Printability and actinic AIMS review of programmed mask blank defects

Abstract

We report on the printability, mitigation and actinic mask level review of programmed substrate blank pit and bump defects in a EUV lithography test mask. We show the wafer printing behavior of these defects exposed with an NXE:3300 EUV lithography scanner and the corresponding mask level actinic review using the AIMS™ tool. We will show which categories of these blank substrate defects print on wafer and how they can be mitigated by hiding these defects under absorber lines. Furthermore we show that actinic AIMS™ mask review images of these defects, in combination with a simple thresholded resist transfer model, can accurately predict their wafer printing profiles. We also compare mask level actinic AIMS™ to top down mask SEM review in their ability to detect these defects.