Constrained Optimization Of Lithographic Source Intensities Under Contingent Requirements

• US 20110096313A1
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Melville, David O.S., Tian, Kehan, Lai, Kafai, Rosenbluth, Alan E., Bagheri, Saeed
• Granted Patent: US 8,605,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/67
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/54 Lamp housings; Illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70083 Non-homogeneous intensity distribution in the mask plane
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/705 Modelling or simulating from physical phenomena up to complete wafer processes or whole workflow in wafer productions

Abstract

A method for illuminating a mask to project a desired image pattern into a photoactive material is described. The method includes receiving an image pattern. Determining a relationship between source pixels in a set of source pixels to desired intensities at one or more points in the image pattern is performed. Linear constraints are imposed on a set of intensity values based on one or more contingent intensity condition. The contingent intensity conditions include integer variables specifying contingent constraints. The method includes determining values of the set of intensity values in accordance with the linear constraints, using a constrained optimization algorithm. The set of intensity values represents intensities of a set of source pixels. The set of intensity values are output. Apparatus and computer readable storage media are also described.

Claims

1. A method for illuminating a mask to project a desired image pattern into a photoactive material, the method comprising:

receiving an image pattern;

determining a relationship between at least one source pixel in a set of source pixels to at least one desired intensity at at least one point in the image pattern;

imposing at least one linear constraint on a set of intensity values based on at least one contingent intensity condition, where the at least one contingent intensity condition comprises at least one integer variable specifying at least one contingent constraint;

determining values of the set of intensity values in accordance with the at least one linear constraint, using a constrained optimization algorithm; and

outputting the set of intensity values, where the set of intensity values represents intensities for the set of source pixels.

2. The method of claim 1, where the at least one desired intensity at the at least one point in the image pattern is represented by a merit value of an image pattern at an extremum value.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the output at an illumination source; and

illuminating a lithographic mask, via the illumination source, with light according to the set of intensity values.

4. The method of claim 1, where using a global optimization algorithm comprises using a mixed integer linear programming problem algorithm.

5. The method of claim 1, where the at least one contingent intensity condition comprises at least one of:

a condition that a source element may be switched on only if at least one neighboring source element is also on;

a condition that a source element may be switched on only if a resulting total number of switched-on source elements equals a desired value;

a condition that all source elements in a defined zone have a given polarization; and

a condition that a source element may be switched on only if an resulting focal plane is a desired plane of focus.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining mask parameters for a mask to be illuminated by the set of source pixels, where the mask parameters and the values of the set of intensity values are determined simultaneously.

7. The method of claim 1, where the values of the set of intensity values provide a synchronized n-pole source and

where the at least one contingent intensity condition comprises a condition that the poles in the n-pole source have similar inner sigma values and similar outer sigma values.

8. The method of claim 1, where a cluster comprises at least one source pixel and the at least one contingent intensity condition comprises a condition that solutions using large illuminated clusters are prioritized over solutions using multiple smaller, illuminated clusters.

9. An apparatus for illuminating a mask to project a desired image pattern into a photoactive material, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an image pattern;

a controller configured to determine a relationship between at least one source pixel in a set of source pixels to at least one desired intensity at at least one point in the image pattern, to impose at least one linear constraint on a set of intensity values based on at least one contingent intensity condition, where the at least one contingent intensity condition comprises at least one integer variable specifying at least one contingent constraint, and to determine values of the set of intensity values in accordance with the at least one linear constraint, using a constrained optimization algorithm; and

an output configured to output the set of intensity values, where the set of intensity values represents intensities for the set of source pixels.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, where the at least one desired intensity at the at least one point in the image pattern is represented by a merit value of an image pattern at an extremum value.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising an illumination source configured to receive the output at an illumination source and to illuminate a lithographic mask with light according to the set of intensity values.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, where the processor is configured to determine mask parameters for a mask to be illuminated by the set of source pixels, where the mask parameters and the values of the set of intensity values are determined simultaneously.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, where the values of the set of intensity values provide a synchronized n-pole source and where the at least one contingent intensity condition comprises a condition that the poles in the n-pole source have similar inner sigma values and similar outer sigma values.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, where a cluster comprises at least one source pixel and the at least one contingent intensity condition comprises a condition that solutions using large illuminated clusters are prioritized over solutions using multiple smaller, illuminated clusters.

15. A computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith for illuminating a mask to project a desired image pattern into a photoactive material, the computer readable program code comprising instructions comprising:

receiving an image pattern;

determining a relationship between at least one source pixel in a set of source pixels to at least one desired intensity at at least one point in the image pattern;

imposing at least one linear constraint on a set of intensity values based on at least one contingent intensity condition, where the at least one contingent intensity condition comprises at least one integer variable specifying at least one contingent constraint;

determining values of the set of intensity values in accordance with the at least one linear constraint, using a constrained optimization algorithm; and

outputting the set of intensity values, where the set of intensity values represents intensities for the set of source pixels.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, where the at least one desired intensity at the at least one point in the image pattern is represented by a merit value of an image pattern at its extremum value.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, where the instructions further comprise:

determining mask parameters for a mask to be illuminated by the set of source pixels, where the mask parameters and the values of the set of intensity values are determined simultaneously.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, where the values of the set of intensity values provide a synchronized n-pole source and

where the at least one contingent intensity condition comprises a condition that the poles in the n-pole source have similar inner sigma values and similar outer sigma values.

19. An apparatus for illuminating a mask to project a desired image pattern into a photoactive material, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an image pattern;

means for determining a relationship between at least one source pixel in a set of source pixels to at least one desired intensity at at least one point in the image pattern;

means for imposing at least one linear constraint on a set of intensity values based on at least one contingent intensity condition, where the at least one contingent intensity condition comprises at least one integer variable specifying at least one contingent constraint;

means for determining values of the set of intensity values in accordance with the at least one linear constraint, using a constrained optimization algorithm; and

means for outputting the set of intensity values, where the set of intensity values represents intensities for the set of source pixels.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means for receiving the output at an illumination source and for illuminating a lithographic mask with light according to the set of intensity values.