Inspectability Of Psm Masks For The 32nm Node Using Starlight2+

Two aspects are critical when a new reticle type is introduced in a wafer fab: printability and reticle inspection. In this study, we inspected 4 PSM reticles at the 45nm technology node, at P90, on the 5xx TeraScanHR platform. We successfully inspected SL2+ reticles of the PSM type at P90. We forecast that in a high volume 32nm node production environment, P72 SL2+ will address the inspectability challenges associated with PSM masks. This is based on strict requirements for sensitivity on contamination defects, inspectability, and cost of ownership, as when UMC addressed their wafer printability issues.