Method, program product and apparatus for generating a calibrated pupil kernel and method of using the same in a lithography simulation process
First Claim
1. A method of generating a model for simulating an imaging performance of an optical imaging system having an illumination stage that illuminates a mask, and a pupil that projects the illumination from the mask to a substrate stage, said method comprising the steps of:
- defining said optical imaging system and a process to be utilized by said optical imaging system;
identifying one or more existing model associated with said optical imaging system and said process;
defining a functional representation of said pupil;
modifying said functional representation of said pupil by calibrating with said one or more existing model to generate a calibrated pupil kernel, wherein said calibrated pupil kernel represents a model of the pupil performance;
defining a model equation including said calibrated pupil kernel, wherein said model equation represents said optical imaging system and said process; and
generating said simulation model using said model equation to simulate said imaging performance of said optical imaging system.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of generating a model for simulating the imaging performance of an optical imaging system having a pupil. The method includes the steps of defining the optical imaging system and a process to be utilized by the optical imaging system; and defining a model equation representing the imaging performance of the optical imaging system and the process, where the model equation including a calibrated pupil kernel. The calibrated pupil kernel representing a linear model of the pupil performance.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A method of generating a model for simulating an imaging performance of an optical imaging system having an illumination stage that illuminates a mask, and a pupil that projects the illumination from the mask to a substrate stage, said method comprising the steps of:
-
defining said optical imaging system and a process to be utilized by said optical imaging system; identifying one or more existing model associated with said optical imaging system and said process; defining a functional representation of said pupil; modifying said functional representation of said pupil by calibrating with said one or more existing model to generate a calibrated pupil kernel, wherein said calibrated pupil kernel represents a model of the pupil performance; defining a model equation including said calibrated pupil kernel, wherein said model equation represents said optical imaging system and said process; and generating said simulation model using said model equation to simulate said imaging performance of said optical imaging system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of simulating an imaging performance of an optical imaging system having an illumination stage that illuminates a mask, and a pupil that projects the illumination from the mask to a substrate stage, said method comprising the steps of:
-
defining said optical imaging system and a process to be utilized by said optical imaging system; identifying one or more existing model associated with said optical imaging system and said process; defining a functional representation of said pupil; modifying said functional representation of said pupil by calibrating with said one or more existing model to generate a calibrated pupil kernel, wherein said calibrated pupil kernel represents a model of the pupil performance; defining a model equation including said calibrated pupil kernel, wherein said model equation represents said optical imaging system and said process; generating a simulation model using said model equation; and processing a target pattern utilizing said simulation model so as to simulate said imaging performance of said optical imaging system. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A non-transitory computer readable medium bearing a computer program for generating a model for simulating an imaging performance of an optical imaging system having an illumination stage that illuminates a mask, and a pupil that projects the illumination from the mask to a substrate stage, the computer program, when executed, causing a computer to perform the steps of:
-
defining said optical imaging system and a process to be utilized by said optical imaging system; identifying one or more existing model associated with said optical imaging system and said process; defining a functional representation of said pupil; modifying said functional representation of said pupil by calibrating with said one or more existing model to generate a calibrated pupil kernel, wherein said calibrated pupil kernel represents a model of the pupil performance; defining a model equation including a calibrated pupil kernel, wherein said model equation represents said optical imaging system and said process; and generating said simulation model using said model equation to simulate said imaging performance of said optical imaging system. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
-
Specification