MASK INSPECTION METHOD, MASK PRODUCTION METHOD, SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE PRODUCTION METHOD, AND MASK INSPECTION DEVICE

• US 20120311511A1
• Filed: 02/17/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: TAGUCHI, Takafumi, Kotani, Toshiya, Kodama, Chikaaki, Nakajima, Fumiharu
• Application Number:
  US13/399,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20120311511A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 716/52
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/36 Masks having proximity correction features; Preparation thereof, e.g. optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/70 Adapting basic layout or design of masks to lithographic process requirements, e.g., second iteration correction of mask patterns for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30

Abstract

A mask inspection method according to the embodiments, original data corresponding to a semiconductor integrated circuit pattern to be formed on a substrate is created. After that, original production simulation which mocks an original production process is performed on the original data to derive information relating to an original pattern shape in the case of forming an original pattern corresponding to the original data on an original. After that, whether or not the information relating to an original pattern shape satisfies a predetermined value decided based on the original production process is determined.

Claims

1. A mask inspection method comprising:

creating original data corresponding to a semiconductor integrated circuit pattern to be formed on a substrate;

performing original production simulation which mocks an original production process on the original data to derive, as original production pattern information, information relating to an original pattern shape in the case of forming an original pattern corresponding to the original data on an original;

determining whether or not the original production pattern information satisfies a predetermined value decided based on the original production process;

performing original inspection simulation which mocks an optical system of an original inspection device to be used for inspection of the original to derive, as original measurement pattern information, information relating to an original pattern shape to be detected when the original inspection device inspects the original; and

determining whether or not a result of the inspection of the original is within an allowable range by using the original measurement pattern information.

2. The mask inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the original inspection simulation is performed by using the original data or the simulation result of the original production simulation.

3. The mask inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the determination of whether or not the original inspection result is within the allowable range is performed by determining whether or not the original measurement pattern information satisfies the predetermined value decided based on the original production process.

4. The mask inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the determination of whether or not the original inspection result is within the allowable range is performed by setting the original measurement pattern information as a reference image for inspecting the original, comparing the set reference image and a measurement result obtained by actual measurement of the original pattern, and determining whether or not the original inspection result is within the allowable range based on a result of the comparison result.

5. The mask inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the original data are mask data of an optical mask, mask data of an EUV mask, or mask data of a mask which is used in imprint lithography.

6. A mask production method comprising:

creating original data corresponding to a semiconductor integrated circuit pattern to be formed on a substrate;

performing original production simulation which mocks an original production process on the original data to derive, as original production pattern information, information relating to an original pattern shape in the case of forming an original pattern corresponding to the original data on an original;

determining whether or not the original production pattern information satisfies a predetermined value decided based on the original production process;

performing original inspection simulation which mocks an optical system of an original inspection device to be used for inspection of the original to derive, as original measurement pattern information, information relating to an original pattern shape to be detected when the original inspection device inspects the original;

determining whether or not a result of the inspection of the original is within an allowable range by using the original measurement pattern information;

forming the original pattern corresponding to the original data on the original;

changing at least one of the semiconductor integrated circuit pattern, the original data, and processing conditions for the original production process so as to satisfy the predetermined value in the case where the original production pattern information does not satisfy the predetermined value; and

changing at least one of design layout data of the semiconductor integrated circuit pattern, the original data, the processing conditions of the original production process, and conditions for inspecting the original so that the original measurement pattern information is within the allowable range in the case where the original measurement pattern information is outside the allowable range.

7. The mask production method according to claim 6, wherein the processing conditions of the original production process include at least one of conditions relating to original lithography and conditions relating to original processing process when forming the original pattern corresponding to the original data on the original.

8. The mask production method according to claim 6, wherein the original inspection simulation is performed by using the original data or a simulation result of the original production simulation.

