Methods and systems to compensate for a stitching disturbance of a printed pattern

• US 7,773,199 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2007
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Holding NV
• Original Assignee: ASML Holding NV
• Inventors: Vladimirsky, Yuli, Cebuhar, Wenceslao A., Bleeker, Arno, Kreuzer, Justin, Latypov, Azat
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/000,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20080094596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 355/53, 355/67, 355/77, 430/5, 430/20, 430/30, 359/224, 359/855, 359/619
• US Class Current: 355/77
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/18 Fire preventing or extinguishing
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/42 for automatic sequential copying of the same original G03B27/34, G03B27/53 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70091 Illumination settings, i.e. intensity distribution in the pupil plane or angular distribution in the field plane; On-axis or off-axis settings, e.g. annular, dipole or quadrupole settings; Partial coherence control, i.e. sigma or numerical aperture [NA]
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70291 Addressable masks, e.g. spatial light modulators [SLMs], digital micro-mirror devices [DMDs] or liquid crystal display [LCD] patterning devices
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70466 Multiple exposures, e.g. combination of fine and coarse exposures, double patterning or multiple exposures for printing a single feature stitching G03F7/70475
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70475 Stitching, i.e. connecting image fields to produce a device field, the field occupied by a device such as a memory chip, processor chip, CCD, flat panel display

Abstract

A method and system are provided of using a patterning device. An exemplary method includes defining a first region on a surface, the first region being associated with a first element of the patterning device, defining a second region on the surface, the second region being associated with a second element of the patterning device, activating the first element to expose the overlapping region, and deactivating the second element when the first element is active. The first region and the second region overlap in an overlapping region.

Claims

1. A method of using a patterning device, comprising:

defining a first region on a surface, the first region being associated with a first element of the patterning device;

defining a second region on the surface, the second region being associated with a second element of the patterning device, wherein the first region and the second region overlap in an overlapping region during a single exposure;

activating the first element to expose the overlapping region; and

deactivating the second element when the first element is active.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein before the activating the method further comprises:

defining a third region on the surface, the third region being associated with a third element of the patterning device, wherein at least a portion of the third region overlaps the overlapping region during the single exposure and wherein the third element is inactive during the exposing.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein respective ones of the first, second, or third elements of the patterning device that have corresponding overlapping respective first, second, or third regions on the surface are activated in an oscillating pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the exposing includes applying a laser dose.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first region on the surface receives an illumination source pulse.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the overlapping region is exposed in a single shot.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first element is associated with a first exposure area and the second element is associated with a second exposure area, wherein the first exposure area and the second exposure area overlap the overlapping region.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the exposure areas overlap along respective edge portions of the first region and the second region.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a patterning device;

a first controller configured to define a first region on a surface, the first region being associated with a first element of the patterning device and a second region of the surface, the second region being associated with a second element of the patterning device, wherein the first region and the second region overlap in an overlapping region during a single exposure; and

a second controller configured to direct the patterning device to expose the overlapping region, such that the first element is active and the second element is inactive when the overlapping region is exposed.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second controller directs the patterning device to activate elements that have overlapping associated exposure areas, associated with the first and second sections, in an oscillating pattern.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each of the first and second regions receive an illumination source pulse.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first controller is configured to define a third region on the surface, the third region being associated with a third element of the patterning device,

wherein at least a portion of the third region overlaps the overlapping region during the single exposure,

wherein the second controller is configured to direct the patterning device to expose the overlapping region, such that the third element is inactive as the overlapping region is exposed.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first element is associated with a first exposure area and the second element is associated with a second exposure area, wherein the first exposure area and the second exposure area overlap the overlapping region.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling at least one processor to control a patterning device by a method comprising:

defining a first region on a surface, the first region being associated with a first element of the patterning device;

defining a second region on the surface, the second region being associated with a second element of the patterning device, wherein the first region and the second region overlap in an overlapping region during a single exposure;

activating the first element to expose the overlapping region; and

deactivating the second element when the first element is active.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein before the activating the method further comprises:

defining a third region on the surface, the third region being associated with a third element of the patterning device, wherein at least a portion of the third region overlaps the overlapping region during the single exposure and wherein the third element is inactive during the exposing.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein respective ones of the first, second, or third elements of the patterning device that have corresponding overlapping respective first, second, or third regions on the surface are activated in an oscillating pattern.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first element is associated with a first exposure area and the second element is associated with a second exposure area, wherein the first exposure area and the second exposure area overlap the overlapping region.