JPH10104814A - Production of mask - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the efficiency of mask exposure of highly integrated ultrafine large-scale patterns by dividing exposure data and decreasing the exposure data quantity to be arranged on the disk of an exposure device, thereby making it possible execute exposure regardless of the types of negative type and positive type photoresists. SOLUTION: The exposure data 1 is divided to the device pattern regions 2 having device patterns 3 and peripheral pattern regions 4 integrating peripheral patterns 5 by the method for dividing the exposure data. The exposure data 1 is divided to a blanking partition file 6 and a device pattern file 10 and the blanking patterns 8 for controlling the unexposed regions of the device pattern regions 2 are generated in the divided peripheral pattern files 6. The absence of the blanking patterns and the presence thereof are arranged in the peripheral pattern files 6, by which the prepn. of the exposure data 1 is completed. The exposure is executed in order of the device pattern films 10 from the peripheral pattern files 6 is executed by using the exposure data 1, by which baking is completed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a mask exposure and a method of creating exposure data used for the mask exposure. In recent years, the mask manufacturing process requires resolution of a fine pattern and high-precision dimensional requirements. For this reason, the characteristics of the positive-type and negative-type photoresists used are effectively used to produce a desired mask product. Need to be created.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a conventional example. In the figure, 1 is exposure data, 2 is a device pattern area, 3 is a device pattern, 4 is a peripheral pattern area, 5 is a peripheral pattern, 30 is a light-shielding pattern, and 31 is an apparatus positioning pattern.

[0003] As a method of handling photoresist in the conventional mask manufacturing, exposure data created in one file is arranged in an exposure apparatus, exposure printing is performed, and if necessary, black-and-white inversion by controlling the output of an exposure beam at the time of exposure is performed. Was performed to create a mask.

In this case, when the exposure data 1 shown in FIG. 8A is arranged in the exposure apparatus, the peripheral data 5 in the peripheral pattern area 4 used for exposure are arranged. It is necessary to collect all of the data, the device pattern 3 and the like in the device pattern area 2 into one file.

First, taking a reticle as an example, when one reticle is to be formed, a scribe line for forming a peripheral edge of one chip in addition to a device pattern 3 constituting a semiconductor element in one chip in a semiconductor wafer. In addition to the device alignment pattern 31 and the characteristic monitor pattern that may be present on the mask and the reticle, the light-shielding pattern 30 that shields the area other than the chip region during exposure using the mask or the reticle is used for positioning when the mask or the reticle is loaded in the exposure apparatus. An apparatus positioning pattern 31 is created around the actual device pattern 3, and the other than the device pattern 3 is collectively referred to as a peripheral pattern 5, and all of them are governed by one file.

In the case where a memory cell has an enormous cell area, the cell block is divided into a plurality of cell blocks. However, since all of the data is stored in the exposure data 1, the data increases significantly.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8B, when four device patterns 3 such as cell blocks exist in a mask pattern of exposure data 1 in a 2 × 2 arrangement, one file to be arranged in the exposure apparatus The data collected in the above-described manner is about four times as large as the data obtained by combining the peripheral pattern 5 and the individual device patterns 3 up to now.

Further, in the device pattern 3, for example, a wiring pattern as shown in FIG.
If there is a device pattern 3 having an arbitrary angle other than the angle, the line segment of the oblique side 32 at the arbitrary angle is a right angle, that is, a continuous fine stepwise oblique side approximate staircase pattern 33 of 90 degrees angle.
Since the approximation conversion (or bitmap conversion) is performed, the amount of exposure data increases geometrically as the data of the device pattern 3 combined in one file increases.

[0009]

A disadvantage of this conventional method is that it is necessary to arrange data necessary for exposure as one file on the disk of the exposure apparatus. there were.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and is provided for the purpose of establishing an exposure method and a method of creating exposure data that can cope with an increase in capacity.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a view for explaining the principle of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the principle operation using a blanking pattern according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a file containing a peripheral pattern and a device pattern according to the present invention. It is a figure showing a combination.

In the figure, 1 is exposure data, 2 is a device pattern area, 3 is a device pattern, 4 is a peripheral pattern area, 5 is a peripheral pattern, 6 is a peripheral pattern file, 7 is a blanking area, and 8 is a blanking pattern. , 9 is a blanking effective area, and 10 is a device pattern file.

FIG. 1A shows a method of dividing exposure data 1 created from design data, which includes a device pattern area 2 having a device pattern 3 for forming a semiconductor element, a scribe area, and a scribe area formed as necessary. The peripheral pattern 5 is divided into a peripheral pattern area 4 that collectively includes a positioning pattern, a monitor pattern, a light-shielding pattern at the periphery of the scribe area, and a pattern for positioning a reticle mask to an exposure apparatus.

