Photolithography mask frame and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

The application provides a photolithography mask frame and a photolithography mask frame manufacturing method, and relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing. The application introduces a sub-frame unit concept based on different fields of view of different photolithography machines, determines the size of the minimum frame unit according to the greatest common divisor of the number of core particles that can be arranged in the horizontal and vertical directions of each different photolithography machine field of view, and then obtains the final photolithography mask frame through the horizontal and vertical translation replication of the sub-frame unit. In this way, the matching use of different field of view photolithography machines with high degrees of freedom can be realized through the optimization of the photolithography mask frame without sacrificing the maximum exposure field of view used by the photolithography machine. During the matching use of different field of view photolithography machines, complex calculations are not required, and program editing can be performed according to the respective frames, thereby making the photolithography mask frame of the application more practical, enabling the matching use of photolithography machines across multiple exposure fields of view, and effectively improving the utilization rate of photolithography machine capacity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and more specifically, to a photomask frame and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of semiconductor technology, lithography equipment is constantly being updated. In manufacturing, different lithography layers of a product require the combined use of new high-resolution lithography machines and older models. This allows advanced lithography machines to process only high-precision lithography runs, maximizing their utilization, while older models handle less demanding runs. This combined approach reduces costs and optimizes economic efficiency. However, taking a typical lithography machine series as an example, newer models with light sources below 248nm wavelength typically have an exposure field of view of 25mm*33mm, while I-line / G-line lithography machines with light sources above 365nm typically have exposure fields of 22mm*22mm, 20mm*20mm, and 15mm*15mm. Currently, the combined use of lithography machines across production lines is not ideal, impacting production costs and machine utilization. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings in the prior art, the purpose of this application is to provide a photomask frame and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a photomask frame suitable for at least two photolithography machines with different exposure field areas, the photomask frame comprising an array of S*T sub-frame units, wherein:

[0005] The exposure field area of ​​the k-th lithography machine among at least two of the aforementioned lithography machines is defined as S. k =A k *B k A k Let B be the width dimension of the exposure field of view of the k-th lithography machine. k Let N be the length of the exposure field of view of the k-th lithography machine, and let N be the number of die regions that the exposure field of view of the k-th lithography machine can accommodate. k =N xk *N yk N xk =ITN(A k / x), N yk =ITN(B k / y), where x is the width dimension of the core region and y is the length dimension of the core;

[0006] The width dimension of the subframe unit is N. x *x, the length dimension of the subframe unit is N. y *y, the Nx For N xk The greatest common divisor of N y For N yk The greatest common divisor;

[0007] The width of the photomask frame is N. x *x*S and N x *x*S<A k The length of the photomask frame is N. y *y*T and N y *y*T<B k .

[0008] In one possible implementation, the photomask frame uses the sub-frame unit as the base layout area, and alignment marks are provided on the horizontal and vertical scribe lines within the base layout area.

[0009] In one possible implementation, test marks are also provided on the transverse scribe line and the longitudinal scribe line.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the A k The value of B is 15mm-25mm. k The value ranges from 17.5mm to 33mm.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the A k The value of B is 15mm, 15.5mm, 18mm, 22mm, 24.5mm or 25mm. k The values ​​are 17.5mm, 18mm, 20.2mm, 25.2mm, 32.5mm or 33mm.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the value of x is 0.1mm-1.8mm, and the value of y is 0.1mm-2mm.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the value of x is 0.1mm, 0.7mm, 0.9mm, 1.4mm, or 1.7mm, and the value of y is 0.1mm, 0.6mm, 0.8mm, 1.3mm, 1.5mm, or 1.8mm.

[0014] A method for manufacturing a photomask, the method comprising:

[0015] Determine the exposure field of view for each of at least two different lithography machines to which the photomask frame is applicable, wherein the exposure field of view is defined as S. k =A k *B k A kB is the width dimension of the exposure field of view of the k-th lithography machine among the at least two different lithography machines. k Let N be the length of the exposure field of view of the k-th lithography machine, and let N be the number of dies that the exposure field of view of the k-th lithography machine can accommodate. k =N xk *N yk N xk =ITN(A k / x), N yk =ITN(B k / y);

[0016] Determine the size parameters x and y of the core particles processed by each of the aforementioned photolithography machines, where x is the width dimension of the core particle and y is the length dimension of the core particle;

[0017] Set N xk The greatest common divisor N x Let N be the number of core particles arranged laterally in the smallest frame unit. yk The greatest common divisor N y This refers to the number of core particles arranged longitudinally in the smallest frame unit;

