Etch variation tolerant optimization
First Claim
1. A method to improve a lithographic process for imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic projection apparatus and for transferring the imaged portion of the design layout to the substrate by an etching process, the method comprising:
- determining a value of an evaluation point of the lithographic process for each of a plurality of variations of the etching process;
computing, by a hardware computer system, a multi-variable cost function of a plurality of design variables that are characteristics of the lithographic process, wherein the multi-variable cost function is a function of a deviation from the determined values of the evaluation point; and
reconfiguring one or more of the characteristics of the lithographic process by adjusting one or more of the design variables and re-evaluating the cost function, until a termination condition for the cost function is satisfied.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a computer-implemented method to improve a lithographic process for imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic projection apparatus and for transferring the imaged portion of the design layout to the substrate by an etching process, which includes the following steps: determining a value of at least one evaluation point of the lithographic process for each of a plurality of variations of the etching process; computing a multi-variable cost function of a plurality of design variables that are characteristics of the lithographic process, wherein the multi-variable cost function is a function of deviation from the determined values of the at least one evaluation point; and reconfiguring the characteristics of the lithographic process by adjusting the design variables until a termination condition is satisfied. This method may reduce the need of repeated adjustment to the lithographic process when the etching process varies.
26 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method to improve a lithographic process for imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic projection apparatus and for transferring the imaged portion of the design layout to the substrate by an etching process, the method comprising:
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determining a value of an evaluation point of the lithographic process for each of a plurality of variations of the etching process; computing, by a hardware computer system, a multi-variable cost function of a plurality of design variables that are characteristics of the lithographic process, wherein the multi-variable cost function is a function of a deviation from the determined values of the evaluation point; and reconfiguring one or more of the characteristics of the lithographic process by adjusting one or more of the design variables and re-evaluating the cost function, until a termination condition for the cost function is satisfied. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method to improve a lithographic process for imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic projection apparatus and for transferring the imaged portion of the design layout to the substrate by an etching process, the method comprising:
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determining a value of an evaluation point of the lithographic process for each of a plurality of variations of the etching process; computing, by a hardware computer system, a multi-variable cost function of a plurality of design variables that are characteristics of the lithographic process, wherein the multi-variable cost function is a function of a deviation from the determined values of the evaluation point, wherein the plurality of design variables comprise the evaluation point; and reconfiguring one or more of the characteristics of the lithographic process by adjusting one or more of the design variables and re-evaluating the cost function, until a termination condition for the cost function is satisfied. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions recorded thereon, the instructions configured to cause a computer to at least:
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for a lithographic process for imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic projection apparatus and for transferring the imaged portion of the design layout to the substrate by an etching process, determine a value of an evaluation point of the lithographic process for each of a plurality of variations of the etching process; compute a multi-variable cost function of a plurality of design variables that are characteristics of the lithographic process, wherein the multi-variable cost function is a function of a deviation from the determined values of the evaluation point; and reconfigure one or more of the characteristics of the lithographic process by adjusting one or more of the design variables and re-evaluating the cost function, until a termination condition for the cost function is satisfied. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification