Patterning characteristics under small vibrations of the mask and wafer in SR lithography

Abstract Patterning characteristics under mechanical vibrations between mask and wafer are investigated in terms of pattern profile deformation, linewidth change, and exposure dose margin by performing exposure experiments and using a Fresnel diffraction simulation. A small vibration works as a smoothing filter and provides a smooth profile in patterning. Stronger vibrations, generally, make the linewidth bigger, thereby reducing the dose margin. However, given vibrations of a particular amplitude, there is a certain range of doses in which the vibrations donot significantly affect the linewidth. Below the range, the linewidth becomes smaller; and above, it becomes larger. And it is possible to obtain the desired dimensions of delineated pattern even when the amplitude of the vibrations was a quarter of the minimum feature size.