second intermediate comprises: The critical dimension of the light shielding material layer in the second intermediate is measured based on a target measurement threshold.

8. The method for manufacturing a mask according to claim 7, characterized in that: The measurement threshold corresponding to the target linear graph is used as the target measurement threshold.

9. The method for manufacturing a mask according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: Continuing to remove part of the phase-shift material layer of the second intermediate body for the second target removal time to obtain a mask, comprising: Using the light-shielding material layer of the second intermediate as a mask, and continuing to etch the phase-shift material layer of the second intermediate for the second target removal time; The mask is obtained after removing part of the light-shielding material layer.

10. A mask, characterized in that: The mask is manufactured by the manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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