[0018] A photomask frame is formed by fabricating S*T sub-frame units arranged in an array along both the horizontal and vertical directions of a substrate. The width dimension of each sub-frame unit is N. x *x, length dimension is N y *y.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the step of forming a photomask frame by fabricating S*T sub-frame units arranged in an array along the transverse and longitudinal directions of a substrate includes:

[0020] A light-shielding layer is formed on the substrate, and then the sub-frame unit is fabricated on the light-shielding layer to form the photomask frame.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0022] The sub-frame units on the photomask frame are used as the basic layout area, and alignment marks and test marks are set on the horizontal and vertical scribe lines within the basic layout area.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of this application introduce the concept of sub-frame unit (minimum frame unit) in the process of designing the photomask frame based on the different fields of view of different photolithography machines. The size of the minimum frame unit is determined according to the greatest common divisor of the number of chips that can be arranged in the horizontal and vertical directions of the fields of view of each different photolithography machine. Then, the sub-frame unit is copied by lateral and vertical translation to obtain the final photomask frame.

[0024] In this way, without sacrificing the maximum exposure field of view of the lithography machine, the design optimization of the lithography frame allows for highly flexible matching and use of lithography machines with different field of view. Furthermore, the matching and use of different field-of-view lithography machines does not require complex calculations; only program editing according to their respective frames is needed. This makes the lithography frame of this application more practical, enabling matching and use of lithography machines across multiple exposure fields, thus effectively improving the utilization rate of lithography machine capacity. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the photomask frame provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the matching state between the lithography machine's field of view and the chip.

[0028] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the dimensions of the core region;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the dimensions of the sub-frame units included in the photomask frame;

[0030] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating the manufacturing method of the photomask frame provided in this application embodiment;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a possible structural diagram of a photomask;

[0032] Icons: 100-Photolithography frame, 101-Sub-frame unit, 1011-Core region, 1012-Alignment mark, 1013-Test mark, 200-Photolithography machine field of view, 300-Chip, 301-Core, 400-Substrate, 401-Light shielding layer. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0034] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0036] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of the invention is in use. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. In addition, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0037] Furthermore, terms such as "horizontal," "vertical," and "sag" do not imply that components must be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but rather that they can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0038] In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set up," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0039] The specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] Based on the technical problems mentioned in the background section, the inventors have discovered through research that common lithography machine operation scenarios generally include the following three situations.

[0041] The first approach involves operating at the maximum exposure field of view of each lithography machine model, without combining lithography machines with different exposure fields. Even if two types of lithography masks with different exposure fields are produced for the same product, because the pattern design did not consider compatibility, once the product has undergone the first exposure, it cannot be aligned and exposed in other exposure fields due to pattern alignment issues. Under this condition, although the lithography machine capacity utilization rate is high, on the one hand, high-precision lithography machines are used for low-precision production, resulting in high overall production costs; on the other hand, production scheduling is limited, and flexible switching of exposure fields is not possible.

[0042] The second approach involves flexibly combining various lithography machines to meet flexible production scheduling needs. However, to address the issue of pattern alignment between different fields of view, the minimum exposure field of view area is used to create the lithography model. Currently, it's generally not possible to use three fields of view simultaneously. For example, a 25-field lithography machine is only used in conjunction with a 22-field lithography machine. Considering the complex pattern alignment issues, the 25-field lithography machine only utilizes the effective area of ​​the 22-field area, resulting in a loss of production efficiency. If three fields of view are used simultaneously—25, 22, and 20—only the 20-field area is used as the baseline, leading to an even greater loss of lithography machine production efficiency.

[0043] Both of these usage methods will result in reduced production costs or lower utilization rates, thus harming the interests of the semiconductor production line.

[0044] The third method achieves combined operation under maximum capacity at different fields of view. However, this requires a least common multiple relationship between the number of chip regions in different fields of view. Furthermore, under chip size and layout conditions, the number of SHOTs in the largest row must be greater than the least common multiple divided by the number of chip regions. This method is only applicable to products under specific conditions, and when matching different lithography machines, the program editing requires complex phase shift and baffle position calculations, and also necessitates the selection of specific effective SHOTs. Here, SHOT refers to the area projected onto the chip in one pass during the exposure process, using the photomask as a unit. A SHOT in the middle of the chip is fully projected onto the chip and is called a complete SHOT. SHOTs at the chip edges are only partially projected onto the chip and are called incomplete SHOTs (SHOTs can also be called blocks).

