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Tuba Okutucu and Ahmed A. Busnaina, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Jin Goo Park and Sang Ho Lee, Hanyang University, Korea
Jong Myung Lee, IMT Corporation, Korea
www.nano.neu.edu

Laser Induced Shock Wave Cleaning of Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Masks

An experimental and analytical investigation is carried out for the removal of micro and nano-scale contamination from extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) masks using laser induced shock wave cleaning (LSC). Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL) is the successor to optical lithography in the high-volume manufacture of integrated circuits that will enable the printing of lines as small as 30 nm. EUV lithography needs to operate without a pellicle (mask protective cover). The mask may be subjected to particulate and chemical contamination in the absence of a pellicle. There is a need to develop a cleaning process that would remove all contaminants according to EUV cleaning requirements. It has been shown that, the laser shock cleaning is an effective technique with unique characteristics compared with the conventional laser cleaning. It is a completely dry process that allows the removal of submicron inorganic particles (down to 200 nm). The technique has been shown to effectively remove silica and alumina particles without substrate damage. The process throughput is also high at 1 minute per 8” wafer due to the large cleaning area per pulse (a few square centimeters).