Abstract:
The present invention provides a method for estimating repair accuracy of a mask shop. The method has the steps of providing a mask having a light-shielding layer with a pattern of a plurality of lines, each of which has a defect, using the mask shop to repair the defects, measuring first widths of the lines where the defects are repaired and second and third widths of the lines aside where the defects are repaired, and calculating ratios of means of the second and third widths to the first widths for estimating the repair accuracy.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a method for estimating repair accuracy of a mask shop, which provides a basis for engineers to determine a qualified mask shop.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    Masks are frequently used in a semiconductor manufacturing process. A typical mask comprises a transparent substrate such as a quartz substrate and a light-shielding or absorbing layer such as a chrome layer with a thickness of 1000 Å on the substrate. A phase-shift mask further comprises a layer generating a phase shift for the light penetrating therethrough.  
           [0005]    A typical mask manufacturing process comprises the steps of depositing a chrome layer on a quartz substrate, depositing a photoresist layer on the chrome layer, patterning the chrome layer by etching under the masking of the photoresist layer processed by e-beam writing and developing.  
           [0006]    Defects on the chrome layer are usually generated after the previously described steps. They include clear defects which are missing parts of the chrome layer and opaque defects which are redundant parts of the chrome layer. A further step of chrome depositing is needed to repair the clear defects. As for repairing the opaque defects, a step of chrome sputtering using FIB (Focus Ion Beam) is implemented.  
           [0007]    The repair accuracy of the mask shop is very important due to the shrinkage of ICs and since defects of the chrome layer always exist. Engineers are eagerly to have a estimation basis of the repair accuracy to determine a qualified mask shop.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an estimating method for the repair accuracy for the engineers to determine a qualified mask shop.  
           [0009]    The present invention provides a method for estimating a repair accuracy of a mask shop. The method has the steps of providing a mask having a light-shielding layer with a pattern of a plurality of lines, each of which has a defect, using the mask shop to repair the defects, measuring first widths of the lines where the defects are repaired and second and third widths of the lines aside where the defects are repaired, and calculating ratios of means of the second and third widths to the first widths for estimating the repair accuracy.  
           [0010]    Therefore, by using the mask shop to repair the defects on the vertical and horizontal line with different widths, and statistically calculating the errors of the results, the repair accuracy of the mask shop is determined.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    The following detailed description, given by way of example and not intended to limit the invention solely to the embodiments described herein, will best be understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a pattern of vertical lines on a chrome layer according to one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2A and 2B are diagrams showing a pattern of horizontal lines on a chrome layer according to one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3A and 3B are diagrams showing a pattern of lines having defects with different areas on a chrome layer according to one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a method for estimating a repair accuracy of a mask shop according to one embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a pattern of vertical lines on a chrome layer of a mask according to a first embodiment of the invention.  
         [0017]    The mask comprises a transparent quartz substrate  11  and a chrome layer  12 . The chrome layer  12  has a pattern of lines comprising vertical lines  121  with defects  122  protruding from the lines  121 . The widths of the vertical lines  121  are represented by “a” and the widths of the protruding defects  122  along the direction vertical to the lines  121  are 0.5a. The widths a range from 0.5 μm to 2 μm. In this embodiment, the widths a are 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 μm.  
         [0018]    As shown in FIG. 1B, the defects  122  are removed by a mask shop to be estimated using FIB sputtering. The widths CD 1  of the lines  121  where the defects  122  are repaired, and the widths CD 2  and CD 3  of the lines  121  aside where the defects  122  are repaired are measured. Ratios CD bias  for each lines  121  are calculated according to the following equation.  
         CD   blas     =         CD   1     -       (       CD   2     +     CD   3       )     /   2         (       CD   2     +       CD   3     /   2                                 
 
