A photon flux from a laser can provide an alternative method to clean and prepare industrial surfaces. The laser-based cleaning method presented in this paper uses only photons coupled with a laminar, flowing gas which is inert to the surface. This method can eliminate or reduce the water and chemical volumes used in industrial applications. In this paper, the development issues bringing a technology into the mainstream are discussed.
Photomask manufacturing for sub-0.5 micron ICs faces two principal challenges: efficient cleaning within cycle time requirements and minimization of water and chemical usage. A new technology using only deep ultraviolet photons and a flowing inert gas cleans state-of-the-art optical and x-ray photomasks. The technology uses no water or chemicals. Tools can handle single or multiple substrate sizes. There is no optical reflectivity change in the chrome. No damage is observed on chrome patterns from either backside or front side exposure whether the features are positioned horizontally or vertically. Our work to date indicates that this technology meets the cycle time requirements in the photomask manufacturing process.
Contamination control is a critical issue to the manufacture and maintenance of optical components. Particulates and thin films (organic and inorganic) can degrade optical performance. Current cleaning methods are focusing on aqueous-based cleaning and super- critical fluids. Concurrently, environmentally-conscious manufacturing processes are becoming essential for industrial applications. These manufacturing processes emphasize the reduction of water and chemical consumption and hazardous waste production. In this paper, we will introduce a chemical-free laser assisted process that has demonstrated its capability of removing particulates and films from various surfaces including optical. Since this process works with energy flux and a flowing inert gas, it's readily adaptable and cost effective for many industrial applications.
The tighter film and image size tolerances required for technologies at 0.5 micrometers and below make the control of overlay a critical process parameter. A modeling approach has been developed that is independent of the metrology tool and flexible enough to control overlay for a mix-and-match photolithography strategy. This paper describes the application of the methodologies developed and implemented to control overlay.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.