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US5480746A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Photomask and method of forming resist pattern using the same

Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co Ltd
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Filing: 1994-05-16
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Granted: 1996-01-02
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Expires: 2014-05-16
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Abstract

Abstract A photomask for use in forming a photoresist pattern by projection exposure, comprising opaque stripes respectively arranged on a mask substrate at a given pitch and phase shifters formed alternately on light-transmissive areas between said opaque stripes. The widths of the opaque stripes are larger than those of said light-transmissive areas whereby the edges of said phase shifters on said light-transmissive areas are prevented from being transferred to a wafer.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hideyuki Jinbo
  • 👤 Yoshio Yamashita

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 01:01
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F1/00; G03F1/26; G03F1/30

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 133 words
A method of forming a line and space resist pattern by projection exposure of a positive type resist, comprising the steps of: providing a photomask including a mask substrate comprising light-transmissive material; an array of opaque stripes having spaces therebetween formed on said substrate, said opaque stripes being arranged on said substrate at a given pitch and having widths which are greater than the spaces between adjacent opaque stripes; and phase shifters formed on said substrate in the spaces between every other opaque stripe; and performing projection exposure on said positive resist using said photomask in a single step for enough time to prevent transfer of edges of said phase shifters onto said resist pattern and to enable a line and a space of said resist pattern to have substantially the same width.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 133 words
A method of forming a line and space resist pattern by projection exposure of a positive type resist, comprising the steps of: providing a photomask including a mask substrate comprising light-transmissive material; an array of opaque stripes having spaces therebetween formed on said substrate, said opaque stripes being arranged on said substrate at a given pitch and having widths which are greater than the spaces between adjacent opaque stripes; and phase shifters formed on said substrate in the spaces between every other opaque stripe; and performing projection exposure on said positive resist using said photomask in a single step for enough time to prevent transfer of edges of said phase shifters onto said resist pattern and to enable a line and a space of said resist pattern to have substantially the same width.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 30 words
The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said performing step comprises performing projection exposure using said photomask for a period of time between about 0.2 second to about 1.0 second.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 21 words
The method claimed in claim 2 wherein said performing step comprises performing projection exposure using said photomask for about 0.8 second.
Claim 5
Independent Claim 155 words
A method of forming a line and space resist pattern by projection exposure of a positive type resist comprising the steps of: providing a photomask including a mask substrate comprising light-transmissive material; opaque stripes having spaces therebetween formed on said substrate, said opaque stripes being arranged on said substrate at a given pitch, each of said opaque stripes having a first width; and phase shifters having edges thereon, said phase shifters being formed on light transmissive areas of said substrate in the spaces between every other opaque stripe, said spaces having second widths, the first widths of said opaque stripes being larger than said second widths; and performing projection exposure on said positive resist using said photomask in one step for enough time to prevent transfer of the edges of said phase shifters onto said resist pattern and to enable a line and a space of said resist pattern to have substantially the same width.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 155 words
A method of forming a line and space resist pattern by projection exposure of a positive type resist comprising the steps of: providing a photomask including a mask substrate comprising light-transmissive material; opaque stripes having spaces therebetween formed on said substrate, said opaque stripes being arranged on said substrate at a given pitch, each of said opaque stripes having a first width; and phase shifters having edges thereon, said phase shifters being formed on light transmissive areas of said substrate in the spaces between every other opaque stripe, said spaces having second widths, the first widths of said opaque stripes being larger than said second widths; and performing projection exposure on said positive resist using said photomask in one step for enough time to prevent transfer of the edges of said phase shifters onto said resist pattern and to enable a line and a space of said resist pattern to have substantially the same width.
Claim 7
Independent Claim 181 words
A method of forming a line and space resist pattern by projection exposure of a positive type resist, the line and the space of said resist pattern having substantially the same width, comprising the steps of: providing a photomask including a mask substrate comprising light-transmissive material; an array of opaque stripes having spaces therebetween formed on said substrate, said opaque stripes being arranged on said substrate at a given pitch, each opaque stripe having a width which is greater than the spaces between adjacent opaque stripes and greater than the widths of the lines and spaces of said resist pattern; and phase shifters formed on said substrate in the spaces between alternate opaque stripes, each of said phase shifters having an edge contiguous with the light-transmissive material of said mask substrate; and performing projection exposure on said positive resist using said photomask in a single step for enough time to prevent transfer of the edges of said phase shifters onto said resist pattern and to enable a line and a space of said resist pattern to have substantially the same width.
Claim 8
Independent Claim 181 words
A method of forming a line and space resist pattern by projection exposure of a positive type resist, the line and the space of said resist pattern having substantially the same width, comprising the steps of: providing a photomask including a mask substrate comprising light-transmissive material; an array of opaque stripes having spaces therebetween formed on said substrate, said opaque stripes being arranged on said substrate at a given pitch, each opaque stripe having a width which is greater than the spaces between adjacent opaque stripes and greater than the widths of the lines and spaces of said resist pattern; and phase shifters formed on said substrate in the spaces between alternate opaque stripes, each of said phase shifters having an edge contiguous with the light-transmissive material of said mask substrate; and performing projection exposure on said positive resist using said photomask in a single step for enough time to prevent transfer of the edges of said phase shifters onto said resist pattern and to enable a line and a space of said resist pattern to have substantially the same width.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

EP0090924A2 Cited
JPS6259296A Cited
US5045417A Cited
FR2641622A1 Cited
EP0383534A2 Cited
EP0395425A2 Cited
EP0401795A2 Cited
US5147812A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1999-01-01 1999-07-03 2000-01-02 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2003-01-01 2003-07-03 2004-01-02 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2007-01-01 2007-07-03 2008-01-02 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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