0.35-μm i-line attenuated phase-shift mask (PSM) repair by focused-ion-beam technology

This paper addresses the capabilities of the Micrion 8000 FIB (focused ion beam) phase shift mask repair tool to repair clear defects and opaque defects found on chrome-based binary and attenuated phase shift masks, and MoSi-based attenuated phase shift masks for 0.35 micrometer lithography. For a repair to be successful, the repair must: match size, shape, and position of the defect, reproduce the desired transmission, minimize damage to the underlying substrate, minimize damage to surrounding non-defect areas, and finally, the repair must be durable. For the production environment, a repair tool must be very reliable and easy to use as well. The Micrion 8000 FIB phase shift mask repair tool incorporates the above requirements.