SEMATECH's world class EUV mask blank metrology toolset

One of the main challenges for EUV mask blank metrology is that most tools are designed for either; 1) wafer handling, 2) off-line characterization, or 3) destructive failure analysis. Few clean room-compatible metrology tools for full EUV mask blanks are commercially available. At SEMATECH's EUV Mask Blank Development Center (EUV MBDC), in Albany NY, we have partnered closely with both metrology and tool integration vendors to modify tools in order to meet stringent EUV requirements. We have succeeded in integrating SMIF-based mask handling metrology tools in a clean room environment. We have demonstrated seamless mask blank defect identification and characterization by coordinate mapping and transfer from our defect inspection tool to both AFM and FIB-SEM/EDX. Additionally, we are integrating these tools with a software package specifically designed for mask yield improvement- the first deployment of its kind targeted specifically for EUV mask defect reduction. The net result is a state-of-the-art EUV metrology toolset capable of identifying, characterizing, and correlating defects on both EUV mask blanks and bare substrates. The facility is currently capable of analyzing the defects as small as 50 nm, with 30 nm capability forecasted in 2006.