Extreme ultraviolet pellicle and its manufacturing method
The manufacturing method for EUV pellicles with a protective coating on carbon nanotube films addresses the durability issue, enhancing longevity and performance in EUV lithography systems.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2025541954
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-01-16
- Filing Date
- 2024-01-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-29
AI Technical Summary
EUV pellicles containing carbon nanotube films cannot withstand multiple long-term exposures in EUV lithography systems, leading to reduced productivity and chamber contamination.
A method for manufacturing an EUV pellicle involving the formation of a nucleation layer on a carbon nanotube film using atomic layer deposition, followed by depositing a protective material layer that maintains greater than 90% transmittance for 13.5 nm EUV light and provides mechanical stability.
The protective coating extends the EUV pellicle's lifetime, reduces contamination, and maintains high transmittance, while withstanding extreme temperatures and plasma exposure.
Smart Images
Figure 2026503533000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001]
[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to the processing of thin substrates, and more particularly to the processing of thin substrates for use in semiconductor processing, such as pellicles used to fabricate extreme ultraviolet mask blanks. [Background technology]
[0002] Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography (EUVL), which can be used to produce semiconductor devices with minimum feature sizes of 0.0135 microns or less, uses thin pellicles during integrated circuit fabrication. More specifically, EUVL allows photomasks (e.g., reticles) to be used repeatedly to reproducibly print thousands of substrates to form integrated circuits. Typically, a reticle is a glass or quartz substrate containing a film stack, which has multiple layers, including absorbing and opaque layers, disposed on the substrate. To protect the reticle from particle contamination, a pellicle is mounted several millimeters above the photomask surface to mechanically isolate particles from the photomask surface. A pellicle is a thin, transparent membrane that allows light and radiation to pass through to the reticle and is tethered above but not touching the surface of the mask.
[0003] One of the key features of EUV pellicles is that they must provide at least 90% transmittance for EUV light (e.g., at an exposure wavelength of 13.5 nm) to ensure the productivity of EUV lithography systems. Low transmittance reduces the effective exposure power, hindering the productivity of EUVL systems. Furthermore, pellicles must be mechanically stable, making it difficult to achieve a thin film that meets the EUV transmittance requirements. The thin film is attached to a frame and secured to the photomask. While pellicles containing carbon nanotube (CNT) films have been used in EUVL, CNT-based pellicles have not been able to withstand EUV exposure. Therefore, there is a need for an EUV pellicle containing a CNT film that can withstand multiple long-term EUV exposures. Summary of the Invention
[0004]
[0004] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method for manufacturing an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicle, the method including: forming a nucleation layer on a carbon nanotube (CNT) film of the EUV pellicle; and depositing a protective material layer on the nucleation layer, the protective material layer exhibiting a transmittance of greater than 90% at 13.5 nm EUV light.
[0005]
[0005] Another embodiment relates to a method for manufacturing an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicle, the method including forming a nucleation layer on a carbon nanotube (CNT) film of the EUV pellicle using an atomic layer deposition process, the atomic layer deposition process including sequentially exposing the CNT film to an oxygen-containing gas, a purge gas, trimethylaluminum vapor, and a purge gas; and depositing a protective material layer on the nucleation layer, the protective material layer exhibiting a transmittance of greater than 90% at 13.5 nm EUV light.
[0006]
[0006] In order to make the above-mentioned features of the present disclosure more fully understandable, a more particular description of the present disclosure briefly summarized above will be obtained by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the present disclosure may admit of other embodiments which are equally effective, and therefore the accompanying drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0007] [Figure 1A] 1 is a schematic isometric view of an exemplary photomask assembly, in accordance with an embodiment. [Figure 1B]
[0008] 1B is a cross-sectional view of the photomask assembly shown in FIG. 1A taken along line 1B-1B. [Figure 2]
[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of an extreme ultraviolet lithography system. [Figure 3]
[0010] 1 is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of a method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008]
[0011] Before describing several example embodiments of the present disclosure, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the details of construction or process steps set forth in the following description. The present disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways.
