Performance of GFIS mask repair system for various mask materials

Abstract

We have developed a new focused ion beam (FIB) technology using a gas field ion source (GFIS) for mask repair. Meanwhile, since current high-end photomasks do not have high durability in exposure nor cleaning, some new photomask materials are proposed. In 2012, we reported that our GFIS system had repaired a representative new material “A6L2”. It is currently expected to extend the application range of GFIS technology for various new materials and various defect shapes. In this study, we repaired a single bridge, a triple bridge and a missing hole on a phase shift mask (PSM) of “A6L2”, and also repaired single bridges on a binary mask of molybdenum silicide (MoSi) material “W4G” and a PSM of high transmittance material “SDC1”. The etching selectivity between those new materials and quartz were over 4:1. There were no significant differences of pattern shapes on scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images between repair and non-repair regions. All the critical dimensions (CD) at repair regions were less than +/-3% of those at normal ones on an aerial image metrology system (AIMS). Those results demonstrated that GFIS technology is a reliable solution of repairing new material photomasks that are candidates for 1X nm generation.