         [0019]    Therefore, the four ratios CD bias  are obtained for each group of the lines  121  with width of 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 μm. A mean and 3δ value of the ratios CD bias  are also obtained for each group. Accordingly, the repair accuracy of the mask shop is estimated. The number of the lines  121  is only for example and is usually more than 4 for a statistically effective estimation.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2A is a diagram showing a pattern of horizontal lines on a chrome layer of a mask according to a second embodiment of the invention. The same elements in FIG. 1A, 1B,  2 A and  2 B refer to the same symbol.  
         [0021]    The mask comprises a transparent quartz substrate  11  and a chrome layer  12 . The chrome layer  12  has a pattern of lines comprising horizontal lines  221  with defects  222  protruding from the lines  221 . The widths of the horizontal lines  221  are represented by “a” and the widths of the protruding defects  222  along the direction vertical to the lines  221  are 0.5a. The widths a range from 0.5 μm to 2 μm. In this embodiment, the widths a are 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 μm.  
         [0022]    As shown in FIG. 2B, the defects  222  are removed by a mask shop to be estimated using FIB sputtering. The widths CD 1  of the lines  221  where the defects  222  are repaired, and the widths CD 2  and CD 3  of the lines  221  aside where the defects  222  are repaired are measured. Ratios CD bias  for each lines  221  are calculated according to the following equation.  
         CD   blas     =         CD   1     -       (       CD   2     +     CD   3       )     /   2         (       CD   2     +       CD   3     /   2                                 
 
         [0023]    Therefore, the four ratios CD bias  are obtained for each group of the lines  221  with width of 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 μm. A mean and 3δ value of the ratios CD bias  are also obtained for each group. Accordingly, the repair accuracy of the mask shop is estimated. The number of the lines  221  is only for example and is usually more than 4 for a statistically effective estimation.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a pattern of lines with different areas on a chrome layer of a mask according to a third embodiment of the invention. The same elements in FIG. 1A, 1B,  3 A and  3 B refer to the same symbol.  
         [0025]    The mask comprises a transparent quartz substrate  11  and a chrome layer  12 . The chrome layer  12  has a pattern of lines comprising horizontal lines  321  with defects  322  protruding from the lines  321 . The widths of the horizontal lines  321  are represented by “a” and the widths of the protruding defects  322  along the direction vertical to the lines  321  are 0.5a. The widths a range from 0.5 μm to 2 μm. In this embodiment, the widths a are 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 μm. Additionally, the widths of the protruding defects  322  along the direction parallel to the lines  321  are represented by b. The widths b range from 0.3 μm to 1.5 μm. In this embodiment, the widths b are 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1.0 μm.  
         [0026]    As shown in FIG. 3B, the defects  322  are removed by a mask shop to be estimated using FIB sputtering. The widths CD 1  of the lines  321  where the defects  322  are repaired, and the widths CD 2  and CD 3  of the lines  321  aside where the defects  322  are repaired are measured. Ratios CD bias  for each lines  321  are calculated according to the following equation.  
         CD   blas     =         CD   1     -       (       CD   2     +     CD   3       )     /   2         (       CD   2     +       CD   3     /   2                                 
 
         [0027]    Therefore, the twelve ratios CD bias  are obtained for each lines  321  respectively with width a of 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 μm and width b of 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1.0 μm. However, the number of the lines  321  with a certain width a and b is usually more than 1 (here for example) for a statistically effective estimation. In this case, a mean and 3δ value of the ratios CD bias  are also obtained for each group of lines with a certain width a and b. Accordingly, the repair accuracy of the mask shop is estimated.  
         [0028]    In the third embodiment, the horizontal lines  321  can be substituted for vertical lines.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a method for estimating a repair accuracy of a mask shop according to one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0030]    In step  41 , a mask comprising a chrome layer having a pattern of vertical and horizontal lines with different widths and defects with different areas is provided. The number of the lines with a certain width and defect area is large enough for a statistically effective estimation.  
         [0031]    In step  42 , the defects are removed by a mask shop to be estimated using FIB chrome sputtering.  
         [0032]    In step  43 , the widths CD 1  of the lines where the defects are repaired, and the widths CD 2  and CD 3  of the lines aside where the defects  222  are repaired are measured. Ratios CD bias  for each lines are calculated according to the following equation.  
         CD   blas     =         CD   1     -       (       CD   2     +     CD   3       )     /   2         (       CD   2     +       CD   3     /   2                                 
 
         [0033]    Finally, in step  44 , means and 3δ values of the ratios CD bias  for each group of the lines with different widths and defect areas are also obtained. Accordingly, the repair accuracy of the mask shop is estimated.  
         [0034]    In conclusion, in the present invention, by using the mask shop to repair the defects on the vertical and horizontal line with different widths and defect areas, and statistically calculating the means and 3δ values of the ratios CD bias  defined in the invention, the repair accuracy of the mask shop is determined. This provides a basis for engineers to determine a qualified mask shop.  
         [0035]    While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.