Method for analyzing light intensity distribution

• US 6,449,387 B1
• Filed: 06/14/1999
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Inui, Hirotomo
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bali, Vikkram
• Application Number:
  US09/332,730
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 382/141, 382/143-149, 382/150, 348/86, 348/87, 348/125, 348/126, 348/127, 356/237.1, 356/237.6, 356/606, 430/5, 430/130, 715/15, 715/16
• US Class Current: 382/144
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/42 using electric radiation detectors optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10
• 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 processing unit cuts out, from a selected mask pattern, a rectangular area pattern (S_k×S_k) having the size equal to an optical system term kernel φ1 associated with coordinates (X, Y) on a wafer. The processing unit further cuts out, from the rectangular area pattern (S_k×S_k), fine grid rectangular area patterns (S_j×S_j) having the size equal to an optical system term kernel φ2 associated with coordinates (x, y) contained in a predetermined range from the coordinates (X, Y). The processing unit discriminates the transmission factors F of the fine grid rectangular areas divided at fine grid intervals dx_f, and determines whether all the transmission factors F of the fine grid rectangular areas of the mask pattern are 0 or 1. When the processing unit determines that all the transmission factors F of the fine grid rectangular areas are 0 or 1, the processing unit 1 performs convolution integration with respect to the kernel φ1 corresponding to the coordinates (X, Y) and the transmission factor F of the mask pattern 22, thereby calculating the light intensity I (X, Y) at a position specified by the coordinates (X, Y) on the wafer. When the processing unit 1 does not determine that all the transmission factors F of the fine grid rectangular areas are 0 or 1, the processing unit performs the convolution integration with respect to the kernel φ2 corresponding to the coordinates (x, y) and the transmission factor F of the mask pattern 22, thereby calculating the light intensity I (x, y) at a position specified by coordinates (x, y) on the wafer.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing light intensity distribution on a light exposure area where a shape of a mask pattern will be projected through an optical system by exposure light coming from a light source, said analyzing method comprising:

dividing said light exposure area into first areas at predetermined first intervals;

cutting out first portions of said mask pattern which correspond to said first areas;

sequentially determining whether transmission areas which transmit the exposure light and non-transmission areas which do not transmit the exposure light are mingled at the cut-out first portions of said mask pattern;

calculating intensities of light which will be projected on said light exposure area, through use of the first portion of said mask pattern, when it is determined that the transmission areas and the non-transmission areas are not mingled; and

dividing each of said first areas into second areas at second intervals smaller than said first intervals and calculating intensities of light which will be projected on said light exposure area, through use of second portions of said mask pattern which correspond to said second areas, when it is determined that the transmission areas and the non-transmission areas are mingled.

2. The analyzing method according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said first areas has a shape of a rectangle with four sides each being 100 λ

/NA to 200 λ

/NA (nm) in length; and

each of said second areas has a shape of a rectangle with four sides each being 10 λ

/NA to 20 λ

/NA (nm) in length,

where λ

presents a wavelength (nm) of the exposure light, while NA represents an numerical aperture of the optical system.

3. The analyzing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

cutting out the second portions of said mask pattern which correspond to said second areas from each of the first portions of said mask pattern, after cutting out the first portions of said mask pattern,

wherein determining whether the transmission areas and the non-transmission areas are mingled at the first portions of said mask pattern is performed by determining whether areas having a transmission factor of 0 and areas having a transmission factor of 1 are mingled at the second portions of said mask pattern.

4. The analyzing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

calculating all optical system term kernels φ

1 corresponding to said first areas; and

calculating all optical system term kernels φ

2 corresponding to said second areas.

5. The analyzing method according to claim 4, wherein said optical system term kernels φ

2 are calculated by performing primary interpolation based on said optical system term kernels φ

1.

6. The analyzing method according to claim 4, wherein light intensities I (X, Y) at positions specified by coordinates (X, Y) on said first areas and light intensities I (x, y) at positions specified by coordinates (x, y) on said second areas are calculated respectively by:

7. The analyzing method according to claim 6, wherein when the light intensities I (X, Y) at the positions specified by the coordinates (X, Y) on said first areas are calculated, the light intensities I (x, y) at the positions specified by the coordinates (x, y) on said second areas corresponding to said first areas are given as I (X, Y).