[0045] Assuming the aforementioned method is used to manufacture a photomask for a product with a core area size of 1.8mm * 2mm, the critical dimensions (CD) of each photolithographic layer of this product are as follows:

[0046]

[0047] 1) If the first method mentioned above is implemented, in order to meet the process requirement of a minimum line size of 0.25um, all layers will use a 25-field lithography machine. However, the 25-field lithography machine is expensive, and the chip production cost will increase significantly. Its disadvantages are self-evident.

[0048] 2) If the second method mentioned in the background technology is implemented, in order to achieve the free combination of lithography machines with various fields of view, it is necessary to sacrifice the utilization rate of the large exposure field of view and uniformly adopt the area of ​​the small field of view for design. For the same 8-inch chip, if the stepper needs to repeat the step exposure N times, then: N = S8-inch chip / S single exposure area (defined as SHOT).

[0049] It is easy to see that for the same lithography machine, the production capacity of the lithography machine is inversely proportional to the number of times a single wafer is repeatedly exposed. Therefore, sacrificing the utilization rate of a large exposure field of view and uniformly adopting a small field of view in the design will greatly reduce the production capacity of the lithography machine.

[0050] 3) The third method is even more complicated and only applicable to a few specific products, lacking universality.

[0051] Based on the findings of the above-mentioned problems, the first aspect of this application provides a photomask frame suitable for at least two photolithography machines with different exposure field areas. See [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 The photomask frame 100 includes an array of S*T subframe units 101.

[0052] For example, see Figure 2 The exposure field area of ​​the k-th lithography machine among at least two of the aforementioned lithography machines is defined as S. k =A k *B k A k B represents the width of the exposure field 200 of the k-th lithography machine, in mm. k The length of the exposure field of view of the k-th lithography machine can be expressed in mm. The number of chip regions 1011 that the exposure field of view 200 of the k-th lithography machine can accommodate is N. k =N xk *N yk N xk =ITN(A k / x), that is, for A k / x rounds down, N yk =ITN(B k / y), that is, for B k / y rounds down, see Figure 3 x is the width of the core region 1011, and y is the length of the core.

[0053] See Figure 4 The width dimension of the subframe unit 101 is N. x *x, the length dimension of subframe unit 101 is N. y *y, the N x For N xk The greatest common divisor of N y For N yk The greatest common divisor.

[0054] The width of the photomask frame 100 is N. x *x*S and N x *x*S<A k The length of the photomask frame 100 is N. y *y*T and N y *y*T<B k .

[0055] In one possible implementation, the photomask frame 100 uses the sub-frame unit 101 as the base layout area, and alignment marks 1012 are provided on the horizontal and vertical scribe lines within the base layout area. The alignment marks 1012 are used to align the pattern on the photomask with the chip to be processed.

[0056] In one possible implementation, test marks 1013 are further provided on the transverse scribe line and the longitudinal scribe line. The test marks 1013 are used to test whether the lithography machine is working properly.

[0057] In one possible implementation, the A k The possible values ​​for B are 15mm-25mm. k The value ranges from 17.5mm to 33mm.

[0058] In one possible implementation, the A k Possible values ​​are 15mm, 15.5mm, 18mm, 22mm, 24.5mm, or 25mm, wherein B k Possible values ​​are 17.5mm, 18mm, 20.2mm, 25.2mm, 32.5mm, or 33mm.

[0059] In one possible implementation, x may take the value of 0.1mm-1.8mm, and y may take the value of 0.1mm-2mm.

[0060] In one possible implementation, the possible values ​​of x are 0.1mm, 0.7mm, 0.9mm, 1.4mm, and 1.7mm, and the possible values ​​of y are 0.1mm, 0.6mm, 0.8mm, 1.3mm, 1.5mm, and 1.8mm.

[0061] Based on the aforementioned photomask frame, in a second aspect of this application, a method for manufacturing a photomask frame is also provided, comprising the following steps S100-S400. The method is described below by way of example.

[0062] Step S100: Determine the exposure field of view for each of at least two different lithography machines applicable to the photomask frame. The exposure field of view is defined as S... k =A k *B k A k B is the width dimension of the exposure field of view of the k-th lithography machine among the at least two different lithography machines. k Let N be the length of the exposure field of view of the k-th lithography machine, and let N be the number of dies that the exposure field of view of the k-th lithography machine can accommodate. k =N xk *N yk N xk =ITN(A k / x), N yk =ITN(B k ( / y), where x is the width dimension of the core particle and y is the length dimension of the core particle.

