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OPTIMIZED POLARIZATION ILLUMINATION

  • US 20110051114A1
  • Filed: 05/04/2010
  • Published: 03/03/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for increasing a process window associated with imaging a mask design onto a target portion of a substrate, said apparatus comprising:

  • a computer system configured to optimize polarization and intensity at each of a plurality of points of an illuminator used to illuminate the mask design by performing the steps of;

    (a) determining an illumination intensity for at least one point on the illuminator for at least two polarization states;

    (b) determining image log slope (ILS) for the at least one point on the illuminator for the at least two polarization states;

    (c) determining a maximum image point where the ILS is at least near zero for the at least one point on the illuminator;

    (d) selecting an optimal polarization state corresponding to the maximum ILS for the at least one point on the illuminator; and

    (e) repeating steps (a)-(d) for each of the plurality of points on the illuminator.

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