Advantages of a SiOxNy:H Anti-Reflective Layer for ArF Excimer Laser Lithography

Abstract
This paper presents the advantages of using hydrogenated silicon oxynitride ( SiO x N y :H) film as an anti-reflective layer (ARL) for argon fluoride (ArF) excimer laser lithography. This material has already been used as an ARL in both i-line and krypton fluoride (KrF) excimer laser lithography, because its refractive indices can be controlled by varying the deposition conditions. We describe the results of measuring the optical constants for the various materials at the wavelength of 193 nm using a spectroscopic ellipsometer to clarify the importance of the anti-reflective process. The influence of the thin-film interference effects in the photoresist of the 193 nm wavelength are almost same as that of the 248 nm. Then we describe the possibility of using the SiO x N y :H film as an ARL at the wavelength of 193 nm, from the standpoint of the spectroscopic characteristics in the optical constants. The SiO x N y :H film is desirable for use as an ARL. Finally, we propose that SiO x N y :H film has great potential as a high-performance ARL for ArF excimer laser lithography.

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