The phase-shifting mask II: Imaging simulations and submicrometer resist exposures

Submicrometer optical lithography is possible with conventional projection cameras when the mask controls the phase of the light at the object plane. Two-dimensional imaging simulations for the Mann 4800 projection camera show that the maximum spatial frequency for 60-percent contrast increases from 640 1/mm to 896 1/mm. The geometrical quality of the images of typical microcircuit patterns was shown to be acceptable for feature sizes of 0.7, 0.6, and 0.5 µ, respectively, and various parameters of the irradiance patterns were calculated. Exposures were made using a high-performance two-layer photoresist system and a mask containing patterns similar to those in the simulation. The phase-shifting mask was shown to increase exposure latitude and to produce a 95-percent yield of 833 1/mm (0.6 µ line and gap) patterns, whereas the transmission mask gave a 7-percent yield. Half micrometer features were patterned with a 22-percent yield using 0.436-µ light.