MASK DATA CORRECTION APPARATUS, FOURIER TRANSFORMATION APPARATUS, UP SAMPLING APPARATUS, DOWN SAMPLING APPARATUS, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING TRANSFER MASK, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING DEVICE HAVING PATTERN STRUCTURE

• US 6,831,997 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2001
• Issued: 12/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Technology Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Kamon, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Jon
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUCKER, WESLEY J
• Application Number:
  US09/827,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20020018599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 382/144, 382/280, 382/145, 382/147, 382/299, 382/300
• US Class Current: 382/144
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/68 Preparation processes not covered by groups G03F1/20 - G03F1/50
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70433 Layout for increasing efficiency or for compensating imaging errors, e.g. layout of exposure fields for reducing focus errors; Use of mask features for increasing efficiency or for compensating imaging errors
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31794 affecting masks
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3023 Programme control

Abstract

A mask data correction apparatus that can increase efficiency of processing while maintaining high accuracy by effectively using the hierarchical structure of a layout data: A Fourier transformation part performs Fourier transformation of base elements defined by the layout data to obtain Fourier images of the base elements. A synthesizing part superimposes, based on the hierarchical structure, the Fourier images of the base elements in Fourier space, to obtain a Fourier image of the entire graphic. A spatial filter part subjects the Fourier image of the entire graphic to spatial filter processing that corresponds to distortion expected in a manufacturing process. An inverse Fourier transformation part performs inverse Fourier transformation of the Fourier image after spatial filter processing, to obtain the inverse Fourier image reflecting the distortion. The graphic defined by the layout data is compared with the graphic of which inverse Fourier image has been transformed, and is corrected in such a direction as to suppress distortion, and then is outputted as a mask data.

Claims

1. A mask data correction apparatus in which, based on (1) a layout data defining a shape of base elements of a graphic having a hierarchical structure, (2) said hierarchical structure, and (3) a manufacturing process condition, a mask data expressing a pattern form of a transfer mask used in said manufacturing process is created in such a manner as to suppress a distortion expected in said manufacturing process, said mask data correction apparatus comprising:

a Fourier transformation part configured to obtain Fourier images of said base elements by performing Fourier transformation of said base elements;

a synthesizing part configured to obtain a Fourier image of said graphic by synthesizing said Fourier images of said base elements in Fourier space, based on said hierarchical structure;

a spatial filter part configured to subject said Fourier image of said graphic to spatial filter processing corresponding to said distortion;

an inverse Fourier transformation part configured to subject said Fourier image after said spatial filter processing to an inverse Fourier transformation, thereby to obtain the inverse Fourier image reflecting said distortion;

a graphic transformation part configured to transform said inverse Fourier image into an output graphic; and

a graphic correction part configured to correct said graphic defined by said layout data in such a direction as to suppress said distortion by comparing said output graphic outputted from said graphic transformation part with said graphic defined by said layout data, and to output a result as said mask data.

2. The mask data correction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said distortion includes a drawing distortion caused when said transfer mask is formed by electron beam drawing based on said mask data.

3. The mask data correction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said distortion includes a transfer distortion caused in a transfer image when transfer is performed by using said transfer mask formed based on said mask data.

4. The mask data correction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said distortion includes an etching distortion caused in an etching pattern when selective etching is performed by using a resist pattern formed by transferring said transfer mask formed based on said mask data.

5. The mask data correction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said distortion includes a polishing distortion caused in a polished pattern when polishing processing of a deposited film is performed after selective etching is performed with a resist pattern formed by transferring said transfer mask formed based on said mask data.

6. The mask data correction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said distortion includes an etch back distortion caused in the pattern subjected to etch back when etch back processing of a deposited film is performed after selective etching is performed with a resist pattern formed by transferring said transfer mask formed based on said mask data.

7. The mask data correction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said Fourier transformation part comprises:

a graphic dividing part configured to divide each of said base elements into a group of element graphics in a form of a triangle, tetragon, or circle; and

an element graphic Fourier transformation part configured to perform Fourier transformation for each element graphic of said group of element graphics to obtain respective Fourier images of said group of element graphics.

8. The mask data correction apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said element graphic Fourier transformation part is configured to perform integral calculation analytically by using a primitive function when calculation of spatial frequency components is made to obtain said Fourier image.