[0063] Step S200: Determine the size parameters x and y of the core particles processed by each of the lithography machines, where x is the width of the core particle and y is the length of the core particle. In this embodiment, the unit of measurement for the size can be millimeters (mm), micrometers (um), nanometers (nm), etc., but is not limited to these.

[0064] Step S300, set N xk The greatest common divisor N x Let N be the number of core particles arranged laterally in the smallest frame unit. yk The greatest common divisor N y The number of cores arranged longitudinally in the smallest frame unit, wherein the size parameters x and y of the cores determine the number N of cores that can be accommodated in the exposure field of view of each lithography machine. k =N xk *N yk , where N xk =ITN(A k / x), N yk =ITN(B k / y).

[0065] Step S400: Multiple sub-frame units are fabricated in the horizontal and vertical directions of a substrate to obtain the photomask frame, wherein the width dimension of each sub-frame unit is N. x *x, length dimension is N y *y, where the N x For N xk The greatest common divisor of N y For N yk The greatest common divisor. For example, a photomask frame comprising S*T subframe units arranged in an array can be formed based on the substrate by translating and replicating subframe units in the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0066] For example, see Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in step S400, a substrate 400 coated with a light-shielding layer 401 can be provided. The light-shielding layer 401 may include, but is not limited to, chromium oxide iron silicide molybdenum silicon, latex, etc., and the substrate 400 may include, but is not limited to, a glass substrate or a transparent resin substrate.

[0067] Then, S*T sub-frame units arranged in the array are fabricated on the light-shielding layer 401 to form the photomask frame 100 as described above.

[0068] Furthermore, based on the above, in one possible implementation, in this embodiment, the sub-frame units on the photomask frame 100 can also be used as the basic layout area, and scribe lines such as those on the horizontal and vertical scribe lines within the basic layout area can be provided. Figure 4 The alignment mark 1012 and the test mark 1013 are mentioned.

[0069] The following example illustrates the above-described method for manufacturing a photomask frame, using lithography machines applicable to four different exposure markets (15-field, 20-field, 22-field, and 25-field). Specifically, the exposure area for the 15-field frame is 15mm x 17.5mm, for the 20-field frame it is 18mm x 20.2mm, for the 22-field frame it is 22mm x 25.2mm, and for the 25-field frame it is 25mm x 33mm. The processed core particle size is x = 1.8mm and y = 2mm.

[0070] First, calculate the number of lithography chips that the lithography machine can accommodate for each field of view. The number of lithography chips that a 15-field-of-view lithography machine can accommodate is N. 15 =N 15X * N 15Y =ITN(15 / x)* ITN (17.5 / y)=8*8, the number of lithography chips that a 20-field lithography machine can accommodate is N. 20= N 20X * N 20Y =ITN(18 / x)* ITN (20.2 / y)=10*10, the number of lithography chips that a 22-field-of-view lithography machine can accommodate is N. 22 = N 22X * N 22Y =ITN(22 / x)* ITN (25.2 / y)=12*12, the number of lithography chips that a 25-field lithography machine can accommodate is N. 25 = N 25X * N 25Y =ITN(25 / x)* ITN (33 / y)=12*16.

[0071] Then, take N. 15X N 20X N 22X and N 25X The greatest common divisor (2) is taken as the number of core particles Nx arranged laterally in the subframe unit. 15y N 20y N 22y and N 25y The greatest common divisor (2) is the number of core particles Ny arranged longitudinally in the subframe unit.

[0072] Next, the width and length dimensions of the subframe unit are determined to be Nx*x and Ny*y, respectively.

[0073] Based on the above, at least one of the subframe units can be formed on the substrate. Using the subframe unit as the base layout, alignment marks and test marks required for the photolithography process are drawn on the transverse and longitudinal scribe lines of the subframe unit.

[0074] Finally, the sub-frame unit is translated and replicated n times in the horizontal and vertical directions of the substrate to form a photomask frame, the width of which is N. x *x*n, where the length of the photomask frame is N. y *y*n. The width dimension of the photomask frame satisfies N. x *x*n<15mm; or N x *x*n<18mm; or N x *x*n<22mm; or N x *x*n<25mm. The length dimension of the photomask frame satisfies N. y *y*n<17.5mm; or N y *y*n<20.2mm; or N y *y*n<25.2mm; or N y *y*n<33mm.

[0075] This resulted in a photolithography frame that can be applied to four fields of view: 15, 20, 22, and 25.

[0076] In summary, in the design process of the photomask frame, the present application introduces the concept of sub-frame unit (minimum frame unit) based on the different fields of view of different photolithography machines. The size of the minimum frame unit is determined according to the greatest common divisor of the number of chips that can be arranged in the horizontal and vertical directions of the different fields of view of each photolithography machine. Then, the sub-frame unit is copied by horizontal and vertical translation to obtain the final photomask frame.

