Paul B Mirkarimi

6635391, Oct 21, 2003

Dec 28, 2000

09/752887

Daniel G. Stearns - Los Altos CA
Donald W. Sweeney - San Ramon CA
Paul B. Mirkarimi - Sunol CA

The Regents of the University of California - Oakland CA

G03F 900

430 5, 378 34, 378 35

Absorber material used in conventional EUVL reticles is eliminated by introducing a direct modulation in the complex-valued reflectance of the multilayer. A spatially localized energy source such as a focused electron or ion beam directly writes a reticle pattern onto the reflective multilayer coating. Interdiffusion is activated within the film by an energy source that causes the multilayer period to contract in the exposed regions. The contraction is accurately determined by the energy dose. A controllable variation in the phase and amplitude of the reflected field in the reticle plane is produced by the spatial modulation of the multilayer period. This method for patterning an EUVL reticle has the advantages of (1) avoiding the process steps associated with depositing and patterning an absorber layer and (2) providing control of the phase and amplitude of the reflected field with high spatial resolution.

6821682, Nov 23, 2004

Sep 26, 2000

09/669390

Daniel G. Stearns - Los Altos CA
Donald W. Sweeney - San Ramon CA
Paul B. Mirkarimi - Sunol CA

The EUV LLC - Santa Clara CA

G03F 900

430 5

A method is provided for repairing defects in a multilayer coating layered onto a reticle blank used in an extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) system. Using high lateral spatial resolution, energy is deposited in the multilayer coating in the vicinity of the defect. This can be accomplished using a focused electron beam, focused ion beam or a focused electromagnetic radiation. The absorbed energy will cause a structural modification of the film, producing a localized change in the film thickness. The change in film thickness can be controlled with sub-nanometer accuracy by adjusting the energy dose. The lateral spatial resolution of the thickness modification is controlled by the localization of the energy deposition. The film thickness is adjusted locally to correct the perturbation of the reflected field. For example, when the structural modification is a localized film contraction, the repair of a defect consists of flattening a mound or spreading out the sides of a depression.

6967168, Nov 22, 2005

Jun 29, 2001

09/896722

Daniel G. Stearns - Los Altos CA, US
Donald W. Sweeney - Livermore CA, US
Paul B. Mirkarimi - Sunol CA, US
Henry N. Chapman - Livermore CA, US

The EUV Limited Liability Corporation - Santa Clara CA

H01L021/20

438706, 438712, 438717, 216 66

A method and apparatus are provided for the repair of an amplitude defect in a multilayer coating. A significant number of layers underneath the amplitude defect are undamaged. The repair technique restores the local reflectivity of the coating by physically removing the defect and leaving a wide, shallow crater that exposes the underlying intact layers. The particle, pit or scratch is first removed the remaining damaged region is etched away without disturbing the intact underlying layers.

7022435, Apr 4, 2006

Sep 27, 2002

10/256454

Daniel G. Stearns - Los Altos CA, US
Donald W. Sweeney - San Ramon CA, US
Paul B. Mirkarimi - Sunol CA, US
Anton Barty - Livermore CA, US

EUV Limited Liability Corporation - Santa Clara CA

G01F 9/00

430 5

A method for fabricating an EUV phase shift mask is provided that includes a substrate upon which is deposited a thin film multilayer coating that has a complex-valued reflectance. An absorber layer or a buffer layer is attached onto the thin film multilayer, and the thickness of the thin film multilayer coating is altered to introduce a direct modulation in the complex-valued reflectance to produce phase shifting features.

7049033, May 23, 2006

Jul 31, 2003

10/631359

Daniel G. Stearns - Los Altos CA, US
Donald W. Sweeney - San Ramon CA, US
Paul B. Mirkarimi - Sunol CA, US

The EUV LLC - Santa Clara CA

G03F 9/00
A61N 5/00
G03B 27/00

430 5, 2504923, 355 18

Absorber material used in conventional EUVL reticles is eliminated by introducing a direct modulation in the complex-valued reflectance of the multilayer. A spatially localized energy source such as a focused electron or ion beam directly writes a reticle pattern onto the reflective multilayer coating. Interdiffusion is activated within the film by an energy source that causes the multilayer period to contract in the exposed regions. The contraction is accurately determined by the energy dose. A controllable variation in the phase and amplitude of the reflected field in the reticle plane is produced by the spatial modulation of the multilayer period. This method for patterning an EUVL reticle has the advantages (1) avoiding the process steps associated with depositing and patterning an absorber layer and (2) providing control of the phase and amplitude of the reflected field with high spatial resolution.

20030164998, Sep 4, 2003

Mar 1, 2002

10/086614

Paul Mirkarimi - Sunol CA, US
Eberhard Spiller - Livermore CA, US
Daniel Stearns - Los Altos CA, US

The Regents of the University of California

B05D005/06
C23C014/32

359/237000, 427/162000, 427/551000, 204/192340, 204/192110

An ion-assisted deposition technique to provide planarization of topological defects, e.g., to mitigate the effects of small particle contaminants on reticles for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. Reticles for EUV lithography will be fabricated by depositing high EUV reflectance Mo/Si multilayer films on superpolished substrates and topological substrate defects can nucleate unacceptable (“critical”) defects in the reflective Mo/Si coatings. A secondary ion source is used to etch the Si layers in between etch steps to produce topological defects with heights that are harmless to the lithographic process.

20050118533, Jun 2, 2005

Oct 12, 2004

10/964048

Paul Mirkarimi - Sunol CA, US
Sherry Baker - Pleasanton CA, US
Daniel Stearns - Los Alto Hills CA, US
Eberhard Spiller - Livermore CA, US

G03F007/36

430316000, 430005000, 430313000

Ion-beam based deposition technique are provided for the planarization of pit and scratch defects in conjunction with particle defects. One application of this planarization technique is to mitigate the effects of pits and scratches and particles on reticles for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. In the planarization process, thin Si layers are successively deposited and etched away where the etching is directed at angles well away from normal incidence to the substrate to planarize pits and scratches without causing the particle defects to get too large; this is followed by a normal incidence etching process sequence designed primarily to planarize the particles but which will also planarize the pits and scratches to completion. The process also shows significant promise for planarizing substrate roughness.

20060234135, Oct 19, 2006

Apr 18, 2005

11/109026

Stefan Hau-Riege - Fremont CA, US
Donald Sweeney - San Ramon CA, US
Anton Barty - Livermore CA, US
Paul Mirkarimi - Sunol CA, US
Daniel Stearns - Los Altos Hills CA, US

G03C 5/00
G21K 5/00
G03F 1/00

430005000, 430322000, 378035000

A method for repairing mask-blank defects uses repair-zone compensation. Local disturbances are compensated over the post-defect-repair repair-zone by altering a portion of the absorber pattern on the surface of the mask blank. This enables the fabrication of defect-free (since repaired) X-ray Mo—Si multilayer mirrors. Repairing Mo—Si multilayer-film defects on mask blanks is a key for the commercial success of EUVL. It is known that particles are added to the Mo—Si multilayer film during the fabrication process. There is a large effort to reduce this contamination, but results are not sufficient, and defects continue to be a major mask yield limiter.