8. The analyzing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing, in a predetermined table, the calculated intensities of light which will be projected on said first areas;

storing, in said predetermined table, the calculated intensities of light which will be projected on said second areas; and

outputting contents of said predetermined table as light intensity distribution analyzing results when light intensities over an entirety of said light exposure area have been stored in said predetermined table.

9. An analyzing apparatus for analyzing light intensity distribution on a light exposure area where a shape of a mask pattern will be projected through an optical system by exposure light coming from a light source, said analyzing apparatus comprising:

a storage unit which stores a program for dividing said light exposure area into first areas at predetermined first intervals, cutting out first portions of said mask pattern which correspond to said first areas, sequentially determining whether transmission areas which transmit the exposure light and non-transmission areas which do not transmit the exposure light are mingled at the cut-out first portions of said mask pattern, calculating intensities of light which will be projected on said light exposure area, through use of the first portions of said mask pattern, when it is determined that the transmission areas and the non-transmission areas are not mingled, and dividing each of said first areas into second areas at second intervals smaller than said first intervals and calculating intensities of light which will be projected on said light exposure area, through use of second portions of said mask pattern which correspond to said second areas, when it is determined that the transmission areas and the non-transmission areas are mingled;

a processing unit which sequentially executes the program stored in said storage unit and analyzes the light intensity distribution on said light exposure area; and

an output device which outputs a result of analysis of the light intensity distribution analyzed by said processing unit.

10. The analyzing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

said storage unit stores mask patterns;

said analyzing apparatus further comprises an input device which selects a desired pattern from among said mask patterns stored in said storage unit; and

said processing unit performs processing in accordance with the mask pattern selected by said input device.

11. An analyzing apparatus for analyzing light intensity distribution on a light exposure area where a shape of a mask pattern will be projected through an optical system by exposure light coming from a light source, said analyzing apparatus comprising:

means for dividing said light exposure area into first areas at predetermined first intervals;

means for sequentially determining whether transmission areas which transmit the exposure light and non-transmission areas which do not transmit the exposure light are mingled at first portions of said mask pattern which correspond to said first areas;

means for calculating intensities of light which will be projected on said light exposure area, through use of first portions of said mask pattern, when it is determined that the transmission areas and the non-transmission areas are not mingled; and

means for dividing each of said first areas into second areas at second intervals smaller than said first intervals and calculating intensities of light which will be projected on said light exposure area, through use of second portions of said mask pattern which correspond to said second areas, when it is determined that the transmission areas and the non-transmission areas are mingled.

12. A computer program product including a computer usable medium which contains a computer readable program embodied therein for analyzing light intensity distribution on a light exposure area where a shape of a mask pattern will be projected through an optical system by exposure light coming from a light source, said program executing:

dividing said light exposure area into first areas at predetermined first intervals;

sequentially determining whether transmission areas which transmit the exposure light and non-transmission areas which do not transmit the exposure light are mingled at portions of said mask pattern which correspond to said first areas;

calculating intensities of light which will be projected on said light exposure area, through use of first portions of said mask pattern, when it is determined that the transmission areas and the non-transmission areas are not mingled; and

dividing each of said first areas into second areas at second intervals smaller than said first intervals and calculating intensities of light which will be projected on said light exposure area, through use of second portions of said mask pattern which correspond to said second areas, when it is determined that the transmission areas and the non-transmission areas are mingled.

13. A program, embedded in a carrier wave, for analyzing light intensity distribution on a light exposure area where a shape of a mask pattern will be projected through an optical system by exposure light coming from a light source, said program executing:

dividing said light exposure area into first areas at predetermined first intervals;

sequentially determining whether transmission areas which transmit the exposure light and non-transmission areas which do not transmit the exposure light are mingled at portions of said mask pattern which correspond to said first areas;

calculating intensities of light which will be projected on said light exposure area, through use of first portions of said mask pattern, when it is determined that the transmission areas and the non-transmission areas are not mingled; and

dividing each of said first areas into second areas at second intervals smaller than said first intervals and calculating intensities of light which will be projected on said light exposure area, through use of second portions of said mask pattern which correspond to said second areas, when it is determined that the transmission areas and the non-transmission areas are mingled.