Particle removal tool to repair particle defects on EUV reticles

<!-- START_ABSTRACT --> <p> With the introduction of the NXE:3400 scanner, EUV has progressed to High-Volume Manufacturing (HVM) for sub-10nm lithography. In this context, manufacturers are pursuing a dual-path approach towards near-zero reticle defectivity: EUV-compatible pellicle or zero particles towards reticle by advanced particle contamination control. However, given the high cost of reticles, it is equally important to establish tooling and processes for cleaning the reticle should a particle land on it. To this end, we investigated an extension of the existing MeRiT mask repair product line to also address particle defects. The resulting tool for particle removal leverages the MeRiT know-how on defect repair using e-beam based repair schemes with a novel in-situ manipulator to remove particles, including real-time observation by SEM (scanning electrode microscopy). This paper will focus primarily on a feasibility study, successfully demonstrating proof of principle of defect removal, reviewing the area of interest by SEM and showing no collateral damage being observed by SEM-EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray) analysis. </p> <!-- END_ABSTRACT --> <!-- START_TEMPLATE --> <ul> <li> Source: </li> <li> Tags: </li> </ul> <!-- END_TEMPLATE -->