EUV Pellicle with Nanometer Protection Layers

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Solution Overview

Problem

EUV light used in semiconductor lithography processes often contaminates pellicles, leading to reduced productivity due to frequent replacements and potential defects in substrate manufacturing.

Innovation Solution

A mask with a pellicle featuring nanometer-thick protection layers, potentially made of graphite or graphene, supported by carbon nano-tubes, and a pellicle repairing apparatus with a chamber, detector, and decontamination system to remove contaminants, allowing for the pellicle's reuse.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a pellicle is used to protect mask patterns, then the mask patterns are protected from contamination, but the pellicle itself becomes contaminated by EUV light and must be frequently replaced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemask pattern protectionVSAvoidpellicle replacement frequency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The pellicle is segmented into multiple thin layers (first pellicle layer, second pellicle layer, third pellicle layer) rather than using a single thick layer. This segmentation allows the decontamination apparatus to selectively remove contaminants from specific layers while preserving the overall pellicle structure, extending its usable life and reducing replacement frequency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of discarding the entire pellicle when contaminated, the invention recovers the pellicle by selectively removing only the contaminated outer layers using the decontamination apparatus. This allows the underlying clean layers to continue protecting the mask patterns, thereby recovering value from the pellicle and reducing replacement needs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Use of energy by moving object

If the pellicle thickness is reduced to nanometer scale, then EUV light transmission is improved, but the pellicle becomes more susceptible to contamination and damage

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveEUV light transmissionVSAvoidcontamination susceptibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The pellicle is constructed as a composite structure with multiple layers of different materials (carbon, silicon oxide, silicon nitride) each with specific thicknesses in the nanometer range. This composite structure optimizes EUV light transmission while providing distributed protection against contamination, as each layer contributes different protective properties.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The pellicle is pre-configured with multiple protective layers before exposure to EUV light. The outer layers are designed to be sacrificial, absorbing contamination before it reaches the critical mask patterns. This preliminary protective arrangement allows the thin nanometer-scale structure to maintain both transmission efficiency and contamination resistance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a single thick pellicle layer is used, then contamination protection is improved, but EUV light transmission and resolution are degraded

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontamination protectionVSAvoidpattern resolution

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The single thick pellicle layer is segmented into multiple thin layers (first, second, and third pellicle layers with thicknesses of 1-10 nm each). This segmentation maintains adequate contamination protection through the cumulative thickness of multiple layers while ensuring that each individual layer remains thin enough to allow high EUV light transmission and preserve pattern resolution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different material compositions are used for each pellicle layer (carbon, silicon oxide, silicon nitride) to optimize both protection and transmission properties. The composite structure provides enhanced contamination resistance through material diversity while maintaining nanometer-scale thickness for optimal EUV light transmission and manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 solution effectively extends the pellicle's lifespan by removing contaminants, reducing the need for frequent replacements and enhancing productivity in substrate manufacturing by ensuring consistent EUV beam transmission and minimizing defects.

Implementation Method 1

a decontamination part fusing at least one of the contaminant and the protection layers

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFusion: Melting

Data Source

PatentUS9703186B2Mask including pellicle, pellicle repairing apparatus, and substrate manufacturing equipment

Publication Date: 2017.07.11 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

Provided is a mask. The mask may include a mask substrate, mask patterns on the mask substrate, frames disposed on an edge of the mask substrate outside the mask patterns, and a pellicle spaced apart from the mask patterns, the pellicle being disposed on the frames, wherein the pellicle includes protection layers each of which has a nanometer thickness.