Method and apparatus for measuring a parameter of a lithographic process, substrate and patterning devices for use in the method

• US 10,481,503 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2016
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Van Der Schaar, Maurits, Zhang, Youping, Smilde, Hendrik Jan Hidde, Tsiatmas, Anagnostis, Van Leest, Adriaan Johan, Verma, Alok, Theeuwes, Thomas, Cramer, Hugo Augustinus Joseph, Hinnen, Paul Christiaan
• Primary Examiner(s): Akanbi, Isiaka O
• Application Number:
  US15/237,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20170059999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 356601-614, 356401, 356400, 356492
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/47 Scattering, i.e. diffuse reflection G01N21/25, G01N21/41 take precedence G01N21/55 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9501 Semiconductor wafers manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70491 Information management, e.g. software; Active and passive control, e.g. details of controlling exposure processes or exposure tool monitoring processes
• 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

Abstract

A substrate has first and second target structures formed by a lithographic process. Each target structure has a two-dimensional periodic structure formed in a single layer using first and second lithographic steps. The first target structure has features defined in the second lithographic step displaced relative to features defined in the first lithographic step by a first bias amount. The second target structure has features defined in the second lithographic step displaced relative to features defined in the first lithographic step by a second bias amount. An angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the first target structure and an angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the second target structure is obtained. A measurement of a parameter of a lithographic process is derived from the measurements using asymmetry found in the scatter spectra of the first and second target structures.

Claims

1. A method of forming a target structure and measuring a parameter of a lithographic process comprising:

forming a target structure comprising first and second targets by the lithographic process, wherein each of the first and second targets comprise a two-dimensional periodic structure formed in a single material layer on a substrate, and wherein the lithographic process comprises;

defining features of grid elements in the first and second targets;

modifying the features defined in the first target by removing portions of each grid element in the first target at predefined locations in the first target, each removed portion being offset from a grid element by a first bias amount that is close to one half of a spatial period of the features; and

modifying the features defined in the second target by removing portions of each grid element in the second target at predefined locations in the second target, each removed portion from the second target being offset from a grid element by a second bias amount that is close to one half of the spatial period and different from the first bias amount;

illuminating, using an optical system, the target structure with radiation;

obtaining, using a detector, an angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the target structure; and

deriving, using a processing device, a measurement of the parameter using asymmetry found in the angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the target structure.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the obtaining the angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the target structure comprises detecting zero order radiation scattered by the target structure.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the target structure comprises features forming a two-dimensional array.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the target structure comprises features having non-zero components in a complementary two-dimensional Fourier space.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deriving the measurement of the parameter comprises calculating a measurement of overlay error relating to the first and second targets using the asymmetry found in the angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the target structure.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein using the asymmetry found in the angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the target structure comprises using regions of the angle-resolved scatter spectrum which are being equally spaced from a reference.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the reference is a line.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the reference is a point.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

modifying a contribution of the asymmetry, used in deriving of the measurement of the parameter of the lithographic process, by weighting coefficients.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the weighting coefficients are obtained from an asymmetric Jacobian part of a symmetric position.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the weighting coefficients are obtained from an asymmetric Jacobian calculated at different overlay errors.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the weighting coefficients are obtained from a Design of Experiment.

13. A metrology apparatus comprising:

a support configured to support a substrate on which a target structure comprising first and second targets has been formed, each of the first and second targets comprising a two-dimensional periodic structure formed in a single material layer on the substrate using a lithographic process,

wherein the lithographic process comprises defining features of grid elements in the first and second targets, modifying the features defined in the first target by removing portions of each grid element in the first target at predefined locations in the first target, each removed portion being offset from a grid element by a first bias amount that is close to one half of a spatial period of the features, and modifying the features defined in the second target by removing portions of each grid element in the second target at predefined locations in the second target, each removed portion from the second target being offset from a grid element by a second bias amount that is close to one half of the spatial period and different from the first bias amount;

an optical system configured to selectively illuminate the target structure with radiation and collect at least zero order radiation scattered by the target structure;

a detector configured to detect an angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the target structure using the zero order radiation; and

a processor configured to derive a parameter of the lithographic process using asymmetry of the angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the target structure.

14. A lithographic system comprising:

a lithographic apparatus for use in a lithographic process; and

a metrology apparatus comprising;

a support configured to support a substrate on which a target structure comprising first and second targets has been formed, each of the first and second targets comprising a two-dimensional periodic structure formed in a single material layer on the substrate using the lithographic process, wherein the lithographic process comprises defining features of grid elements in the first and second targets, modifying the features defined in the first target by removing portions of each grid element in the first target at predefined locations in the first target, each removed portion being offset from a grid element by a first bias amount that is close to one half of a spatial period of the features, and modifying the features defined in the second target by removing portions of each grid element in the second target at predefined locations in the second target, each removed portion from the second target being offset from a grid element by a second bias amount that is close to one half of the spatial period and different from the first bias amount

an optical system configured to selectively illuminate the target structure with radiation and collect at least zero order radiation scattered by the target structure;

a detector configured to detect an angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the target structure using the zero order radiation; and

a processor configured to derive a parameter of the lithographic process using asymmetry of the angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the target structure,

wherein the metrology apparatus is configured to measure the parameter of the lithographic process using the target structure formed at least partially using the lithographic apparatus.

15. A non-transitory computer program product comprising machine readable instructions which, when run on a suitable processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

illuminating, using an optical system, a target structure with radiation, the target structure comprising first and second targets, each of the first and second targets comprising a two-dimensional periodic structure formed in a single material layer on a substrate using a lithographic process, wherein the lithographic process comprises defining features of grid elements in the first and second targets, modifying the features defined in the first target by removing portions of each grid element in the first target at predefined locations in the first target, each removed portion is offset from a grid element by a first bias amount that is close to one half of a spatial period of the features, and modifying the features defined in the second target by removing portions of each grid element in the second target at predefined locations in the second target, each removed portion from the second target is offset from a grid element by a second bias amount that is close to one half of the spatial period and different from the first bias amount;

obtaining, using a detector, an angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the target structure; and

deriving, using the processor, a measurement of a parameter using asymmetry found in the angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the target structure.

16. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising:

machine readable instructions for controlling a metrology apparatus to illuminate the target structure with the radiation; and

machine readable instructions for detecting the angle-resolved scatter spectrum for use in the deriving.