Lithography system having three-dimensional scaffold pellicle structure and related methods

Abstract

A method is provided. The method includes: generating light by a plasma of a light source of a semiconductor processing tool; generating patterned light by a mask assembly, the patterned light including the light reflected by a pattern of the mask assembly; during generating the patterned light, protecting the mask assembly by a pellicle assembly including a pellicle membrane, the pellicle membrane including a nanotube-based scaffold structure having nanotubes bound together by a capping layer; and performing a semiconductor process on a semiconductor wafer by the patterned light.

Claims

1. A lithography method, comprising: Light is generated by plasma from a light source in a semiconductor processing tool; Patterned light is generated by a photomask assembly, the patterned light including light reflected by a pattern of the photomask assembly; during the generation of the patterned light, the photomask assembly is protected by a protective film assembly including a protective film thin film, the protective film thin film including a first nanotube layer, a second nanotube layer on the first nanotube layer, and a fusion capping layer extending between nanotubes of the first nanotube layer and the second nanotube layer, wherein the fusion capping layer includes a metal oxide or a metal oxynitride; and a semiconductor process is performed on a semiconductor wafer by the patterned light.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fused capping layer comprises: oxides of ruthenium, niobium, aluminum or molybdenum; or oxynitrides of ruthenium, niobium, aluminum or molybdenum.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the protective film has the fused capping layer comprising a dopant having a concentration ranging from about 7 atomic percent to about 10 atomic percent.

4. A lithography method, comprising: A frame having dimensions associated with a photomask assembly is provided, the photomask assembly being operable to reflect extreme ultraviolet light according to a pattern of the photomask assembly; Forming a protective film including a nanotube-based support having nanotubes bonded together by a capping layer, wherein forming the protective film includes: forming a first nanotube layer; forming a first capping layer on the first nanotube layer; forming a second nanotube layer on the first capping layer; forming a second capping layer on the second nanotube layer; and fusing the first capping layer and the second capping layer by a thermal process; forming a protective film assembly including the protective film positioned on the frame; and attaching the protective film assembly to the photomask assembly.

5. The method as described in request item 4, wherein: Forming the protective film includes forming the protective film on a substrate containing filter paper; and forming the protective film assembly includes transferring the protective film to the frame.

6. A lithography system, comprising: A light source, operable to generate plasma that emits light in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectrum; Collector mirror surface; The wafer stage, the optical path is defined as from the light source to the collector mirror and then to the wafer stage; A photomask stage is positioned on the optical path between the collector mirror and the wafer stage; and a photomask assembly positioned on the photomask stage, the photomask assembly comprising: a frame; and a protective film positioned on the frame, the protective film comprising: a first nanotube layer; a second nanotube layer on the first nanotube layer; and a capping layer, wherein the nanotubes of the first nanotube layer and the second nanotube layer are embedded in the capping layer, wherein the grain size of the capping layer is in the range of about 1 nm to about 10 nm.

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