Specific Process Knowledge/Lithography/Aligners/MAvsMLA: Difference between revisions
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| colspan="2" | Linewidth and sidewall angle vs. defocus value for 2µm AZ nLOF exposed in Aligner: Maskless 01 (MLA1) using dose 220mJ/cm<sup>2</sup> and Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2) using dose 450mJ/cm<sup>2</sup>, respectively. <br>Blue circles: Width of 2µm line. Orange Squares: Sidewall angle. | | colspan="2" | Linewidth and sidewall angle vs. defocus value for 2µm AZ nLOF exposed in Aligner: Maskless 01 (MLA1) using dose 220mJ/cm<sup>2</sup> and Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2) using dose 450mJ/cm<sup>2</sup>, respectively. <br>Blue circles: Width of 2µm line. Orange Squares: Sidewall angle. | ||
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| colspan="2" | Linewidth and sidewall angle vs. defocus value for 2µm AZ nLOF exposed in Aligner: Maskless 01 (MLA1) using dose 220mJ/cm<sup>2</sup> and Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2) using dose 450mJ/cm<sup>2</sup>, respectively. <br>Blue circles: Width of 2µm line. Orange Squares: Sidewall angle. | |||
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Revision as of 12:50, 16 June 2026
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Mask Aligner vs Maskless Aligner
Slides presented at NNUM in Uppsala 2026: MA6 vs MLA 2026_v09
Mask design used in the investigation: LithoTestAlign_2025_v10.gds
Additional data
THIS PAGE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION
AZ 5214E
Resolution
Resolution at optimal processing conditions for 1.5µm AZ 5214E using different exposure equipment:
| Exposure equipment | Dose [mJ/cm2] | Contact/Defoc | Resolution [µm] | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aligner: MA6-2 | 100 | Vacuum | 1 | |
| Aligner: MA6-1 | 100 | Vacuum | 1.25 | Probably over-exposed |
| Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2) | 90 | 2 | 1.25 |
SEM images from different exposure equipment:
| 2µm triplets | Lines | Trenches | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aligner: MA6-2
100mJ/cm2, vacuum contact |
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| Aligner: MA6-1
100mJ/cm2, vacuum contact |
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| Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2)
90mJ/cm2, defoc 2 |
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SEM images of different size structures:
| 1µm triplets | 2µm triplets | 4µm triplets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aligner: MA6-1
100mJ/cm2, vacuum contact |
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Yield
The yield is measured by inspecting all 116 lithographic resolution test structures in an optical microscope and recording the smallest resolved dots and lines.
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| Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2) (Dose 90mJ/cm2; defoc 2). Resolution: 1.22µm average; 0.1µm standard deviation. Yield at 1.25µm: 99% |
Aligner: MA6-2 (Dose 100mJ/cm2; vacuum contact). Resolution: 1.02µm average; 0.1µm standard deviation. Yield at 1.25µm: 100% |
Aligner: MA6-1 (Dose 100mJ/cm2; vacuum contact). Probably over-exposed. Resolution: 1.30µm average; 0.2µm standard deviation. Yield at 1.25µm: 59% |
Effect of exposure mode for mask aligner
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| Hard contact. Resolution: 1.17µm average; 0.2µm standard deviation. Yield at 1.25µm: 89% |
Soft contact. Resolution: 3.77µm average; 0.7µm standard deviation. Yield at 2.5µm: 4% |
10µm proximity. Resolution: 4.19µm average; 0.7µm standard deviation. Yield at 2.5µm: 3% |
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| Hard contact. Resolution: 1.58µm average; 0.5µm standard deviation. Yield at 1.25µm: 48% |
Soft contact. Resolution: 2.36µm average; 0.4µm standard deviation. Yield at 2.5µm: 80% At dose 92mJ/cm2, the average resolution decreases to 1.91µm and the yield at 2.5µm increases to 100% |
10µm proximity. Resolution: 2.73µm average; 0.6µm standard deviation. Yield at 2.5µm: 53% |
Effect of WEC pressure for mask aligner (after WEC head service)
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| Soft contact, 0.15bar WEC pressure. Resolution: 3.92µm average; 0.9µm standard deviation. Yield at 2.5µm: 8% |
Soft contact, 0.40bar WEC pressure. Resolution: 2.19µm average; 0.5µm standard deviation. Yield at 2.5µm: 86% |
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| 10µm proximity, 0.15bar WEC pressure. Resolution: 3.22µm average; 0.8µm standard deviation. Yield at 2.5µm: 34% |