9. The mask data correction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mesh forming part configured to set an image forming region in real space and said Fourier space and to set meshes in said image forming region,

said mesh forming part comprising;

a minimum correlation distance calculating part configured to calculate a minimum correlation distance in said manufacturing process based on said manufacturing process condition; and

a mesh number optimizing part configured to determine a number of meshes along two directions crossing in said image forming region such that a mesh width is largest in a range not exceeding said minimum correlation distance and the number of meshes is a positive integer.

10. The mask data correction apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said mesh number optimizing part is configured to limit said positive integer to a positive integer n that is defined by n=2ⁱ3^j5^k, wherein i, j, and k are each zero or a positive integer;

and

said Fourier transformation part is configured to perform said Fourier transformation by using fast Fourier transformation.

11. The mask data correction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mesh forming part configured to set an image forming region in real space and said Fourier space and to set meshes in said image forming region;

a mesh adding part configured to add a new mesh into the image data obtained after said spatial filter processing; and

a new mesh data setting part configured to set a value of zero to image data on said added mesh and to output a result together with said image data before said mesh is added, and

wherein said inverse Fourier transformation part is configured to perform said inverse Fourier transformation of the image data outputted from said new mesh data setting part.

12. The mask data correction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mesh forming part configured to set an image forming region in real space and said Fourier space and to set meshes in said image forming region; and

a mesh removing part configured to remove meshes from image data obtained after said spatial filter processing, and

wherein said inverse Fourier transformation part is configured to perform said inverse Fourier transformation of image data outputted from said mesh removing part.

13. An up-sampling apparatus for subjecting a discrete data defined in one or more dimensional space to up sampling, said apparatus comprising:

a Fourier transformation part configured to transform said discrete data into a set of frequency components by performing a Fourier transformation of said discrete data;

a mesh adding part configured to make said set of frequency components into data on a first mesh set in Fourier space of a same dimension as said one or more dimensional space, and to add a new mesh into said first mesh set in Fourier space;

a new mesh data setting part configured to set data on said new mesh to zero and to output the result together with said data on said first mesh; and

an inverse Fourier transformation part configured to perform an inverse Fourier transformation of data outputted from said new mesh data setting part.

14. A down-sampling apparatus for subjecting a discrete data defined in one or more dimensional space to down sampling, said apparatus comprising:

a Fourier transformation part configured to transform said discrete data into a set of frequency components by performing a Fourier transformation of said discrete data;

a mesh removing part configured to make said set of frequency components into data on meshes set in Fourier space of a same dimension as said one or more dimensional space, and to output a result after removing a part of said meshes in said Fourier space; and

an inverse Fourier transformation part configured to perform an inverse Fourier transformation of data outputted from said mesh removing part.

15. A method of manufacturing a device having a pattern structure comprising:

(a) preparing a mask data correction apparatus in which, based on (1) a layout data defining the shape of base elements of a graphic having a hierarchical structure, (2) said hierarchical structure, and (3) a manufacturing process condition, a mask data expressing a pattern form of a transfer mask used in said manufacturing process is created in such a manner as to suppress a distortion expected in said manufacturing process, said mask data correction apparatus comprising;

a Fourier transformation part configured to obtain Fourier images of said base elements by performing Fourier transformation of said base elements;

a synthesizing part configured to obtain a Fourier image of said graphic by synthesizing said Fourier images of said base elements in Fourier space, based on said hierarchical structure;

a spatial filter part configured to subject said Fourier image of said graphic to spatial filter processing corresponding to said distortion;

an inverse Fourier transformation part configured to subject said Fourier image after said spatial filter processing to an inverse Fourier transformation, thereby to obtain the inverse Fourier image reflecting said distortion;

a graphic transformation part configured to transform said inverse Fourier image into an output graphic; and

a graphic correction part configured to correct said graphic defined by said layout data in such a direction as to suppress said distortion by comparing said output graphic outputted from said graphic transformation part with said graphic defined by said layout data, and to output a result as said mask data;

(b) creating a mask data by using said mask data correction apparatus;

(c) forming a transfer mask by using said mask data created in said step (b);

(d) forming a resist on a surface of a material of a device to be manufactured;

(e) transferring said transfer mask formed in said step (c) to said resist;

(f) patterning said resist in a pattern form transferred in said step (e); and

(g) performing selective processing of said material by using the patterned resist as a shield.