Method and apparatus for design of a metrology target

• US 10,437,163 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2017
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Van Der Schaar, Maurits, Bozkurt, Murat, Warnaar, Patrick, Van Der Sanden, Stefan Cornelis Theodorus
• Primary Examiner(s): Bologna, Dominic J
• Application Number:
  US15/650,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20180017881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/956 Inspecting patterns on the surface of objects contactless testing of electronic circuits G01R31/308; testing currency G07D; manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70616 Monitoring the printed patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70633 Overlay, i.e. relative alignment between patterns printed by separate exposures in different layers, or in the same layer in multiple exposures or stitching
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70683 Mark designs
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7019 Calibration
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7046 Strategy, e.g. mark, sensor or wavelength selection

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for providing an accurate and robust measurement of a lithographic characteristic or metrology parameter. The method includes providing a range or a plurality of values for each of a plurality of metrology parameters of a metrology target, providing a constraint for each of the plurality of metrology parameters, and calculating, by a processor to optimize/modify these parameters within the range of the plurality of values, resulting in a plurality of metrology target designs having metrology parameters meeting the constraints.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

producing a plurality of metrology targets by a manufacturing process, the plurality of metrology targets having been designed for different wavelengths or polarizations of an incident radiation or process stacks;

measuring light scattered by the plurality of metrology targets;

determining a modification value for each metrology target; and

determining a multiplication factor for each metrology target based on its corresponding modification value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the multiplication factors comprises determining a sum of the multiplication factors multiplied by their corresponding modification values.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining the multiplication factors further comprises adjusting the multiplication factors such that the sum is maximized.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the modification values are target coefficients or overlay errors of the plurality of metrology targets.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the modification values are stack sensitivity values of the plurality of metrology targets.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining lithographic process parameters using the modification value and the multiplication factor for each metrology target in the plurality of metrology targets, wherein the lithographic process parameters are overlay values.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the metrology parameters comprise material choice, critical dimension, sub-segmentation, or sidewall angle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of metrology targets comprise multi-layer periodic structures.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the metrology parameters of the multi-layer periodic structures comprise pitch, duty cycle of lines and spaces, height, or width.