US5609977A — Reflection phase shifting mask and method of form…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 167 words

A reflection phase shifting mask comprising: a substrate for reflecting exposure light; a phase shifting layer formed on a portion on said substrate; and a light transmitting medium formed on said phase shifting layer, wherein a thickness of said phase shifting layer is set such that a phase difference between light reflected by said substrate and light reflected by said phase shifting layer becomes substantially 180°, and wherein refractive indexes of said light transmitting medium, said phase shifting layer, and said substrate are respectively represented by n 0 , n 1 , and n 2 , and H and L are integers satisfying H<L, a material and thickness d of said phase shifting layer are determined such that the refractive index n 1 and thickness d of the phase shifting layer satisfy the following conditions: {(H+0.06 L)/1.06 L}n.sub.0 <n.sub.1 <{H-0.06 L) 0.94 L}n.sub.0 d={L/2n.sub.0 ±0.06/4n.sub.1)λ for n.sub.1 <n.sub.0 <n.sub.2, and satisfy the following conditions: {(H-0.06 L)/0.94 L}n.sub.0 <n.sub.1 <{H+0.06 L)/1.06 L}n.sub.0 d={2L+1)/4n.sub.0 ±0.06/4n.sub.1)λ for n.sub.2 <n.sub.0 <n.sub.1.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 167 words

A reflection phase shifting mask comprising: a substrate for reflecting exposure light; a phase shifting layer formed on a portion on said substrate; and a light transmitting medium formed on said phase shifting layer, wherein a thickness of said phase shifting layer is set such that a phase difference between light reflected by said substrate and light reflected by said phase shifting layer becomes substantially 180°, and wherein refractive indexes of said light transmitting medium, said phase shifting layer, and said substrate are respectively represented by n 0 , n 1 , and n 2 , and H and L are integers satisfying H<L, a material and thickness d of said phase shifting layer are determined such that the refractive index n 1 and thickness d of the phase shifting layer satisfy the following conditions: {(H+0.06 L)/1.06 L}n.sub.0 <n.sub.1 <{H-0.06 L) 0.94 L}n.sub.0 d={L/2n.sub.0 ±0.06/4n.sub.1)λ for n.sub.1 <n.sub.0 <n.sub.2, and satisfy the following conditions: {(H-0.06 L)/0.94 L}n.sub.0 <n.sub.1 <{H+0.06 L)/1.06 L}n.sub.0 d={2L+1)/4n.sub.0 ±0.06/4n.sub.1)λ for n.sub.2 <n.sub.0 <n.sub.1.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 35 words

A mask according to claim 1, wherein said light transmitting medium is a material selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 , Si 3 N 4 , LiF, MgF 2 and TiO 2 .

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 18 words

A mask according to claim 1, further comprising a reflection reducing layer formed on said light transmitting medium.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 23 words

A mask according to claim 3, wherein said reflection reducing layer is an antireflection film having a reflectance of not more than 1%.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 35 words

A mask according to claim 1, wherein said phase shifting layer is formed by depositing one of a translucent thin film and a transparent thin film on a substrate, and selectively etching said thin film.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 56 words

A mask according to claim 1, wherein the thickness and refractive index of said phase shifting layer are set such that light reflected by said phase shifting layer has substantially the same phase as that of light which is transmitted through said phase shifting layer, reflected by said substrate, and output from said phase shifting layer.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 56 words

A mask according to claim 1, wherein the thickness and refractive index of said phase shifting layer are set such that a phase difference between light reflected by said phase shifting layer and light which is transmitted through said phase shifting layer, reflected by said substrate, and output from said phase shifting layer becomes substantially 180°.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 150 words

A method of forming a pattern, comprising the steps of: preparing a reflection phase shifting mask having a substrate for reflecting exposure light, a phase shifting layer formed on a portion on said substrate, and a light transmitting medium formed on said substrate and said phase shifting layer, wherein a thickness of said phase shifting layer is set such that a phase difference between light reflected by said substrate and light reflected by said phase shifting layer becomes substantially 180°; radiating exposure light having a shorter wavelength than an ultraviolet ray on said reflection phase shifting mask, and exposing a pattern image of said mask onto a substrate, on which at least one photosensitive resin layer is formed, through an exposure optical system; and removing the photosensitive resin layer from a region other than a desired region in accordance with an exposure amount difference due to the mask pattern image.

Claim 10

Independent Claim 150 words

A method of forming a pattern, comprising the steps of: preparing a reflection phase shifting mask having a substrate for reflecting exposure light, a phase shifting layer formed on a portion on said substrate, and a light transmitting medium formed on said substrate and said phase shifting layer, wherein a thickness of said phase shifting layer is set such that a phase difference between light reflected by said substrate and light reflected by said phase shifting layer becomes substantially 180°; radiating exposure light having a shorter wavelength than an ultraviolet ray on said reflection phase shifting mask, and exposing a pattern image of said mask onto a substrate, on which at least one photosensitive resin layer is formed, through an exposure optical system; and removing the photosensitive resin layer from a region other than a desired region in accordance with an exposure amount difference due to the mask pattern image.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 73 words

A method according to claim 8, wherein a coherent factor of the exposure light is set to be not more than 0.5 when said reflection phase shifting mask has at least a portion at which a ratio of an area of a portion on which said translucent film is formed to an area of a portion on which no translucent film is formed is not more than 0.3 or not less than 3.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 88 words

A method according to claim 8, wherein illumination light obtained through a diaphragm having aperture portions formed at at least one pair of n (n=2, 4, 8) positions symmetrical about an optical axis is used as the exposure light or annular illumination light when said transmission phase shifting mask has at least a portion at which a ratio of an area of a portion on which said translucent film is formed to an area of a portion on which no translucent film is formed is 0.3 to 3.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2000-03-10	2000-09-09	2001-03-11	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2004-03-10	2004-09-09	2005-03-11	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2008-03-10	2008-09-09	2009-03-11	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Reflection phase shifting mask and method of forming a pattern using the same

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