Method for processing pattern data and method for manufacturing electronic device

• US 20080270970A1
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Shiraishi, Naomasa
• Application Number:
  US12/078,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270970A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 716/19
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70683 Mark designs
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7076 Mark details, e.g. phase grating mark, temporary mark

Abstract

A method for processing data for a mask pattern. The method includes analyzing data of the mask pattern and specifying a pattern region having a predetermined shape and a predetermined dimension from the mask pattern. The pattern region functions as an alignment mark.

Claims

1. A pattern data processing method for processing design data of a mask pattern, the method comprising:

specifying a predetermined region as a pattern region based on the design data, with the predetermined region having a dimension that is larger than or equal to a first reference value in a first direction and a dimension that is larger than or equal to a second reference value in a direction intersecting the first direction.

2. The pattern data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

extracting a portion corresponding to a pattern edge based on the design data;

wherein said specifying a pattern region is performed based on at least one of positional information and shape information of the portion corresponding to the pattern edge.

3. The pattern data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

when a plurality of pattern regions are specified, selecting a predetermined number of pattern regions from the plurality of pattern regions.

4. The pattern data processing method according to claim 3, wherein said selecting a predetermined number of pattern regions is performed based on a positional relationship of the plurality of pattern regions in the design data.

5. The pattern data processing method according to claim 4, wherein said selecting the predetermined number of pattern regions is performed so that the predetermined number of pattern regions is distributed in the design data at a substantially even density.

6. The pattern data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing the positional information of the pattern region in the design data based on a result of the specifying.

7. The pattern data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing at least one of shape information related to the pattern region or information related to the dimensions of the pattern region in the design data based on a result of the specifying.

8. The pattern data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing positional information of the pattern region in the design data in association with at least one of the shape information related to the pattern region in the design data and information related to the dimensions of the pattern region based on a result of the specifying.

9. The pattern data processing method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined region is a single region in which values of the design data are the same.

10. The pattern data processing method according to claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined region includes a first region and a second region, with values of the design data in the first region differing from values of the design data in the second region.

11. The pattern data processing method according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the dimension in the first direction of the first region and the dimension in the first direction of the second region is less than or equal to a third reference value.

12. The pattern data processing method according to claim 11, wherein the third reference value is less than or equal to five times the first reference value.

13. A method for manufacturing an electronic device, the method comprising:

forming a first mask pattern on an exposed subject;

specifying a pattern region from design data of the first mask pattern using the pattern data processing method according to claim 1;

determining positional information of the first mask pattern formed on the exposed subject using information related to the specified pattern region; and

forming a second mask pattern on the exposed subject based on the predetermined positional information of the first mask pattern obtained in the position.

14. The method for manufacturing an electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the determining includes measuring at least one pattern region corresponding to the pattern region formed on the exposed subject with a pattern position measurement system using the information related to the pattern region.

15. The method for manufacturing an electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the first reference value is converted to a dimension on the exposed subject and set to greater than or equal to a resolution of the pattern position measurement system.

16. The method for manufacturing an electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the second reference value is set to be greater than or equal to a resolution of the pattern position measurement system when converted to a dimension on the exposed subject.

17. The method for manufacturing an electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the third reference value is set to be less than or equal to a resolution of the pattern position measurement system when converted to a dimension on the exposed subject.