[0009]
[0012] The term "horizontal" as used herein is defined as a plane parallel to the plane or surface of the mask blank, regardless of its orientation. The term "vertical" refers to a direction perpendicular to the immediately preceding definition of horizontal. Terms such as "above," "below," "bottom," "top," "side," "higher," "lower," "upper," "over," and "under" are defined relative to a horizontal plane, as shown in the figures. The term "on" indicates that there is contact between elements, even if there is another intervening element between them. The term "directly on" indicates that there is direct contact between elements, with no intervening element.
[0010]
[0013] As used herein and in the appended claims, the terms "precursor," "reactant," "reactive gas," and the like are used interchangeably and refer to any gas species capable of reacting with the substrate surface.
[0011]
[0014] Those skilled in the art will understand that the use of ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" to describe processing regions does not imply a specific location within the processing chamber or an order of exposure within the processing chamber.
[0012]
[0015] FIG. 1A is a schematic isometric view of an exemplary lithography mask assembly, according to an embodiment. FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the lithography mask assembly of FIG. 1A taken along line 1A-1B. Typically, lithography mask assembly 100 includes a lithography photomask 101 secured to an EUV pellicle 102 with a plurality of adhesive patches 103 interposed therebetween. In some embodiments, lithography photomask 101 is configured for use with an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography processing system and features a substrate 104, a reflective multilayer stack 105 disposed on substrate 104, a capping layer 107 disposed on reflective multilayer stack 105, and an absorbing layer 108 disposed on capping layer 107. In some embodiments, substrate 104 includes a low thermal expansion material (LTEM), such as titanium-doped fused silica. In some embodiments, the reflective multilayer stack 105 includes multiple repeating layers of material and silicon, e.g., multiple repeating Mo and Si layers, i.e., multiple Mo / Si layers. In some embodiments, the reflective multilayer stack 105 includes more than about 40 alternating layers of material and silicon and has a thickness in the range of 200 nm to 250 nm. In some embodiments, the absorbing layer 108 is formed of a material comprising tantalum (Ta), such as a TaBO layer, a TaBN layer, or a multilayer stack thereof, e.g., a TaBO layer disposed on a TaBN layer. In other embodiments, the absorber layer comprises an alloy of a material selected from the group consisting of platinum (Pt), zinc (Zn), gold (Au), nickel oxide (NiO), silver oxide (AgO), iridium (Ir), iron (Fe), tin dioxide (SnO), cobalt (Co), chromium-nickel alloy, copper (Cu), silver (Ag), actinium (Ac), tellurium (Te), cesium iodide (CsI), tin (Sn), zinc telluride (ZnTe), antimony (Sb), tantalum (Ta), chromium (Cr), and chromium nitride (CrN). In some embodiments, the absorber layer 108 has a thickness in the range of 10 nm to 80 nm or in the range of 10 nm to 45 nm. In some embodiments, the capping layer 107 is formed of ruthenium (Ru) and has a thickness in the range of 1 nm to 5 nm, for example, about 2.5 nm.
[0013]
[0016] The absorber layer 108 having a plurality of openings 109 therethrough forms the patterned surface of the lithographic mask 101, where each opening 109 penetrates the absorber layer 108 to expose the capping layer 107 disposed thereunder. In other embodiments, each opening 109 also penetrates the capping layer 107 to expose the reflective multilayer stack 105 disposed thereunder. In some embodiments, the lithographic photomask 101 includes one or more black border openings 106, i.e., one or more openings that penetrate the absorber layer 108, the capping layer 107, and the reflective multilayer stack 105.
[0014]
[0017] In one or more embodiments, the EUV pellicle 102 includes a thin (e.g., less than 200 nm thick) CNT film 110 that spans a pellicle frame 111 and is secured to the pellicle frame 111 by an adhesive layer (not shown) therebetween. The CNT film 110 is spaced a distance A from the surface of the lithography photomask 101. The pellicle frame 111 is spaced a distance B from the surface of the lithography photomask 101 that is the thickness of the adhesive patch 103, e.g., less than about 1 mm (e.g., between about 10 μm and about 500 μm). The adhesive patch 103 is disposed directly on the surface of the substrate 104. In other embodiments, the adhesive patch 103 is disposed directly on the surface of the reflective multilayer stack 105. In other embodiments, the adhesive patch 103 is disposed directly on the surface of the absorbing layer 108.
