JPS6349219B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] In a reticle used as a mask for step-and-repeat exposure, a plurality of pattern blocks occupying the product area are used, and an auxiliary pattern used auxiliary during product manufacturing is used. By arranging the auxiliary pattern between the blocks, a cover pattern provided to prevent the exposure of the auxiliary pattern from becoming invalid during step-and-repeat exposure can be omitted.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a reticle used as a mask for step-and-repeat exposure, and in particular,
Regarding the arrangement and configuration of patterns.

Semiconductor chips equipped with circuits and used in semiconductor devices are manufactured by arranging a plurality of chips on a wafer in a matrix to form circuits, and then cutting the chips.

This circuit formation is performed by a wafer process including photolithography technology using a photomask, and the reticle is the basis of the photomask.

It is desirable that the reticle be manufactured as simply as possible.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a conventional example of pattern arrangement on a reticle.

Patterns placed on the reticle include patterns that occupy the area that will be projected onto the semiconductor chip of the wafer (product area) and are used primarily for circuit formation, and patterns that occupy outside the product area that are used during product manufacturing. There are auxiliary patterns that are used auxiliary. The auxiliary pattern corresponds to a mark for alignment during exposure.

In FIG. 2, 1 is a block of patterns occupying the product area, and 2 is an auxiliary pattern. There is only one block 1, and the auxiliary pattern 2 is arranged at a position to be transferred between blocks 1 which are transferred side by side by step-and-repeat exposure, that is, at a position along the outside of block 1.

With only the above arrangement of block 1 and auxiliary pattern 2, when step-and-repeat exposure is performed by moving in the horizontal direction of the figure, the transfer position of auxiliary pattern 2 becomes full-surface exposure, and the auxiliary pattern 2 is Since the exposure becomes invalid, to prevent this, a cover pattern 3 having a size that covers the auxiliary pattern 2 is arranged on the opposite side of the auxiliary pattern 2 with the block 1 in between.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

Generally, a drawing method such as electron beam exposure is used to form a pattern on a reticle, and the drawing is performed using an output signal from a magnetic tape that stores the contents of the pattern design as data.

For this reason, the cover pattern 3, which is not directly necessary for the transfer pattern, is also subject to the above-mentioned data conversion, so the pattern arrangement of the above-mentioned conventional example has the problem of complicating the pattern formation data and complicating the reticle manufacturing. .

[Means for solving problems]

The above problem is solved by the reticle of the present invention, in which a plurality of blocks of patterns occupying a product area are arranged adjacent to each other, and auxiliary patterns used auxiliarily during product manufacturing are arranged between the blocks. solved by.

[Effect]

In the conventional example, the entire surface exposure of the transfer position of the auxiliary pattern mentioned above is performed when the auxiliary pattern is stepped.
This is due to the fact that it is placed adjacent to the AND repeat exposure.

In this reticle, the auxiliary pattern is placed inside the step-and-repeat exposure while satisfying the condition along the outside of the block, so the cover pattern required in the conventional example is unnecessary.

From this, the pattern forming data becomes simpler than in the conventional example. Although the amount of data increases because there are a plurality of blocks, the simplification described above is not hindered because the content is a repetition of one block.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, an embodiment of pattern arrangement on a reticle according to the present invention will be described using a plan view shown in FIG. The same reference numerals indicate the same objects throughout the figures.

Four blocks 1 of the pattern occupying the product area are arranged adjacent to each other (two each in the vertical and horizontal directions), and the auxiliary pattern 2 is arranged between the blocks 1 arranged in the horizontal direction. The cover pattern 3 arranged in the conventional example has been removed.

The cover pattern 3 is unnecessary because the auxiliary pattern 2 is located inside the step-and-repeat exposure.

Therefore, the data for pattern formation of this reticle is simpler than that of the conventional example because the cover pattern 3 is removed. In this case, the amount of data increases because there are a plurality of blocks 1, but the content is a repetition of one block, so the above simplification is not hindered. This, in turn, simplifies manufacturing from pattern design to reticle completion.

In addition, with the above pattern arrangement, step and
When repeat exposure is performed, the auxiliary patterns 2 are transferred every other block 1, but considering the purpose of the auxiliary patterns 2, this does not interfere with the wafer process.

Furthermore, in the case of this embodiment, similar results can be obtained even if an auxiliary pattern is placed between the blocks 1 arranged in the vertical direction.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, there are four blocks 1, but
The present invention does not limit the number to four.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the configuration of the present invention, in a reticle used as a mask for step-and-repeat exposure, step-and-repeat exposure is possible.
It is possible to omit the cover pattern that is provided to prevent the exposure of the auxiliary pattern from becoming invalid during repeat exposure, which simplifies the data for forming the reticle pattern, which has the effect of simplifying the manufacturing of the reticle. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a conventional example. In the figure, 1 is a block of patterns occupying the product area, 2 is an auxiliary pattern, and 3 is a cover pattern.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A plurality of blocks of patterns occupying the product area are arranged adjacent to each other, and auxiliary patterns used auxiliary during product manufacturing are arranged between the blocks, and step-and-repeat exposure is performed. A reticle characterized by being used as a mask.