Feasibility demonstration of 0.18 /spl mu/m and 0.13 /spl mu/m optical projection lithography based on CD control calculations

For the first time, it has been shown that 0.18 /spl mu/m and 0.13 /spl mu/m generations can be printed with acceptable CD control using optical projection lithography (248 nm and 193 nm wavelengths respectively). To prove this, a combination of stepper parameters and resolution enhancement techniques was optimised first. The Norman-Debora software allowed us to predict the actual CD control for printing 0.18 /spl mu/m grouped and isolated features using KrF and printing 0.13 /spl mu/m features using ArF, based on realistic process windows and focus/exposure budgets which have been calibrated to experiments for 0.25 /spl mu/m and 0.18 /spl mu/m.