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EUV source-mask optimization for 7nm node and beyond
Abstract
In this paper we introduce new source-mask co-optimization (SMO) capabilities for EUV with specific support of the details of imaging with NXE:33×0 scanners. New algorithms have been developed that fully exploit the adjustability of the light distribution inside the NXE:33×0 flexible illuminator, FlexPupil. The fast NXE M3D+ model accurately predicts the reflective 3D mask effects and enables novel pupil symmetries and mask defocus optimization. This mitigates the H-V bias, Bossung tilt, and pattern shift caused by shadowing and non-telecentricity, and reduces the sensitivity to flare. New pupil optimization flows will be shown. The optimized pupils are fully compliant with NXE:33×0 scanner specifications. We will demonstrate enhanced imaging performance of this NXE specific SMO on 7 nm node logic cut masks and show benefits up to 20% improved CD uniformity, and a reduction in the maximum pattern shifts.
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ASML's NXE platform performance and volume introduction
Peeters, R., Lok, S., van Alphen, E., Harned, N., Kuerz, P., Lowisch, M., Meijer, H., Ockwell, D. C., van Setten, E., Schiffelers, G., et al. (2013) · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · doi:10.1117/12.2010932 · Cited by 73
An innovative Source-Mask co-Optimization (SMO) method for extending low k1 imaging
Hsu, S., Chen, L., Li, Z., Park, S. S., Gronlund, K., Liu, H., Callan, N. P., Socha, R. J., & Hansen, S. (2008) · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · doi:10.1117/12.806657 · Cited by 50
Self-citationFast 3D thick mask model for full-chip EUVL simulations
Liu, P., Xie, X., Liu, W., & Gronlund, K. (2013) · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · doi:10.1117/12.2010818 · Cited by 33
Self-citationOptics for ASML's NXE:3300B platform
Lowisch, M., Kuerz, P., Conradi, O., Wittich, G., Seitz, W., & Kaiser, W. M. (2013) · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · doi:10.1117/12.2012158 · Cited by 28
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Extreme ultraviolet lithography
Kazazis, D., Santaclara, J. G., van Schoot, J., Mochi, I., & Ekinci, Y. (2024) · Nature Reviews Methods Primers · doi:10.1038/s43586-024-00361-z · Cited by 149
“In practice, a number of resolution enhancement techniques are used, such as optical proximity correction 76 , source-mask optimization 79 and inverse lithography technology 80 .”
Smart Nanostructured Materials based on Self‐Assembly of Block Copolymers
Kim, J. H., Jin, H. M., Yang, G. G., Han, K. H., Yun, T., Shin, J. Y., Jeong, S., & Kim, S. O. (2019) · Advanced Functional Materials · doi:10.1002/adfm.201902049 · Cited by 83
Overlay and edge placement control strategies for the 7nm node using EUV and ArF lithography
Mulkens, J., Hanna, M., Wei, H., Vaenkatesan, V., Megens, H. J. L., & Slotboom, D. (2015) · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · doi:10.1117/12.2085761 · Cited by 71
“SMO maximizes the process window and minimizes the placement errors in the mask design for the optimum illumination source [4].”
BackgroundZhang, Z., Li, S., Wang, X., Cheng, W., & Qi, Y. (2021) · Optics Express · doi:10.1364/oe.418242 · Cited by 42
Gradient-Based Source Mask Optimization for Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography
Ma, X., Wang, Z., Chen, X., Li, Y., & Arce, G. R. (2018) · IEEE Transactions on Computational Imaging · doi:10.1109/tci.2018.2880342 · Cited by 35
“However, the details of the SMO algorithm was not discussed at length in [31].”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialBest focus shift mechanism for thick masks
Burkhardt, M., & Raghunathan, A. (2015) · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · doi:10.1117/12.2085948 · Cited by 29
“The placement shift of horizontal patterns and vertical patterns away from the field center is well known in EUV lithography and needs to be considered for source optimization.(15) 3.”
BackgroundEUV resolution enhancement techniques (RETs) for k10.4 and below
Hsu, S., Howell, R. C., Jia, J., Liu, H., Gronlund, K., Hansen, S., & Zimmermann, J. (2015) · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · doi:10.1117/12.2086074 · Cited by 28
“1 Improved source mask cost function to reduce pattern placement error The use of asymmetric pupils to reduce the strong Bossung tilt due to 3D mask topology has been demonstrated [10].”