[0015]
[0018] The CNT film 110 is desirably spaced apart from the surface of the lithography photomask 101 to prevent particles (e.g., dust) adhering thereto from entering the focal region when the pattern of the photomask is transferred to a resist layer on the workpiece. The pellicle frame 111 is desirably spaced apart from the surface of the lithography photomask 101 to allow clean gas (e.g., air) to flow between the EUV pellicle 102 and the lithography photomask 101. The free flow of gas between the EUV pellicle 102 and the lithography photomask 101 desirably prevents uneven pressure on the opposing surface of the film, which could cause the fragile CNT film to rupture during the vacuum EUV lithography process. In embodiments herein, the adhesive patches 103 used to secure the EUV pellicle 102 to the surface of the lithography photomask 101 are arranged in patches at multiple discrete locations, such as near the corners of the pellicle frame 111. For example, in some embodiments, the lithography mask has a square cross-section, with each side of the lithography mask having a length C between about 100 mm and about 300 mm, e.g., about 150 mm. Each side of the pellicle frame 111 is positioned inboard of each side of the lithography photomask 101 by a distance D between about 0 mm and about 30 mm, as measured perpendicular thereto. A plurality of adhesive patches 103 are positioned at each corner of the frame, with a center-to-center spacing F between about 70 mm and about 140 mm. The centers of the adhesive patches are located a distance E from each side of the lithography mask. Other adhesive placements are within the scope of this disclosure, and the foregoing description is exemplary only.
[0016]
[0019] 2, an exemplary embodiment of an extreme ultraviolet lithography system 200 (either an EUVL system, EUVL tool, or EUVL scanner) is shown. The extreme ultraviolet lithography system 200 includes an extreme ultraviolet light source 202 for generating extreme ultraviolet light 212, a set of reflective elements, and a target wafer 210. The reflective elements include a condenser 204, an EUV reflective mask 206, an optical reduction assembly 208, a mask blank, a mirror, or a combination thereof.
[0017]
[0020] The extreme ultraviolet light source 202 generates extreme ultraviolet radiation 212. Extreme ultraviolet radiation 212 is electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the range of 5 nanometers to 50 nanometers (nm). For example, the extreme ultraviolet light source 202 includes a laser, a laser-produced plasma, a discharge-produced plasma, a free electron laser, synchrotron radiation, or a combination thereof. In one or more embodiments, the extreme ultraviolet light source 202 generates extreme ultraviolet radiation 212 having a narrow bandwidth. For example, the extreme ultraviolet light source 202 generates extreme ultraviolet radiation 212 at 13.5 nm. The wavelength peak is centered at 13.5 nm.
[0018]
[0021] The condenser 204 reflects and collects the extreme ultraviolet radiation 212 from the extreme ultraviolet light source 202 to illuminate the EUV reflective mask 206. Although the condenser 204 is shown as a single element, it is understood that in some embodiments the condenser 204 includes one or more reflective elements, such as a concave mirror, a convex mirror, a flat mirror, or a combination thereof, to reflect and collect the extreme ultraviolet radiation 212. For example, in some embodiments the condenser 204 is a single concave mirror or an optical assembly having convex, concave, and flat optical elements.
[0019]
[0022] The EUV reflective photomask has a mask pattern 214 that creates a lithography pattern for forming a circuit layout to be formed on the target wafer 210. The EUV reflective photomask 206 reflects extreme ultraviolet light 212, and the mask pattern 214 defines a portion of the circuit layout for a semiconductor device.
[0020]
[0023] The optical reduction assembly 208 is an optical unit for reducing the image of the mask pattern 214. The extreme ultraviolet light 212 reflected from the EUV reflective photomask 206 is reduced by the optical reduction assembly 208 and reflected onto the target wafer 210. In some embodiments, the optical reduction assembly 208 includes mirrors and other optical elements to reduce the size of the image of the mask pattern 114. For example, in some embodiments, the optical reduction assembly 208 includes a concave mirror for reflecting and focusing the extreme ultraviolet light 212.
[0021]
[0024] The optical reduction assembly 208 reduces the size of the image of the mask pattern 214 on the target wafer 210. For example, in some embodiments, the mask pattern 214 is imaged onto the target wafer 210 by the optical reduction assembly 208 at a 4:1 ratio, forming the circuit represented by the mask pattern 214 on the target wafer 210. In some embodiments, the extreme ultraviolet light 212 scans the EUV reflective photomask 206 in synchronization with the target wafer 210 to form the mask pattern 214 on the target wafer 210. Although not shown in FIG. 2, the EUV pellicle described with respect to FIGS. 1A and 1B protects the photomask 206 from contamination.
