Page 69, The Process Window

Table of Contents

• Front Matter

• The Lithography Process
• Definition: Semiconductor Lithography

• Overview of the Lithography Process

• Processing: Substrate Preparation

• Processing: Photoresist Spin Coating

• Processing: Post-Apply Bake

• Processing: Alignment and Exposure

• Processing: Post-Exposure Bake

• Processing: Development

• Processing: Pattern Transfer

• Image Formation
• Maxwell's Equations: The Mathematics of Light

• The Plane Wave and the Phasor

• Basic Imaging Theory

• Diffraction

• Fraunhofer Diffraction: Examples

• The Numerical Aperture

• Fourier Optics

• Spatial Coherence and Oblique Illumination

• Partial Coherence

• Aberrations

• Aberrations: The Zernike Polynomial

• Aberrations: Zernike Examples

• Chromatic Aberration

• Horizontal-Vertical (H-V) Bias

• Defocus

• Flare

• Vector Nature of Light

• Polarization

• The Optical Invariant

• Immersion Lithography: Resolution

• Immersion Lithography: Depth of Focus

• Imaging into a Photoresist
• Standing Waves: Definition

• Standing Waves: Mathematics

• Fresnel Reflectivity

• Swing Curves

• Top Antireflective Coatings (TARC)

• Bottom Antireflective Coatings (BARC)

• Photoresist Chemistry
• Novolak/DNQ Resists

• Chemically Amplified Resists

• Absorption of Light

• Photoresist Bleaching and the Dill Parameters

• Exposure Kinetics

• Measuring the Dill ABC Parameters

• Chemically Amplified Resist Kinetics

• Diffusion in Chemically Amplified Resists

• Acid Loss Mechanisms

• Post-Apply Bake Effects

• Photoresist Development Kinetics

• Surface Inhibition

• Developer Temperature and Concentration

• The Development Path

• Lithography Control and Optimization
• NILS: The Normalized Image Log-Slope

• NILS: The Log-Slope Defocus Curve

• NILS: Image Optimization

• NILS: Exposure Optimization

• NILS: PEB Optimization

• NILS: Development Optimization

• NILS: Total Process Optimization

• Defining Photoresist Linewidth

• Critical Dimension Control

• Critical Dimension Control: Effect on Devices

• Overlay Control

• Line Edge Roughness

• Metrology: Critical Dimension

• Metrology: Overlay

• The Process Window

• Depth of Focus

• Resolution

• Rayleigh Criteria: Resolution

• Rayleigh Criteria: Depth of Focus

• Mask Error Enhancement Factor (MEEF)

• Resolution Enhancement Technologies

• Phase-Shift Masks

• Phase-Shift Masks: Alternating

• Phase-Shift Masks: Attenuated

• Optical Proximity Effects

• Optical Proximity Correction (OPC)

• Off-Axis Illumination

• Lithography Simulation

• Moore's Law

• Next-Generation Lithography (NGL)

• Equation Summary

• Glossary

• Back Matter