Here, the exposure data shown in FIG.
And a blanking pattern 8 is generated as a blanking area 7 for controlling the unexposed area of the device pattern area 2 in the divided peripheral pattern file 6 as shown in FIG. Let it.

At this time, in the peripheral pattern file 6, a blanking pattern (left diagram in FIG. 1B) and a blanking pattern according to the present invention (right diagram in FIG. 1B) are arranged and the exposure data is stored. 1 Preparation is completed.

Next, using the exposure data 1 created in FIG. 1, according to the table showing the combination of the device pattern file and the peripheral pattern file of the present invention shown in FIG. Exposure is performed in order to complete printing.

Thus, exposure can be performed irrespective of the type of negative or positive photoresist.
Further, according to the exposure method of the present invention, the exposure data 1 can be divided, the amount of exposure data arranged on the disk of the exposure apparatus can be reduced, and the conventional problems can be solved.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention, and shows a method of generating a blanking of a repetitive pattern of a cell array or the like of a MOS memory. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention, and shows a method of generating blanking of a device pattern area to a peripheral pattern area when there is a peripheral pattern other than the device pattern. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the third embodiment of the present invention, and shows a blanking generation method in the case where a plurality of types of repetition patterns exist in the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, which is a blanking generation method when a normal pattern is in contact with a repeated pattern in a cell array region. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a system configuration of the exposure apparatus of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is exposure data, 2 is a device pattern area, 3 is a device pattern, 4 is a peripheral pattern area, 5 is a peripheral pattern, 6 is a peripheral pattern file, 7 is a blanking area, and 8 is a blanking pattern. , 9 is a blanking effective area, 10 is a device pattern file, 11 is a device pattern parent file, 12 is a device pattern child file, 13 is a repeated device pattern, 14 is a repeated device pattern area, 15 is a moisture-resistant ring pattern, 16 is Scribe line area, 17 is a scribe line, 18 is a normal device pattern, 19 is a repeat device pattern, 20 is a cell array area, 21 is a cell array repeat device pattern, 22 is a cell array area file, 23 is a pattern fit area, and 24 is a repeat pattern file , 25 is the cell array area Blanking pattern, repeating pattern area blanking pattern is 26,
27 is the pattern contact part, 28 is the child file migration pattern, 29
Is a deletion pattern.

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. A blanking arrangement method for a repetitive pattern such as a cell array of a MOS memory is performed by exposing exposure data 1 obtained from design data as shown in FIG. 3A to a device pattern file 10 as shown in FIG. It is divided into peripheral pattern files as shown in FIG.

In this item, the device pattern file 10
As a device pattern parent file 11, and a repetitive device pattern 13 such as a cell array is further divided as a device pattern child file 12 into device pattern child files 12 of the same number of device patterns 13, and the device pattern parent file 11 and a plurality of device patterns Build child file 12. Then, a blanking pattern 8 for repeatedly controlling the unexposed area of the device pattern area 14 is generated in the divided device pattern parent file 11.

At this time, in the device pattern parent file 11, the presence or absence of the blanking pattern is arranged depending on the presence or absence of the device pattern 13, and the exposure data 1 is prepared.

Using the exposure data 1 created in FIG. 3, exposure printing is completed in the order of the peripheral pattern file 6, the device pattern parent file 11, and the device pattern child file 12 in accordance with the table shown in FIG. .

As described above, the device pattern file 10
By performing the processing of the present invention within the above, it is possible to further divide the exposure data 1, and as the number of repetitive device patterns 13 increases, the amount of exposure data arranged on the disk of the exposure apparatus can be greatly reduced. You can do it.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 4 shows a method of generating blanking in the peripheral pattern file of the device pattern area. FIG.
As shown in (a), a pattern that does not belong to, or may belong to, any of the monitor pattern and the moisture-resistant ring pattern 15 between the device pattern 3 and the scribe area that is a peripheral pattern. Is present in the design data or the exposure data, in any case, it is necessary to clearly separate the device pattern area from the peripheral pattern area.

In this case, a = blanking effective area =
The pattern is divided. The method of determining a is to use a dedicated area line data which is separately input on the design data or the exposure data, or in the case of the exposure data shown in the drawing, the moisture-resistant ring pattern 15 or the scribe area Arbitrary settings are made in consideration of the pattern shift amount from the external measurement part of the upper chip area recognition pattern to the nearest wire bonding pattern (electrode pad) inside the scribe line 17 or the device pattern.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a is set in the inner measuring section of the moisture-resistant ring pattern 15 and divided, and the blanking pattern is separately stored in the peripheral pattern file separately from the blanking pattern 8 in the device pattern area. 8 is generated.

Next, as a third embodiment of the present invention, the MO
A method of generating a blank in a device pattern parent file of a repetitive pattern portion such as a cell array of an S memory will be described with reference to FIG.

