Aligner evaluation system, aligner evaluation method, a computer program product, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device
First Claim
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1. An evaluation system, comprising:
- an error calculation module configured to calculate error information on mutual optical system errors among a plurality of aligners;
a simulation module configured to simulate device patterns to be delineated by each of the aligners based on the error information;
an evaluation module configured to evaluate whether each of the aligners has appropriate performances, which are determined by design specifications required by a product, for organizing a product development machine group based on the simulated device pattern;
a virtual dangerous pattern extraction module configured to extract a pattern, which is defined by standard values required by design guidelines of the product, as a virtual dangerous pattern for each of the aligners, which are evaluated to have the appropriate performances, among the simulated device patterns; and
a confirmation module configured to compare a shape of the virtual dangerous pattern with a shape of an actual dangerous pattern actually delineated by exposing the virtual dangerous pattern on an exposed object, for each of the aligners, which are evaluated to have the appropriate performances, so as to determine whether the aligners may be used in the product development machine group.
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Abstract
An aligner evaluation system includes (a) an error calculation module configured to calculate error information on mutual optical system errors among a plurality of aligners; (b) a simulation module configured to simulate device patterns to be delineated by each of the aligners based on the error information; and (c) a evaluation module configured to evaluate whether each of the aligners has appropriate performances for implementing an organization of a product development machine group based on the simulated device pattern.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An evaluation system, comprising:
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an error calculation module configured to calculate error information on mutual optical system errors among a plurality of aligners; a simulation module configured to simulate device patterns to be delineated by each of the aligners based on the error information; an evaluation module configured to evaluate whether each of the aligners has appropriate performances, which are determined by design specifications required by a product, for organizing a product development machine group based on the simulated device pattern; a virtual dangerous pattern extraction module configured to extract a pattern, which is defined by standard values required by design guidelines of the product, as a virtual dangerous pattern for each of the aligners, which are evaluated to have the appropriate performances, among the simulated device patterns; and a confirmation module configured to compare a shape of the virtual dangerous pattern with a shape of an actual dangerous pattern actually delineated by exposing the virtual dangerous pattern on an exposed object, for each of the aligners, which are evaluated to have the appropriate performances, so as to determine whether the aligners may be used in the product development machine group. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An evaluation method, comprising:
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calculating error information on mutual optical system errors from among a plurality of aligners; simulating device patterns to be delineated by each of the aligners based on the error information; evaluating whether each of the aligners has appropriate performances, which are determined by design specifications required by a product, for organizing of a product development machine group based on the simulated device pattern; extracting a pattern, which is defined by standard values required by design guidelines of the product, as a virtual dangerous pattern for each of the aligners, which are evaluated to have the appropriate performances, from among the simulated device patterns; exposing and delineating the virtual dangerous pattern on an exposed object, and obtaining an actual dangerous pattern for each of the aligners; measuring a shape of the actual dangerous pattern; and comparing a shape of the virtual dangerous pattern with the shape of the actual dangerous pattern for each of the aligners, which are evaluated to have the appropriate performances, so as to determine whether the aligners may be used in the product development machine group. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computer program product for executing an application on an aligner evaluation system, the computer program product comprising:
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instructions configured to calculate error information on mutual optical system errors of a plurality of aligners; instructions configured to simulate device patterns to be delineated by each of the aligners based on the error information; instructions configured to evaluate whether each of the aligners has appropriate performances, which are determined by design specifications required by a product, for organizing a product development machine group based on the simulated device pattern; instructions configured to extract a pattern, which is defined by standard values required by guidelines of the product, as a virtual dangerous pattern for each of the aligners, which are evaluated to have the appropriate performances, among the simulated device patterns; and instructions configured to compare a shape of the virtual dangerous pattern with a shape of an actual dangerous pattern actually delineated by exposing the virtual dangerous pattern on an exposed object, for each of the aligners, which are evaluated to have the appropriate performances, so as to determine whether the aligners may be used in the product development machine group.
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18. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
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determining a layout of a device pattern; producing a set of masks based on the determined layout; calculating error information on mutual optical system errors of a plurality of aligners; simulating device patterns to be delineated by each of the aligners based on the error information; evaluating whether each of the aligners has appropriate performances, which are determined by design specifications required by a product, for organizing a product development machine group based on the simulated device pattern; extracting a pattern, which is defined by standard values required by guidelines of the product, as a virtual dangerous pattern for each of the aligners, which are evaluated to have the appropriate performances, from among the simulated device patterns; exposing and delineating the virtual dangerous pattern on an exposed object, and obtaining an actual dangerous pattern for each of the aligners; measuring a shape of the actual dangerous pattern; comparing a shape of the virtual dangerous pattern with the shape of the actual dangerous pattern so as to use the aligners, which delineates the shape of the actual dangerous pattern for each of the aligners, which are evaluated to have the appropriate performances, so as to determine whether the aligners may be used in the product development machine group; coating a photoresist film on a semiconductor wafer; and exposing the photoresist film with one of the masks employing at least one of the aligners in the product development machine group.
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Specification