ADAPTIVE LITHOGRAPHIC CRITICAL DIMENSION ENHANCEMENT
First Claim
1. A method of improving attribute uniformity of substrates processed by a lithographic system having exposure apparatus to expose substrates, pre-exposure apparatus to process substrates prior to exposure, and post-exposure apparatus to process substrates after exposure, said method comprising:
- measuring attributes of substrates processed by said lithographic system;
assessing whether said measured substrate attributes are uniform based on pre-specified substrate profile information;
adaptively calculating corrective exposure data based on said measured substrate attributes upon determining that said measured substrate attributes are not uniform, said corrective exposure data configured to correct non-uniformities of said substrate attributes by regulating exposure dosage in said exposure apparatus of said lithographic system; and
exposing substrates in accordance with said corrective exposure data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system, apparatus, and method for improving CD uniformity in lithographic system is presented herein. The system includes an exposure apparatus configured to expose substrates, a track apparatus that is operatively coupled to the exposure apparatus and a plurality of processing modules and apparatus. The system also includes a measuring device configured to measure attributes of the exposed and processed substrates and to assess whether the exposed and processed substrate attributes are uniform based on pre-specified substrate profile information. The system further includes a module configured to adaptively calculate corrective exposure data based on the measured attributes upon determining that said attributes are not uniform. The corrective exposure data is configured to correct for non-uniformities in the substrates by regulating the exposure dosage of the exposure apparatus. Once the substrates are assessed to achieve the desired uniformity, the substrates are exposed by the exposure apparatus in accordance with the corrective exposure data, the uniformity of the exposed substrate continues to be monitored and the dose corrections are updated as required to maintain uniformity.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of improving attribute uniformity of substrates processed by a lithographic system having exposure apparatus to expose substrates, pre-exposure apparatus to process substrates prior to exposure, and post-exposure apparatus to process substrates after exposure, said method comprising:
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measuring attributes of substrates processed by said lithographic system;
assessing whether said measured substrate attributes are uniform based on pre-specified substrate profile information;
adaptively calculating corrective exposure data based on said measured substrate attributes upon determining that said measured substrate attributes are not uniform, said corrective exposure data configured to correct non-uniformities of said substrate attributes by regulating exposure dosage in said exposure apparatus of said lithographic system; and
exposing substrates in accordance with said corrective exposure data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A lithographic system that improves attribute uniformity of substrates, comprising:
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exposure apparatus configured to expose substrates;
pre-exposure apparatus configured to process substrates prior to exposure;
track apparatus operatively coupled to said exposure apparatus and a plurality of processing modules;
post-exposure apparatus configured to process substrates after exposure;
a measuring device configured to measure attributes of said substrates; and
a corrective exposure module that adaptively calculates corrective exposure data based on said measured attributes upon determining that said substrates are not uniform, wherein said corrective exposure data are configured to correct non-uniformities in said substrates by regulating exposure dosage in said exposure apparatus, and wherein said substrates are exposed by said exposure apparatus in accordance with said corrective exposure data. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs a process of improving attribute uniformity of substrates processed by a lithographic system having exposure apparatus to expose substrates, pre-exposure apparatus to process substrates prior to exposure, and post-exposure apparatus to process substrates after exposure, said process comprising:
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measuring attributes of substrates processed by said lithographic system;
assessing whether said measured substrate attributes are uniform based on pre-specified substrate profile information;
adaptively calculating corrective exposure data based on said measured substrate attributes upon determining that said measured substrate attributes are not uniform, said corrective exposure data configured to correct non-uniformities of said substrate attributes by regulating exposure dosage in said exposure apparatus of said lithographic system; and
exposing substrates in accordance with said corrective exposure data. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification