Etching characteristics of a chromium-nitride hardmask for x-ray mask fabrication

Shinji Tsuboi; Miyoshi Seki; Katsumi Suzuki

doi:10.1117/12.328855

1 September 1998 Etching characteristics of a chromium-nitride hardmask for x-ray mask fabrication

Shinji Tsuboi, Miyoshi Seki, Katsumi Suzuki

Proceedings Volume 3412, Photomask and X-Ray Mask Technology V; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.328855
Event: Photomask Japan '98 Symposium on Photomask and X-Ray Mask Technology V, 1998, Kawasaki City, Japan

Abstract

To achieve high-precision x-ray masks, we have developed an extremely low-stress chromium-nitride (CrN) film for use as a hardmask for x-ray absorber etching. We have fabricated 0.10-micrometers line-and-space patterns in a 0.4-micrometers -thick tantalum-germanium (TaGe) alloy x-ray absorber using a 75- nm-thick CrN hardmask. The CrN film was etched by reactive- ion etching using chlorine gas mixed with oxygen. The etching selectivity between the TaGe alloy and the CrN was 13 when using electron-cyclotron-resonance plasma etching with sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) gas. We have also investigated the durability of the CrN film to various acids which are widely used for silicon-wafer cleaning processes. The CrN etching rate for those acids was 3 nm/min or less. These results demonstrate that a sputtered CrN film is an excellent hardmask for precise x-ray mask fabrication.

Citation Download Citation

Shinji Tsuboi, Miyoshi Seki, and Katsumi Suzuki "Etching characteristics of a chromium-nitride hardmask for x-ray mask fabrication", Proc. SPIE 3412, Photomask and X-Ray Mask Technology V, (1 September 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.328855

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