Method, program product and apparatus of simultaneous optimization for NA-Sigma exposure settings and scattering bars OPC using a device layout
First Claim
1. A method of optimizing lithographic apparatus settings and optimizing optical proximity correction (OPC) for a pattern to be formed on a surface of a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) identifying a critical dense pitch and corresponding to a first critical feature and a second critical feature;
(b) determining optimal lithographic apparatus settings for the critical feature;
(c) performing OPC based on an analysis of the critical feature;
(d) performing OPC adjustments on the other critical feature; and
(e) optimizing lithographic apparatus settings for the other critical feature.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclose is a method, program product and apparatus for optimizing numerical aperture (“NA”) and sigma of a lithographic system based on the target layout. A pitch or interval analysis is performed to identify the distribution of critical pitch over the design. Based on the pitch or interval analysis, a critical dense pitch is identified. NA, sigma-in, sigma-out parameters are optimized such that the critical feature will print with or without bias adjustment. For features other than the critical dense features, adjustments are made in accordance with OPC, and lithographic apparatus settings are further mutually optimized. Accordingly, lithographic apparatus settings may be optimized for any pattern concurrently with OPC.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method of optimizing lithographic apparatus settings and optimizing optical proximity correction (OPC) for a pattern to be formed on a surface of a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) identifying a critical dense pitch and corresponding to a first critical feature and a second critical feature;
(b) determining optimal lithographic apparatus settings for the critical feature;
(c) performing OPC based on an analysis of the critical feature;
(d) performing OPC adjustments on the other critical feature; and
(e) optimizing lithographic apparatus settings for the other critical feature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A computer program product, comprising executable code transportable by at least one machine readable medium, wherein execution of the code by at least one programmable computer causes the at least one programmable computer to perform a sequence of steps for optimizing lithographic apparatus settings and optimizing optical proximity correction (OPC) for a pattern to be formed on a surface of a substrate, comprising the steps of:
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(a) identifying a critical dense pitch and corresponding to a first critical feature and a second critical feature;
(b) determining optimal lithographic apparatus settings for the critical feature;
(c) performing OPC based on an analysis of the critical feature;
(d) performing OPC adjustments on the other critical feature; and
(e) optimizing lithographic apparatus settings for the other critical feature. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus optimizing lithographic apparatus settings and optimizing optical proximity correction (OPC) for a pattern to be formed on a surface of a substrate, said apparatus comprising:
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a radiation system for supplying a projection beam;
an illuminator for receiving the projection beam of radiation and projecting an adjusted beam of radiation a portion of a mask, wherein the illuminator has preset sigma-outer and preset sigma-inner parameters, and a projection system having a numerical aperture (“
NA”
) for imaging a corresponding irradiated portion of a mask, onto a target portion of a substrate,wherein NA, preset sigma-outer, and preset sigma-inner and OPC are mutually optimized for a plurality of critical features of the pattern including a critical feature. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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Specification