Using a polarized illumination source is a promising RET technique for improvement of wafer printability for features of 65 nm and below. Polarization effects could be considered in several different stages of lithography modeling and simulation. For example, light propagation in thin films, wave superstition and interference in the thin film stack, and mask-induced polarization all deserve special attention and delicate treatment because TE and TM waves have different behaviors through these stages. In this paper we consider effects of polarized illumination in photo resist, using the Kirchhoff approximation for masks. We discuss some theoretical aspects of our vector modeling methods and show an example of simulation for polarized illumination effects.

Date Published: 28 June 2005
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 5853, Photomask and Next-Generation Lithography Mask Technology XII, (28 June 2005); doi: 10.1117/12.617220

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 5853:
Photomask and Next-Generation Lithography Mask Technology XII
Masanori Komuro, Editor(s)