[0077] In this way, without sacrificing the maximum exposure field of view of the lithography machine, the design optimization of the lithography frame allows for highly flexible matching and use of lithography machines with different field of view. Furthermore, the matching and use of different field-of-view lithography machines does not require complex calculations; only program editing according to their respective frames is needed. This makes the lithography frame of this application more practical, enabling matching and use of lithography machines across multiple exposure fields, thus effectively improving the utilization rate of lithography machine capacity.

[0078] By setting sub-frame units 101 on the photomask and arranging the sub-frame units 101 in an array according to relevant data, the same photomask can be used for photolithography machines with different fields of view, thereby improving the production efficiency of the photolithography machine.

[0079] The above descriptions are merely various embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A photomask frame, suitable for at least two photolithography machines with different exposure field areas, characterized in that, The photomask frame comprises an array of S*T sub-frame units, wherein: The exposure field area of ​​the k-th lithography machine among at least two of the aforementioned lithography machines is defined as S. k =A k *B k A k Let B be the width dimension of the exposure field of view of the k-th lithography machine. k Let N be the length of the exposure field of view of the k-th lithography machine, and let N be the number of die regions that the exposure field of view of the k-th lithography machine can accommodate. k =N xk *N yk N xk =ITN(A k / x), N yk =ITN(B k / y), where x is the width dimension of the core region and y is the length dimension of the core; The width dimension of the subframe unit is N. x *x, the length dimension of the subframe unit is N. y *y, the N x For N xk The greatest common divisor of N y For N yk The greatest common divisor; The width of the photomask frame is N. x *x*S and N x *x*S<A k The length of the photomask frame is N. y *y*T and N y *y*T<B k .

2. The photomask frame according to claim 1, characterized in that, The photomask frame uses the sub-frame unit as the base layout area, and alignment marks are provided on the horizontal and vertical scribe lines within the base layout area.

3. The photomask frame design method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Test marks are also provided on the horizontal and vertical scribe lines.

4. The photomask frame design method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The A k The value of B is 15mm-25mm. k The value ranges from 17.5mm to 33mm.

5. The photomask frame design method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The A k The value of B is 15mm, 15.5mm, 18mm, 22mm, 24.5mm or 25mm. k The values ​​are 17.5mm, 18mm, 20.2mm, 25.2mm, 32.5mm or 33mm.

6. The photomask frame design method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The value of x is 0.1mm-1.8mm, and the value of y is 0.1mm-2mm.

7. The photomask frame design method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The value of x is 0.1mm, 0.7mm, 0.9mm, 1.4mm, 1.7mm, and the value of y is 0.1mm, 0.6mm, 0.8mm, 1.3mm, 1.5mm, 1.8mm.

8. A method for manufacturing a photomask frame, characterized in that, The method includes: Determine the exposure field of view for each of at least two different lithography machines to which the photomask frame is applicable, wherein the exposure field of view is defined as S. k =A k *B k A k B is the width dimension of the exposure field of view of the k-th lithography machine among the at least two different lithography machines. k Let N be the length of the exposure field of view of the k-th lithography machine, and let N be the number of dies that the exposure field of view of the k-th lithography machine can accommodate. k =N xk *N yk N xk =ITN(A k / x), N yk =ITN(B k / y); Determine the size parameters x and y of the core particles processed by each of the aforementioned photolithography machines, where x is the width dimension of the core particle and y is the length dimension of the core particle; Set N xk The greatest common divisor N x Let N be the number of core particles arranged laterally in the smallest frame unit. yk The greatest common divisor N y This refers to the number of core particles arranged longitudinally in the smallest frame unit; A photomask frame is formed by fabricating S*T sub-frame units arranged in an array along both the horizontal and vertical directions of a substrate. The width dimension of each sub-frame unit is N. x *x, length dimension is N y *y.

9. The method for manufacturing a photomask frame according to claim 8, characterized in that, The process of forming a photomask frame by fabricating S*T sub-frame units arranged in an array along the horizontal and vertical directions of a substrate includes: A light-shielding layer is formed on the substrate, and then the sub-frame unit is fabricated on the light-shielding layer to form the photomask frame.

10. The method for manufacturing a photomask frame according to claim 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: The sub-frame units on the photomask frame are used as the basic layout area, and alignment marks and test marks are set on the horizontal and vertical scribe lines within the basic layout area.

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