Reticle forming methods

• Main Authors: HATAB ZIAD R, KRAUTH TONY C, SHIRLEY PAUL D
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 19.11.2002
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES,e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTORDEVICES; PHYSICS

The invention encompasses a method of forming photoresist on a semiconductor wafer. A wafer is coated with a first layer of photoresist to define a first photoresist-coated wafer. The first photoresist-coated wafer is placed on a temperature-regulated mass and thermally equilibrated to a temperature. Subsequently, the first photoresist-coated wafer is photo-processed. After the photo-processing, the wafer is coated with a second layer of photoresist to define a second photoresist-coated wafer. The second photoresist-coated wafer is placed on the temperature-regulated mass and thermally equilibrated to the same temperature that the first photoresist-coated wafer had been equilibrated to. Subsequently, the second layer of photoresist is photo-processed. The invention also encompasses a reticle forming method. A layer of masking material is formed over a reticle substrate, and the reticle substrate is then placed on a temperature-regulated mass. The masking material is exposed to a patterning beam while the reticle is on the temperature-regulated mass, and the temperature-regulated mass holds the temperature of the reticle substrate about constant during such exposing.