CVD Graphene Membrane Pellicle Transfer for EUV Mask Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional organic pellicles for EUV lithographic apparatus suffer from low transmittance and mechanical instability, posing challenges for protecting photomasks from airborne contamination and ensuring high-quality semiconductor circuit patterns.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing method involving chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to laminate and transfer a graphene film onto a pellicle frame, including steps for stacking, transferring, and attaching graphene to a pellicle frame, ensuring high transmittance and mechanical stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional organic pellicles are used for EUV lithographic apparatus, then the photomask can be protected from airborne contamination, but the transmittance is low and mechanical stability is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional organic materials to graphene, which has fundamentally different optical and mechanical properties. Graphene's unique two-dimensional structure provides both high transmittance (over 90% for EUV light) and exceptional mechanical strength, resolving the contradiction between transmittance and mechanical stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by depositing graphene on a support substrate (such as silicon carbide or quartz). This composite approach combines the mechanical support function of the substrate with the optical transparency and protective function of the graphene layer, achieving both high transmittance and mechanical stability
2Illumination intensity
If the pellicle thickness is reduced to maintain high transmittance, then transmittance improves, but mechanical stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material's intrinsic strength parameter by using graphene, which has an exceptionally high strength-to-thickness ratio. Even at ultra-thin thicknesses (on the order of nanometers), graphene maintains sufficient mechanical stability due to its two-dimensional honeycomb structure, breaking the traditional trade-off between thickness and mechanical strength
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential protective function from thick conventional pellicles by using ultra-thin graphene layers. The graphene layer provides dust protection and mechanical stability without the light-absorbing bulk material, achieving high transmittance while maintaining necessary mechanical properties
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method produces a graphene membrane pellicle with adjustable thickness, high transmittance, and mechanical strength, minimizing defects and reducing costs by allowing graphene to be stacked on both sides of the pellicle frame.
Implementation Method 1
graphene can be produced using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, where process gases are deposited onto a metal catalyst film
Implementation Method 2
the thermal release tape of the graphene stacking film is attached to a substrate film and the thermal release tape is thermally separated, thereby transferring the stacked graphene onto the substrate film
Implementation Method 3
A stacked graphene heat treatment step in which a certain amount of heat is applied to the graphene transfer film to enhance the stacked graphene
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention pertains to a manufacturing method of a graphene membrane pellicle for an extreme ultra violet (EUV) lithographic apparatus. The present invention provides a manufacturing method of a graphene membrane pellicle for an EUV lithographic apparatus, whereby a pellicle for protecting photomasks in an EUV lithographic apparatus using a graphene-deposited catalytic metal film can be produced. A graphene membrane pellicle produced by this graphene membrane pellicle manufacturing method uses layered graphene and thus has the advantage of being adjustable in thickness.