In the case of a pattern in which a large number of cell arrays are arranged in an orderly and repetitive manner as in a MOS memory,
First, the exposure data is divided into a device pattern parent file and a device pattern child file. In this case, b
= Blanking effective area = Pattern section separation.

This determination method uses the area line data dedicated to division that is separately input on the exposure data, or, in the design data shown in the figure, usually, from the proximity of the pattern to the device pattern in the cell array arrangement area. The pattern shift amount is taken into account up to the pattern fit area (indicating a rectangular area having the pattern projection as the outermost periphery), and arbitrarily set.

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 6A, the device pattern parent file 11 may have two types of blanking patterns, that is, a cell array area blanking pattern 25 and a repeated pattern area blanking pattern 26, in addition to the normal pattern 11. .

FIG. 6B shows a pattern processing method when the normal device pattern 18 invades the cell array area child file 22 and contacts the cell array repetitive device pattern 21 in the cell array area child file 22. It is.

When a repeated device pattern exists and is divided into a device pattern parent file and a device pattern child file, as an exception, the normal pattern in the device pattern parent file invades the device pattern child file as shown in the left figure. It is conceivable that there is a contact with a repeated device pattern in the device pattern child file.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 6B, the normal pattern 18 is cut in the blanking effective area, and the pattern is transferred to the device pattern child file. The device pattern child file including this pattern is newly registered, and the new arrangement coordinates of the device pattern child file and the arrangement coordinates of the device pattern parent file 11 are discriminated from the old child file of the device pattern child file. You.

This is provided with a function of recovering the disappearance of the intruding normal pattern when the file is divided. Finally, the system configuration of the exposure apparatus used in the present invention will be described.

If blanking is necessary in a device pattern file or the like in the exposure data obtained from the design data, a blanking area is defined in blanking occurrence information A of the apparatus shown in FIG. Input blanking arrangement coordinates, pattern black-and-white determination status, positive / negative designation of resist to be exposed, etc., and exposure data B include main data (normal device pattern, etc.), peripheral data (peripheral pattern, etc.), The repetition data (repetition pattern or the like) is input, the data of the exposure data of B is changed or deleted based on the information of A, and the exposure control system controls the exposure data.
Then, in accordance with this control command, the operation of exposure printing D such as a glass mask or a reticle is performed using an electron beam exposure apparatus or the like.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Regarding the exposure data to be arranged in the exposure apparatus, the exposure data can be greatly reduced, especially as the repetitive pattern of the cell block of the MOS memory becomes enormous. Mask exposure can be easily performed on any resist, and this greatly contributes to the efficiency of mask exposure for highly integrated, ultra-fine, and large-scale patterns.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a pattern combination diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a system configuration diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 In the figure, 1 exposure data 2 device pattern area 3 device pattern 4 peripheral pattern area 5 peripheral pattern 6 peripheral pattern file 7 blanking area 8 blanking pattern 9 blanking effective area 10 device pattern file 11 device pattern parent file 12 device pattern child File 13 Repeated device pattern 14 Repeated device pattern area 15 Moisture resistant ring pattern 16 Scribe line area 17 Scribe line 18 Normal device pattern 19 Repeated device pattern 20 Cell array area 21 Cell array repeated device pattern 22 Cell array area file 23 Pattern fit area 24 Repeated pattern file 25 Cell array area blanking pattern 26 Repeat pattern area blanking pattern 27 Pattern contact 28 child file migration pattern 29 Delete pattern

Claims (7)

[Claims] In a method of manufacturing a mask capable of sharing a positive type or a negative type of photoresist, a blanking pattern for dividing an exposure data to be exposed on a mask and defining an unexposed area in the exposure data. A method of manufacturing a mask, comprising a step of disposing a mask. 2. A blanking pattern which divides the exposure data into a device pattern file including a device pattern area and a peripheral pattern file including a scribe area and a peripheral area thereof and defines an unexposed area of the device pattern area. 2. The method for manufacturing a mask according to claim 1, wherein the mask is arranged. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein whether or not the blanking pattern is generated in the device pattern file is determined based on whether the photoresist is a positive type or a negative type. 4. When there are a plurality of identical device patterns or repeated device patterns in the device pattern area, the device pattern file is used as one of the same device pattern or repeated device patterns as a child file of the device pattern. 2. The method for manufacturing a mask according to claim 1, wherein the parent file is divided into layers. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of the blanking patterns covering a child file area of the device pattern are generated in a parent file of the device pattern. 6. When a pattern other than the repetitive pattern enters the repetitive device pattern area,
5. The method of manufacturing a mask according to claim 4, wherein the device pattern area is repeated and a child file of a new device pattern is generated. 7. A method of manufacturing a mask, wherein exposure data is converted or deleted according to use information of the blanking pattern file and inversion information of the device pattern file.