Focus-dose co-optimization based on overlapping process window
First Claim
1. A method of improving a lithographic process of imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising:
- during or before the imaging, adjusting, by a hardware computer system, a first processing parameter among processing parameters of the lithographic process to cause the imaging to be more tolerant to perturbations of at least one of the processing parameters; and
during or before the imaging, adjusting, by the hardware computer system, a second processing parameter among processing parameters of the lithographic process to cause the imaging to be more tolerant to perturbations of at least one of the processing parameters,wherein adjustment of the first processing parameter and/or of the second processing parameter is under a constraint on an amount of adjustment such that the adjusting of the first and second processing parameters cannot adjust the first and second processing parameters, at a particular time, to both their values that cause the imaging to be maximally tolerant to perturbations of the first and second processing parameters.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method to improve a lithographic process of processing a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus, the method including: adjusting a first processing parameter among processing parameters of the lithographic process to cause the processing to be more tolerant to perturbations of at least one of the processing parameters during processing; and adjusting a second processing parameter among processing parameters of the lithographic process to cause the processing to be more tolerant to perturbations of at least one of the processing parameters during processing.
20 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method of improving a lithographic process of imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising:
-
during or before the imaging, adjusting, by a hardware computer system, a first processing parameter among processing parameters of the lithographic process to cause the imaging to be more tolerant to perturbations of at least one of the processing parameters; and during or before the imaging, adjusting, by the hardware computer system, a second processing parameter among processing parameters of the lithographic process to cause the imaging to be more tolerant to perturbations of at least one of the processing parameters, wherein adjustment of the first processing parameter and/or of the second processing parameter is under a constraint on an amount of adjustment such that the adjusting of the first and second processing parameters cannot adjust the first and second processing parameters, at a particular time, to both their values that cause the imaging to be maximally tolerant to perturbations of the first and second processing parameters. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions therein, the instructions, upon execution by a computer system, configured to cause the computer system to at least:
-
during or before imaging of a lithographic process of imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus, adjusting a first processing parameter among processing parameters of the lithographic process to cause the imaging to be more tolerant to perturbations of at least one of the processing parameters; and during or before the imaging, adjust a second processing parameter among processing parameters of the lithographic process to cause the imaging to be more tolerant to perturbations of at least one of the processing parameters, wherein adjustment of the first processing parameter and/or of the second processing parameter is under a constraint on an amount of adjustment such that the adjustment of the first and second processing parameters cannot adjust the first and second processing parameters, at a particular time, to both their values that cause the imaging to be maximally tolerant to perturbations of the first and second processing parameters. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions therein, the instructions, upon execution by a computer system, configured to cause the computer system to at least:
-
during or before imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic process and a lithographic apparatus wherein the lithographic process has a nominal condition of first processing parameter of the lithographic process and a nominal condition of a second processing parameter of the lithographic process, adjust the first processing parameter to cause the imaging to be more tolerant to perturbations of at least one of a plurality of processing parameters of the lithographic process; and during or before the imaging, adjust the second processing parameter to cause the imaging to be more tolerant to perturbations of at least one of the processing parameters, wherein the first processing parameter is being adjusted to a value of the first processing parameter different than the nominal condition of the first processing parameter and/or the second processing parameter is being adjusted to a value of the second processing parameter different than the nominal condition of the second processing parameter.
-
Specification