Patent · US Expired

Method for detecting phase error of a phase shift mask

US5817437A · kind A · utility

2Cited by
3References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 3, 1996
Grant dateOct 6, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 3, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03F1/84
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for detecting the phase error of a phase shift mask simply and with ease is disclosed and comprises the steps of: arranging a plurality of phase shift patterns, each having a predetermined width and serving to shift the light transmitted through predetermined regions of a transparent substrate of the phase shift mask, at a regular space on the transparent substrate; arranging a pattern for detecting phase error in which a light screen with a predetermined width is located between the predetermined regions of the transparent substrate and the phase shift mask; patterning a wafer by use of the phase shift mask and the patterns for detecting phase error; comparing the sizes by defocuses of the patterns in which phase is shifted with those of the patterns in which phase is not shifted; and utilizing the difference in the pattern size to detect the phase error.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.