BackgroundSelf-citationLearning-based compressive sensing method for EUV lithographic source optimization
Lin, J., Dong, L., Fan, T., Ma, X., Wei, Y., & Ye, T. (2019) · Optics Express · doi:10.1364/oe.27.022563 · Cited by 21
Demonstration of 22-nm half pitch resolution on the SHARP EUV microscope
Benk, M. P., Goldberg, K. A., Wojdyla, A., Anderson, C. N., Salmassi, F. H., Naulleau, P. P., & Kocsis, M. K. (2015) · Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B Nanotechnology and Microelectronics Materials Processing Measurement and Phenomena · doi:10.1116/1.4929509 · Cited by 18
Zhang, Z., Li, S., Wang, X., & Cheng, W. (2021) · Optics Express · doi:10.1364/oe.432010 · Cited by 17
New ways of looking at masks with the SHARP EUV microscope
Goldberg, K. A., Benk, M. P., Wojdyla, A., Johnson, D., & Donoghue, A. P. (2015) · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · doi:10.1117/12.2175553 · Cited by 12
“Researchers from ASML/Brion have introduced pupil fill patterns with varying degrees of complexity, customized to improve certain imaging metrics.(20,23) With the introduction of the FlexPupil illuminator for the ASML 33x0 scanners, such patterns are becoming available(19)—SHARP can reproduce them for direct imaging s…”
BackgroundBlack border, mask 3D effects: covering challenges of EUV mask architecture for 22nm node and beyond
Davydova, N. V., van Setten, E., de Kruif, R., Connolly, B., Fukugami, N., Kodera, Y., Morimoto, H., Sakata, Y., Kotani, J., Kondo, S., et al. (2014) · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · doi:10.1117/12.2066299 · Cited by 9
“A challenge is to achieve a good CD uniformity (CDU) and absorber profile control for thinner lines.”
MethodInfluentialLiu, S., Liu, J., Yang, A., Guo, M., He, J., Guo, L., Shi, X., Liu, L., Jia, N., Hsu, S., et al. (2018) · SPIE Optical Microlithography · doi:10.1117/12.2297397 · Cited by 7
Self-citationImpact of thermal expansion coefficient on the local tilt angle of extreme ultraviolet pellicle
Kim, J. H., Kim, H., & Ahn, J. (2022) · Journal of Micro/Nanopatterning Materials and Metrology · doi:10.1117/1.jmm.21.1.014401 · Cited by 6
“The EUV-light path is denoted by a black arrow with a 6-deg chief ray angle at the object (CRAO) along the X direction.(49) The bottom surface (wbot) of the wrinkle is expressed using Eq.”
BackgroundAcross scanner platform optimization to enable EUV lithography at the 10-nm logic node
Mulkens, J., Karssenberg, J. G., Wei, H., Beckers, M., Verstappen, L., Hsu, S., & Chen, G. (2014) · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · doi:10.1117/12.2048314 · Cited by 5
“The SMO optimization flow for EUV is explained in reference [3].”
BackgroundSelf-citationFull-flow RET creation, comparison, and selection
Lafferty, N. V., He, Y., Silakov, M., Endo, T., & Adam, K. (2014) · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · doi:10.1117/12.2069473 · Cited by 5
“Reliance on the technique is expected to continue even as next-generation lithography approaches like Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) lithography are introduced.(5) Due to the many degrees of freedom involved in the joint optimization, practical SMO implementations require that patterning input targets be sampled using eit…”
MethodDemonstration of ACO-Based Freeform Source for ArF Laser Immersion Lithography System
Lie, F., Huang, C.-Y., Wu, C., Chen, K.-T., & Kuo, H.-F. (2017) · IEEE Access · doi:10.1109/access.2017.2694854 · Cited by 5
“6 nm wavelength have used programmable illuminators to form freeform sources and advance semiconductor manufacturing processes to a single digital node [16], [17].”