[0022]
[0025] It has been found that EUV pellicles containing CNT films cannot withstand multiple long EUV exposures in an EUVL tool or scanner. This limits the lifetime of the EUV pellicle in the scanner, can lead to unintended chamber contamination in the form of CNT debris, and can result in EUV scanner downtime for EUV pellicle replacement. Applicant has discovered an EUV pellicle that includes a protective coating that does not impede EUV photons (reflection, absorption), which significantly extends the lifetime of EUV pellicles containing CNT films.
[0023]
[0026] In one or more embodiments, the protective coating (e.g., protective material coating) is deposited by cyclic deposition (or cyclic layer deposition (CLD)) or atomic layer deposition (ALD) in a substrate processing chamber configured for a particular type of deposition process. Furthermore, due to the essentially inert nature of carbon nanotubes, the deposition of the protective material coating has proven to be a difficult and challenging process. In early experiments, CNT films of EUV pellicles have been formed during the material layer formation process.
[0024]
[0027] Furthermore, when the CNT film 110 is coated, the EUV pellicle of one or more embodiments exhibits EUV transmittance of greater than 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, or 97% at 13.5 nm EUV light. The protective coating of one or more embodiments does not reduce the transmittance of EUV light through the 13.5 nm EUV pellicle by more than 3% compared to an uncoated EUV pellicle. The protective coating of some embodiments exhibits high resistance to hydrogen plasma, protecting the CNT film from EUV activation and EUV chamber cleaning processes. The coating of one or more embodiments maintains flexibility and reduces sagging of the CNT film. According to some embodiments, the protectively coated CNT film can withstand temperatures exceeding 1200°C, and the protective coating increases the emissivity of the CNT film. Emissivity at EUV wavelengths, such as 13.5 nm, refers to the CNT film's ability to withstand rapid heating and cooling processes in EUV lithography systems. In one or more embodiments, the protective coating is conformal and minimizes process-induced damage to the CNT film.
[0025]
[0028] As used herein, "atomic layer deposition" or "cyclic deposition" refers to the sequential exposure of two or more reactive compounds to deposit layers of material on the CNT film 110. The CNT film 110, or a portion of the CNT film 110, is separately exposed to two or more reactive compounds introduced into a reaction zone of a processing chamber. In a time-domain ALD process, exposure to each reactive compound is separated by a time delay, allowing each compound to adhere to and / or react with the CNT film 110 before being purged from the processing chamber. These reactive compounds are said to be sequentially exposed to the CNT film 110. In a spatial ALD process, different portions of the CNT film 110 or different portions of the material thereon are exposed to two or more reactive compounds simultaneously, so that any one point on the CNT film 110 is not substantially exposed to multiple reactive compounds simultaneously. The term "substantially" as used in this specification and the appended claims means that, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, a small portion of the CNT film 110 may be exposed to multiple reactive gases simultaneously due to diffusion, but such simultaneous exposure is not intended.
[0026]
[0029] In one aspect of a time-domain ALD process, a first reactive gas (i.e., a first precursor or compound A) is pulsed into the reaction zone, followed by a first time delay. Then, a second precursor or compound B is pulsed into the reaction zone, followed by a second delay. During each time delay, a purge gas, such as argon, is introduced into the process chamber to purge the reaction zone or remove residual reactive compounds or reaction byproducts from the reaction zone. Alternatively, the purge gas may flow continuously throughout the deposition process, with only the purge gas flowing during the time delay between pulses of reactive compounds. The reactive compounds are alternately pulsed until the desired layer thickness is formed on the CNT film 110. In either scenario, the ALD process of pulsing compound A (e.g., an oxygen-containing gas such as NO), purge gas, compound B (e.g., a Group 13-16 alkyl precursor such as trimethylaluminum), and purge gas (e.g., an inert gas such as argon or nitrogen) constitutes one cycle. The cycles can begin with either compound A or compound B, and continue in their respective order until a layer having the desired thickness is obtained. When forming a nucleation layer as described herein, the process can consist of as little as one cycle, so long as exposure of the CNT film 110 of the EUV pellicle 102 to the Group 13-16 alkyl precursor extends alkyl groups from the CNT film 110, thereby adhering the protective material layer to the CNT film.
