A self-aligned lithography method based on Fabry-Perot resonator effect

Abstract

Fabry-Perot (F-P) resonator is widely applied in the field of optics such as micro-ring resonator and photonic crystal, but there are not yet relevant reports about optical imaging. We propose a self-aligned lithography method based on F-P resonator effect and realize self-aligned effect successfully by controlling film stack parameters. The self-aligned structure is composed of Ag/photoresist/Ag film stack and wafer layer which contains SiO2 layer and SiO2/Si gratings. A rapid simulation model based on Rigorous Coupled Wave Analysis algorithm is established to optimize the best parameters of the self-aligned structure. Then rigorous Finite Difference Time Domain model and Finite Element Method model are used to verify the self-aligned effect and the results show that such process has extremely large mask critical dimension (CD) and overlay variation. The mask CD could be tuned more than 50% of structure period while the wafer CD maintains in the range less than 10%, and the maximum mask overlay offset could be ± 25% of half pitch while the wafer pattern center maintains unchanged. All the results show that the proposed method has lots of process robustness and could increase the application area of imaging lithography technology.