BackgroundJiang, J., Mei, Q., Li, Y., & Liu, Y. (2017) · Optical Engineering · doi:10.1117/1.oe.56.6.065101 · Cited by 5
“2.(1) In recent years, the diffractive optical element and mirror array have been used to realize the freeform pixelated pupil in deep ultraviolet lithography.”
BackgroundMethodScanning Laser Lithography With Constrained Quadratic Exposure Optimization
Fleming, A. J., Ghalehbeygi, O. T., Routley, B. S., & Wills, A. (2018) · IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology · doi:10.1109/tcst.2018.2836910 · Cited by 4
“Since 2013, source and mask optimization methods have also been applied to immersion lithography [45], [46] and EUV systems [47].”
Peng, A., Hsu, S. D., Howell, R. C., & Li, Q. (2020) · Applied Optics · doi:10.1364/ao.408405 · Cited by 4
Self-citationChiou, T.-B., Chen, A. C., Dusa, M. V., & Tseng, S.-E. (2016) · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · doi:10.1117/12.2220019 · Cited by 3
“Dose Dose EUV scanner’s oblique optical system that adopts an oblique chief ray design [11].”
BackgroundResearch progress on mask optimization technology at advanced technology nodes
Zhu, Y., Han, D., Deng, S., & Wei, Y. (2025) · Scientia Sinica Technologica · doi:10.1360/sst-2025-0016 · Cited by 2
Memory efficient constrained optimization of scanning-beam lithography
Jidling, C., Fleming, A. J., Wills, A., & Schön, T. B. (2022) · Optics Express · doi:10.1364/oe.457334 · Cited by 2
Analysis and mitigation of forbidden pitch effects for EUV lithography
Ma, L., Dong, L., Fan, T., Su, X., He, J., Wu, R., Zhou, Y., & Wei, Y. (2020) · doi:10.1117/12.2573145 · Cited by 2
Source Optimization under Thick Mask Model
Liu, Y., Sun, Y., Li, Y., Wei, P., Liu, L., & Li, E. (2020) · International Workshop on Advanced Patterning Solutions (IWAPS) · doi:10.1109/iwaps51164.2020.9286817 · Cited by 2
“Xiaofeng Liu chooses parametric source and pixel source to accomplish the optimization and compares the advantages and disadvantages [5].”
BackgroundFan, T., Ma, X., Wei, Y., & Dong, L. (2019) · China Semiconductor Technology International Conference (CSTIC) · doi:10.1109/cstic.2019.8755697 · Cited by 1
“In between, there are multiple kinds of hybrid approaches, which usually involving compensating the thin mask model with pre-calculated libraries by rigorous EMF solvers [2, 3].”
BackgroundFull field wavefront error aware source and mask optimization for extreme ultraviolet lithography
Wei, P. Z., Li, Y., Li, Z., Li, Z., & Sun, Y. (2022) · Photomask and next-generation lithography mask technology. Conference · doi:10.1117/12.2640681
Improving EUV Patterning Fidelity and Aberration Control through Source-Mask Co-Optimization
Wang, Q., Wu, Q., Li, Y., Liu, X., & Li, Y. (2025) · IEEE International Conference on ASIC (ASICON) · doi:10.1109/asicon66040.2025.11326508
Self-citation
Metadata
- Authors
- Liu, X., Howell, R., Hsu, S., Yang, K., Gronlund, K., Driessen, F., Liu, H.-Y., Hansen, S., van Ingen Schenau, K., Hollink, T., van Adrichem, P., Troost, K., Zimmermann, J., Schumann, O., Hennerkes, C., & Gräupner, P.
- Affiliations
- ASML Brion (United States)
- ASML (United States) (US)
- ASML Netherlands B.V. (Netherlands)
- ASML (Netherlands) (NL)
- Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH (Germany)
- Venue
- SPIE Proceedings
- Publisher
- SPIE
- Published
- 2014-04-17
- Volume
- 9048
- Pages
- 90480Q
- ISSN
- 0277-786X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2077382595
- Cited by
- 28
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 4.46
- Type
- conference paper
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Advancements in Photolithography Techniques
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Radiation › Advanced X-ray Imaging Techniques
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Advanced optical system design
- Keywords
- 7nm technology node, pattern shift, critical dimension uniformity
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