JPS59125733A - Photomask - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a positioning pattern from being an obstacle of the promotion of contraction of a semiconductor device by arranging the positioning pattern to be used for the matching and exposing processes of a photoresist process to the outside of the pattern of a semiconductor element piece. CONSTITUTION:The patterns 2 of semiconductor element pieces formed by metal or metallic oxide is applied to a photomask substrate 1 obtained by working a transparent material such as glass or quartz like a plane plate and the positioning patterns 3 to be used for checking the accomplishment of the photoresisto pattern at the time of exposure are arranged between these patterns 2. Namely, the positioning patterns to be increased by the complexity of the contracting process of the semiconductor device pattern which may be promoted thereafter is arranged on the outsides of the patterns 2, so that other element circuits can be increased on idle spaces in the patterns 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a photomask used for patterning photoresist in semiconductor device manufacturing.

Traditionally, the manufacturing process for semiconductor devices involves repeating a thermal oxidation/diffusion process and a photoresist/photoetching process. Printing is the process of transferring the pattern, but there is an alignment pattern to check the quality of this pattern. As semiconductor devices continue to shrink in size and increase in frequency,
As the process has become more complex and the number of photoresist processes has increased, the occupancy rate of the alignment pattern used in the photoresist process within the semiconductor element piece (bullet) pattern has also increased. However, this alignment pattern is absolutely essential for checking the quality of the photoresist pattern in each photoresist process, and it is inconceivable that this pattern will be deleted in the future. As the alignment process becomes more complicated and the number of patterns increases, the occupation rate within the semiconductor element piece also increases, which hinders the reduction of semiconductor devices. Consideration has been given to how to make it smaller.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a photomask in which an alignment pattern used in the grating/exposure process of the photoresist process is arranged outside the pattern of a semiconductor element piece.

In the photomask of this invention, the alignment pattern used to check the quality (misalignment, etc.) of the photoresist process, exposure process, and photon cyst pattern in semiconductor device manufacturing is arranged outside the semiconductor element piece pattern. It is characterized by being

Next, one embodiment of the present invention will be explained using the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2 are plan views of a photomask for explaining one embodiment of the present invention.

The photomask of this embodiment has a semiconductor element piece pattern 2 formed of metal or metal oxide on a photomask substrate 1 made of a transparent material such as glass or quartz processed into a flat plate shape.
A positioning pattern 3 is arranged between the semiconductor violet strip pattern 2 (see Fig. 1), which is used during eye-gluing/glazing work and used to check the quality of the photoresist pattern. Figure 2).

That is, according to this embodiment, by arranging the alignment pattern outside the semiconductor element piece pattern 2, which will increase due to the complexity of the process accompanying the shrinking of semiconductor device patterns that will continue to advance in the future, the semiconductor element piece Other element circuits can be added to open areas within the pattern.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are plan views of a photomask showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1... photomask substrate, 2... semiconductor element piece pattern, 3... alignment pattern.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In photomasks for manufacturing semiconductor devices, which have a thin film pattern made of metal or metal oxide on the surface of the substrate to block light, the alignment pattern used in the eyelid and exposure process is made of semiconductor material. A photomask characterized by layers arranged between element patterns.