Specific Process Knowledge/Lithography/Aligners/MAvsMLA

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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

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AZ 5214E

Resolution

• Table with optimal parameters and resolution for different aligners
• SEM pictures

Yield

• Wafer maps of:
  • Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2)
  • Aligner: MA6-1
  • Aligner: MA6-2 before service
  • Aligner: MA6-2 after service + WEC pressure

Wafer maps at optimal processing conditions for different aligners

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:

Wafer maps at different exposure modes for Aligner: MA6-2 (Dose 100mJ/cm²)

File:Map MA6-2 hard.jpg	File:Map MA6-2 soft clean.jpg	File:Map MA6-2 prox.jpg
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%

Wafer maps at different exposure modes for Aligner: MA6-1 (Dose 100mJ/cm², probably over-exposed)

File:Map MA6-1 hard.jpg	File:Map MA6-1 soft.jpg	File:Map MA6-1 prox.jpg
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:

Resist profile (sidewall angle and linewidth)

• SEM pictures to support graphs?

Width of 2µm line 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).

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 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

Resist profile (sidewall angle and linewidth)

• SEM pictures to support graphs?

Width of 2µm line 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).

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).

Linewidth and sidewall angle vs. defocus value for 1.5µm AZ MiR 701 exposed in Aligner: Maskless 02 (MLA2) using dose 275mJ/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

Resist profile (sidewall angle and linewidth)

• SEM pictures to support graphs?

Width of 2µm line 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).

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).

Linewidth and sidewall angle vs. defocus value for 2µm AZ nLOF exposed in Aligner: Maskless 01 (MLA1) using dose 220mJ/cm².
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 02 (MLA2) using dose 450mJ/cm².
Blue circles: Width of 2µm line. Orange Squares: Sidewall angle.