10µm proximity, 0.40bar WEC pressure. Resolution: 2.83µm average; 0.6µm standard deviation. Yield at 2.5µm: 66% |
Resist profile
Linewidth and sidewall angle vs exposure dose
SEM images of 2µm triplets as a function of exposure dose:
| 85mJ/cm2 | 90mJ/cm2 | 95mJ/cm2 | 100mJ/cm2 | 105mJ/cm2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aligner: MA6-2
Vacuum contact |
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| 80mJ/cm2 | 90mJ/cm2 | 100mJ/cm2 | 110mJ/cm2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2)
Defoc 2 |
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Result of image analysis of SEM images of 2µm triplets:
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| Width of 2µm line and sidewall angle vs. exposure dose for 1.5µm AZ 5214E. Blue circles: Exposed on Aligner: MA6-2 in vacuum contact. Orange Squares: Exposed on Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2) using defoc 2 (QC defoc=2). | |
Linewidth and sidewall angle vs defocus parameter
SEM images as a function of defocus parameter for Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2) using dose 95mJ/cm2:
| Defoc -8 | Defoc -1 | Defoc 2 | Defoc 5 | Defoc 12 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2µm triplets | 
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| Lines | 
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Result of image analysis of SEM images of 2µm triplets:
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| Linewidth and sidewall angle vs. defocus value for 1.5µm AZ 5214E exposed in Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2) using dose 95mJ/cm2. Blue circles: Width of 2µm line. Orange Squares: Sidewall angle. |
AZ MiR 701
Resolution
- Table with optimal parameters and resolution for different aligners
- SEM pictures
Resolution at optimal processing conditions for 1.5µm AZ MiR 701 using different exposure equipment:
| Exposure equipment | Dose [mJ/cm2] | Contact/Defoc | Resolution [µm] | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aligner: MA6-2 | 220 | Vacuum | 1 | |
| Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2) | 275 | 2 | 1 |
Resist profile (sidewall angle and linewidth)
- SEM pictures to support graphs?
Result of image analysis of SEM images of 2µm triplets:
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| Width of 2µm line and sidewall angle vs. exposure dose for 1.5µm AZ MiR 701. Blue circles: Exposed on Aligner: MA6-2 in vacuum contact. Orange Squares: Exposed on Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2) using defoc 2 (QC defoc=2). | |
Result of image analysis of SEM images of 2µm triplets:
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| Linewidth and sidewall angle vs. defocus value for 1.5µm AZ MiR 701 exposed in Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2) using dose 95mJ/cm2. Blue circles: Width of 2µm line. Orange Squares: Sidewall angle. |
AZ nLOF 2020
Resolution
- Table with optimal parameters and resolution for different aligners
- SEM pictures
Resolution at optimal processing conditions for 2µm AZ nLOF 2020 using different exposure equipment:
| Exposure equipment | Dose [mJ/cm2] | Contact/Defoc | Resolution [µm] | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aligner: MA6-2 | 154 | Vacuum | 1 | |
| Aligner: Maskless 01 (MLA1) | 220 | -4 | 2 | |
| Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2) | 450 | 0 | 1.25 |
Resist profile (sidewall angle and linewidth)
- SEM pictures to support graphs?
Result of image analysis of SEM images of 2µm triplets:
|
|
| Sidewall angle vs. exposure dose for 2µm AZ nLOF 2020. Blue circles: Exposed on Aligner: MA6-2 in vacuum contact. Orange Squares: Exposed on Aligner: Maskless 01 (MLA1) using defoc -4 (QC defoc=-2). Grey triangles: Exposed on Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2) using defoc 0 (QC defoc=2). | |
Result of image analysis of SEM images of 2µm triplets:
|
|
| Linewidth and sidewall angle vs. defocus value for 2µm AZ nLOF exposed in Aligner: Maskless 01 (MLA1) using dose 220mJ/cm2 and Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2) using dose 450mJ/cm2, respectively. Blue circles: Width of 2µm line. Orange Squares: Sidewall angle. | |
|
|
|
| Linewidth and sidewall angle vs. defocus value for 2µm AZ nLOF exposed in Aligner: Maskless 01 (MLA1) using dose 220mJ/cm2 and Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2) using dose 450mJ/cm2, respectively. Blue circles: Width of 2µm line. Orange Squares: Sidewall angle. | |