[0027]
[0030] In an embodiment of a spatial ALD process, a first reactive gas (i.e., an oxygen-containing gas) and a second reactive gas (e.g., trimethylaluminum vapor) are simultaneously supplied to a reaction zone but separated by an inert gas curtain and / or a vacuum curtain. By moving the CNT film 110 relative to the gas supply system, any point on the CNT film 110 is exposed to the first reactive gas and the second reactive gas, forming a nucleation layer that promotes adhesion of the protective material layer. The protective material layer can be formed by any suitable process, such as chemical vapor deposition, cyclic deposition, atomic layer deposition, or physical vapor deposition.
[0028]
[0031] Thus, according to one embodiment, a method for fabricating an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicle includes forming a nucleation layer on a carbon nanotube (CNT) film of the EUV pellicle using an atomic layer deposition process that includes sequentially exposing the CNT film to an oxygen-containing gas pulse, a purge gas pulse, a Group 13-16 alkyl precursor pulse, and a purge gas pulse. The method then includes depositing a protective material layer on the nucleation layer, the protective material layer exhibiting greater than 90% transmittance at 13.5 nm EUV light. Examples of oxygen-containing gases include NO, NO, CO, CO, ozone, oxygen, volatile peroxides / hydroperoxides (e.g., hydrogen peroxide (H),), and volatile organic acids (e.g., formic acid, acetic acid). In some embodiments, the oxygen-containing gas can be flowed as a pulse of gas mixed with an inert or inert gas, such as nitrogen, argon, or a mixture thereof. Exposing the CNT film to the oxygen-containing gas results in a CNT film having active oxygen on its surface. In specific embodiments, the oxygen-containing gas pulse is selected from one or more of NO, NO, CO, and CO. Non-limiting examples of Group 13-16 alkyl precursors include alkyl (e.g., methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl) precursors containing elements from Groups 13-16 of the periodic table, such as boron, aluminum, gallium, indium, germanium, tin, and selenium. In specific embodiments, non-limiting alkyl precursors are selected from the group consisting of trimethylaluminum, triethylaluminum, trimethylgallium, triethylgallium-trimethylindium, tetramethyltin, tetra-n-propyltin, triethylboron, trimethylindium, trimethylgermanium, triethylgermanium, diethyldiselenide, dimethylselenide, trimethylgermanium, and triethylgermanium. Exposing the CNT film to Group 13-16 alkyl precursors results in a CNT film having reactive alkyls (e.g., methyl or ethyl) on the surface of the CNT film.
[0029]
[0032] In one or more embodiments, the CNT film comprises at least one sheet of carbon nanotube bundles. In one or more embodiments, the carbon nanotube bundles comprise individual carbon nanotubes aligned along a primary direction to form the bundles. In some embodiments, the individual carbon nanotubes comprise or consist of single-walled carbon nanotubes. In some embodiments, the individual nanotubes comprise or consist of multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Such carbon nanotube bundles may form naturally during the manufacture of carbon nanotube sheets or films, such as those available from Canatu A / S of Vantaa, Finland. The carbon nanotube film may contain up to 1 atomic percent iron, which may include iron nanoparticles.
[0030]
[0033] Referring to FIG. 3 , an exemplary method 300 for fabricating an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicle includes exposing a CNT film to a first gas at 310 and exposing the CNT film to a gas at 312 to form a nucleation layer at 314. A protective material layer is then deposited on the CNT film, which layer bonds to the nucleation layer. It has been determined that forming a nucleation layer helps form a protective layer that meets one or more of the requirements described herein. For example, the protective material layer on the nucleation layer exhibits a transmittance of greater than 90% at 13.5 nm EUV light. In some embodiments, the EUV pellicle exhibits a transmittance of greater than 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, or 97%. The protective coating in one or more embodiments does not reduce the transmittance of EUV light through the 13.5 nm EUV pellicle by more than 3% compared to an uncoated EUV pellicle. In some embodiments, the protective coating exhibits high resistance to hydrogen plasma, protecting the CNT film from EUV activation and EUV chamber cleaning processes. In one or more embodiments, the coating maintains flexibility and reduces sagging of the CNT film. According to some embodiments, the protectively coated CNT film can withstand temperatures exceeding 1200°C, and the protective coating increases the emissivity of the CNT film. Emissivity at EUV wavelengths such as 13.5 nm refers to the CNT film's ability to withstand the rapid heating and cooling processes in EUV lithography systems. In one or more embodiments, the protective coating is conformal, minimizing process-induced damage to the CNT film.