9. The mask production method according to claim 6, wherein the determination of whether or not the original inspection result is within the allowable range is performed by determining whether or not the original measurement pattern information satisfies the predetermined value decided based on the original production process.

10. The mask production method according to claim 6, wherein the determination of whether or not the original inspection result is within the allowable range is performed by setting the original measurement pattern information as a reference image for inspecting the original, comparing the set reference image and a measurement result obtained by actual measurement of the original pattern, and determining whether or not the original inspection result is within the allowable range based on a result of the comparison result.

11. The mask production method according to claim 6, wherein the original data are mask data of an optical mask, mask data of an EUV mask, or mask data of a mask which is used in imprint lithography.

12. A semiconductor device production method comprising:

creating original data corresponding to a semiconductor integrated circuit pattern to be formed on a substrate;

performing original production simulation which mocks an original production process on the original data to derive, as original production pattern information, information relating to an original pattern shape in the case of forming an original pattern corresponding to the original data on an original;

determining whether or not the original production pattern information satisfies a predetermined value decided based on the original production process;

performing original inspection simulation which mocks an optical system of an original inspection device to be used for inspection of the original to derive, as original measurement pattern information, information relating to original pattern shape to be detected when the original inspection device inspects the original;

determining whether or not a result of the inspection of the original is within an allowable range by using the original measurement pattern information;

forming the original pattern corresponding to the original data on the original;

forming the semiconductor integrated circuit pattern by transferring the original pattern on the substrate;

changing at least one of the semiconductor integrated circuit pattern, the original data, processing conditions for the original production process, and production process conditions of the semiconductor integrated circuit pattern to be formed on the substrate so as to satisfy the predetermined value in the case where the original production pattern information does not satisfy the predetermined value; and

changing at least one of design layout data of the semiconductor integrated circuit pattern, the original data, the processing conditions of the original production process, conditions for inspecting the original, and production process conditions of the semiconductor integrated circuit pattern to be formed on the substrate so that the original measurement pattern information is within the allowable range in the case where the original measurement pattern information is outside the allowable range.

13. The semiconductor device production method according to claim 12, wherein the processing conditions of the original production process include at least one of conditions relating to original lithography and conditions relating to original processing process when forming the original pattern corresponding to the original data on the original.

14. The semiconductor device production method according to claim 12, wherein the original inspection simulation is performed by using the original data or a simulation result of the original production simulation.

15. The semiconductor device production method according to claim 12, wherein the determination of whether or not the original inspection result is within the allowable range is performed by determining whether or not the original measurement pattern information satisfies the predetermined value decided based on the original production process.

16. The semiconductor device production method according to claim 12, wherein the determination of whether or not the original inspection result is within the allowable range is performed by setting the original measurement pattern information as a reference image for inspecting the original, comparing the set reference image and a measurement result obtained by actual measurement of the original pattern, and determining whether or not the original inspection result is within the allowable range based on a result of the comparison result.

17. The semiconductor device production method according to claim 12, wherein the original data are mask data of an optical mask, mask data of an EUV mask, or mask data of a mask which is used in imprint lithography.

18. A mask inspection device comprising:

an input unit which inputs original data corresponding to a semiconductor integrated circuit pattern to be formed on a substrate;

a simulation unit which performs original production simulation which mocks an original production process on the original data to derive, as original production pattern information, information relating to an original pattern shape in the case of forming an original pattern corresponding to the original data on an original; and

a verification unit which determines whether or not the original production pattern information satisfies a predetermined value decided based on the original production process.

19. A mask inspection device comprising:

an input unit which inputs an original pattern shape of an original used for forming a semiconductor integrated circuit pattern on a substrate;

a simulation unit which performs original inspection simulation which mocks an optical system of an original inspection device to be used for inspection of the original to derive, as original measurement pattern information, information relating to an original pattern shape to be detected when the original inspection device inspects the original; and

a determination unit which determines whether or not a result of the inspection of the original is within an allowable range by using the original measurement pattern information.