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Method, program product and apparatus for predicting line width roughness and resist pattern failure and the use thereof in a lithography simulation process

  • US 10,386,730 B2
  • Filed: 09/23/2011
  • Issued: 08/20/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:

  • obtaining a first model representing an imaging performance of a physical optical imaging system configured to produce a pattern in or on a radiation-sensitive substrate and a physical manufacturing process utilizing the optical imaging system to produce the pattern in or on the substrate;

    simulating, by a hardware computer system, at least the imaging performance using the first model, the simulating generating values corresponding to a latent image slope;

    defining a second model for estimating a pattern failure value that is other than or in addition to a line roughness value, regarding a feature to be imaged, the defining the second model utilizing the values corresponding to the latent image slope generated by the first model to define parameters which estimate occurrence of pattern failure of a given feature imaged using the process, the first model and/or second model defined based on measurement results of the optical imaging system or on measurement results of an output from the process; and

    configuring the process and/or optical imaging system based on data generated using an estimated pattern failure determined using the second model and/or communicating data generated based on an estimated pattern failure determined using the second model to a physical apparatus in order to create or modify a physical configuration of the optical imaging system and/or the process.

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