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United States Patent | 6,709,554 |
Ferranti , et al. | March 23, 2004 |
A method of repairing opaque defects in lithography masks entails focused ion beam milling in at least two steps. The first step uses a large pixel spacing to form multiple holes in the defect material, with the milled area extending short of the defect material edge. The final step uses a pixel spacing sufficiently close to produce a smooth floor on the milled area, and extends to the edge of the defect. During the second step, an etch enhancing gas such as bromine is preferably used.
Inventors: | Ferranti; David C. (Concord, MA), Szelag; Sharon M. (Lynnfield, MA), Casey, Jr.; J. David (West Roxbury, MA) |
Assignee: |
FEI Company
(Hillsboro,
OR)
|
Appl. No.: | 09/802,342 |
Filed: | March 9, 2001 |
Application Number | Filing Date | Patent Number | Issue Date | ||
522561 | Mar., 2000 | 6322672 | |||
Current U.S. Class: | 430/5 ; 204/192.35; 216/66 |
Current International Class: | G03F 1/00 (20060101); H01J 37/305 (20060101); C23C 014/34 (); C23F 001/00 () |
Field of Search: | 204/192.34,192.35 216/66 |
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6322672 | November 2001 | Shuman et al. |