[0031]
[0034] In some embodiments, forming the nucleation layer comprises an atomic layer deposition process. In certain embodiments, forming the nucleation layer comprises exposing the CNT film to an oxygen-containing gas. Thereafter, the method further comprises exposing the CNT film to a Group 13-16 alkyl precursor after exposing the CNT film to the oxygen-containing gas. According to some embodiments, exposing the CNT film to the Group 13-16 alkyl precursor forms reactive methyl groups extending from the CNT film.
[0032]
[0035] An exemplary ALD process further includes exposing the CNT film to a purge gas after exposing the CNT film to NO gas and before exposing the CNT film to the Group 13-16 alkyl precursor. In a further embodiment, the method includes repeating exposing the CNT film to the oxygen-containing gas, the purge gas, and the Group 13-16 alkyl precursor. The method involves repeating this process any number of times.
[0033]
[0036] According to one or more embodiments, the protective material layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of molybdenum (Al), aluminum nitride (AlN), aluminum oxide (AlO), boron carbide (BC), boron nitride (BN), molybdenum (Mo), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum carbide (MoC, MoC), ruthenium (Ru), ruthenium niobium alloy (RuNb), ruthenium oxide (RuO, RUO), tantalum nitride (TaN), tantalum (Ta), yttrium nitride (YN), zirconium boride (ZrB), zirconium silicide (ZrSi), and silicon carbide (SiC). Each of the aforementioned coatings has high transmittance at 13.5 nm. As shown in FIG. 2, a low emissivity material is also desired to enable the EUV pellicle to withstand the rapid heating and cooling processes encountered in a system, tool, or scanner.
[0034]
[0037] In specific embodiments, Mo coatings with thicknesses less than 4 nm provide high transmittance and low emissivity at 13.5 nm. B4C coatings with thicknesses less than 4 nm provide high transmittance and low emissivity at 13.5 nm. BN coatings with thicknesses less than 3 nm provide high transmittance and low emissivity at 13.5 nm. MoSi coatings with thicknesses less than 3 nm provide high transmittance and low emissivity at 13.5 nm. SiN coatings with thicknesses less than 2 nm provide high transmittance and low emissivity at 13.5 nm. Ru coatings with thicknesses less than 2 nm provide high transmittance and low emissivity at 13.5 nm. MoC coatings with thicknesses less than 4 nm provide high transmittance and low emissivity at 13.5 nm. Each of these coatings has a minimum thickness of 0.1 nm. In some embodiments, a single layer of Al2O3 can be utilized. Additionally, each of these coatings protects the CNT film during EUV processing.
[0035]
[0038] In an exemplary ALD process for forming a nucleation layer, the CNT film is first exposed to an oxygen-containing gas pulse for 1 to 60 seconds, 1 to 30 seconds, 1 to 20 seconds, or 1 to 10 seconds. The pressure during the oxygen-containing gas pulse exposure ranges from 1 Torr to 20 Torr, 1 Torr to 15 Torr, or 1 Torr to 10 Torr. The flow rate of the oxygen-containing gas pulse into the substrate processing chamber is used from 1 SCCm to 1000 SCCm, 1 SCCm to 500 SCCm, or 1 SCCm to 300 SCCm. Next, the purge gas exposure time is from 1 to 60 seconds, or from 1 to 30 seconds. The exposure to the Group 13-16 alkyl precursor pulse ranges from 0.01 to 60 seconds, 0.01 to 30 seconds, or 0.01 to 10 seconds. The pressure during exposure to the Group 13-16 alkyl precursor pulse ranges from 1 Torr to 2000 Torr, from 1 Torr to 1500 Torr, or from 1 Torr to 1000 Torr. In one or more embodiments, the temperature in the processing chamber during atomic layer deposition ranges from 25°C to 400°C, e.g., from 50°C to 200°C.
