Approach to EUV Lithography Simulation

Abstract

1.1 Simulation based on measured development rate measurements EUV lithography is a reduced projection lithography technology based on 13.5 nm wavelength EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet). Development of EUV lithography is currently underway for the mass production of semiconductor devices for 90 nm design rule applications for ArF dry exposures and for 65 to 45 nm design rule applications for ArF immersion exposures [1-2]. EUV lithography is among the most promising next-generation lithography tools for the 32 nm technology node [3]. The evolving consensus is that EUV exposure technologies will be applied to mass production from the year 2011 [4]. Table 1 showed the relationship among technology node, exposure numerical aperture (NA), and process coefficient factor (k1) [5]. Achieving the 32 nm node based on an ArF laser source exposure technology will require the development of an optical system with NA increased to 1.55 and k1 improved to 0.26. In contrast, an exposure technology based on an EUV light source will permit the use of an optical system with 0.25 NA for mass production of the 32 nm node with room to spare. The requirement for the k1 factor is an easy-to-meet value of 0.59. These factors underscore the promise and importance of EUV exposure technologies. However, the development of EUV exposure equipment presents its own set of technology barriers, as does the development of ArF immersion exposure system. A wavelength of 13.5 nm requires a reflecting optical system with a combination of multiple multilayer reflecting mirrors [6], since no lens material can be used in the 13.5 nm wavelength range, if we rule out dioptric lenses. The development of EUV exposure equipment requires further examination of component technologies, including technologies related to light sources, illumination optical systems, projection optical systems, and masks. Although various exposure equipment manufacturers are actively promoting the development of EUV reduced projection exposure equipment [7-8], a resist material for EUV lithography must be developed before the first exposure system can be introduced. We have developed a new virtual lithography evaluation system with lithograph simulation that takes an approach completely different from conventional resist evaluation technologies (direct evaluation method), which require actual patterning to assess resists. The new evaluation system focuses on open-frame exposures using an EUV light source, measurements of development rates at various exposure doses, and lithography simulations based on development rate data. This chapter presents the results of our evaluations of EUV resists using this new system.