With the increasing importance of phase-shift masks (PSM), the rigorous simulation of the light diffraction from the mask becomes a standard technique in lithography simulation. The combination of rigorous simulation of light diffraction with scalar and vector imaging theory results in several possible model options. The paper presents an overview about these model options. A new approach to the modeling of oblique incidence of light on the mask is proposed. The performance of field decomposition techniques for two selected examples is discussed. The different model options are applied to the simulation of the imaging of an alternating PSM with a ArF scanner. Resist simulations are performed with a calibrated model. Simulation results are verified experimentally and presented via resist imaging data for different pitches.

Date Published: 30 July 2002
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 4691, Optical Microlithography XV, (30 July 2002); doi: 10.1117/12.474496

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4691:
Optical Microlithography XV
Anthony Yen, Editor(s)