[0036]
[0039] Throughout this specification, the phrases "one embodiment," "particular embodiment," "one or more embodiments," or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of phrases such as "in one or more embodiments," "particular embodiment," "in one embodiment," or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment of the present disclosure. Furthermore, particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
[0037]
[0040] Although the disclosure herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed method and apparatus without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure cover modifications and variations that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. 1. A method for manufacturing an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicle including a carbon nanotube (CNT) film, comprising: forming a nucleation layer on the CNT film; depositing a protective material layer on the nucleation layer, the protective material layer exhibiting greater than 90% transmittance at 13.5 nm EUV light; A method comprising:
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the nucleation layer comprises an atomic layer deposition process.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein forming the nucleation layer comprises exposing the CNT film to an oxygen-containing gas.
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising exposing the CNT film to a Group 13-16 alkyl precursor after exposing the CNT film to the oxygen-containing gas.
5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein exposing the CNT film to the Group 13-16 alkyl precursor forms reactive methyl groups extending from the CNT film.
6. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising exposing the CNT film to a purge gas after exposing the CNT film to the oxygen-containing gas and before exposing the CNT film to the Group 13-16 alkyl precursor.
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising repeatedly exposing the CNT film to the oxygen-containing gas, the purge gas, and the Group 13-16 alkyl precursor.
8. The protective material layer may be made of aluminum (Al), aluminum nitride (AlN), aluminum oxide (Al ２ O ３ ), boron carbide (B ４ C), boron nitride (BN), molybdenum (Mo), molybdenum silicide (MoSi ２ ), molybdenum carbide (MoC, Mo ２ C), ruthenium (Ru), ruthenium niobium alloy (RuNb), ruthenium oxide (RuO, RUO ２ ), tantalum nitride (TaN), tantalum (Ta), yttrium nitride (YN), zirconium boride (ZrB ２ ), zirconium silicide (ZrSi ２ 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide (SiC), silicon dioxide (SiO2), and silicon carbide (SiC).
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the protective material layer comprises Ru having a thickness less than 2 nm and greater than 0.1 nm.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the protective material layer comprises SiN having a thickness less than 3 nm and greater than 0.1 nm.
11. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the CNT film is exposed to the oxygen-containing gas at a pressure ranging from 1 Torr to 20 Torr for a time period ranging from 1 second to 60 seconds.
12. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the CNT film is exposed to the Group 13-16 alkyl precursor for 0.01 seconds to 60 seconds at a pressure of 1 Torr to 2000 Torr.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the CNT film is exposed to the purge gas for between 1 second and 60 seconds.
14. The method of claim 7 , wherein the CNT film comprises a sheet of carbon nanotube bundles comprising a plurality of substantially parallel carbon nanotube bundles.
15. The method of claim 7 , wherein the CNT film comprises a sheet of carbon nanotube bundles comprising single-walled carbon nanotubes.
16. The method of claim 7 , wherein the CNT film comprises a sheet of carbon nanotube bundles comprising multi-walled carbon nanotubes.
17. 1. A method for manufacturing an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicle including a carbon nanotube (CNT) film, comprising: forming a nucleation layer on the CNT film using an atomic layer deposition process, the atomic layer deposition process comprising sequentially exposing the CNT film to an oxygen-containing gas, a purge gas, trimethylaluminum vapor, and a purge gas; depositing a protective material layer on the nucleation layer, the protective material layer exhibiting greater than 90% transmittance at 13.5 nm EUV light; A method comprising:
18. The protective material layer may be made of aluminum (Al), aluminum nitride (AlN), aluminum oxide (Al ２ O ３ ), boron carbide (B ４ C), boron nitride (BN), molybdenum (Mo), molybdenum silicide (MoSi ２ ), molybdenum carbide (MoC, Mo ２ C), ruthenium (Ru), ruthenium niobium alloy (RuNb), ruthenium oxide (RuO, RUO ２ ), tantalum nitride (TaN), tantalum (Ta), yttrium nitride (YN), zirconium boride (ZrB ２ ), zirconium silicide (ZrSi ２ 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the metal layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide (SiO2), silicon carbide (SiC), and silicon carbide (SiC).
19. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the protective material layer comprises Ru having a thickness less than 2 nm and greater than 0.1 nm.
20. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the protective material layer comprises SiN having a thickness less than 3 nm and greater than 0.1 nm.