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Etch variation tolerant optimization

  • US 10,712,653 B2
  • Filed: 01/28/2019
  • Issued: 07/14/2020
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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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:

  • evaluating, by a hardware computer system, one or more design variables that are characteristics of the lithographic process with respect to variation of the etching process to identify one or more values of the one or more design variables tolerant to etching process variation;

    computing, by the hardware computer system, a multi-variable cost function of a plurality of design variables that are characteristics of the lithographic process, wherein the plurality of design variables of the cost function are other than the one or more design variables tolerant to etching process variation; and

    reconfiguring one or more of the characteristics of the lithographic process by adjusting one or more of the design variables of the cost function and re-evaluating the cost function, until a termination condition for the cost function is satisfied.

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