Pattern recognition with edge correction for design based metrology

• US 8,495,527 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2011
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bailey, Todd C., Fischer, Daniel S., Shao, Dongbing
• Primary Examiner(s): Whitmore, Stacy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alam, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US13/236,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20120110523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 716/53, 716/55
• US Class Current: 716/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70508 Data handling in all parts of the microlithographic apparatus, e.g. handling pattern data for addressable masks or data transfer to or from different components within the exposure apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70625 Dimensions, e.g. line width, critical dimension [CD], profile, sidewall angle or edge roughness
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/18 Manufacturability analysis or optimisation for manufacturability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/398 Design verification or optimisation, e.g. using design rule check [DRC], layout versus schematics [LVS] or finite element methods [FEM] optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes G03F1/36
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method for edge correction in pattern recognition includes generating a pattern recognition output for a pattern recognition process, including receiving, in the processor, a design layout, receiving a sample plan based on the design layout, receiving a first user-generated edge input, generating a pattern recognition recipe output from the design layout, the sample plan and the user-generated edge input, wherein the pattern recognition recipe output is configured to drive the pattern recognition process, generating a measurement model from the pattern recognition process, generating a measurement model pattern recognition output for an measurement model pattern recognition process, including receiving a second user-generated input and generating a measurement model pattern recognition recipe output from the measurement model and the second user-generated edge input, wherein the measurement model pattern recognition recipe output configured to drive the measurement model pattern recognition process.

Claims

1. A method for edge correction in pattern recognition for critical dimension scanning electron microscopy, the method comprising:

generating, in a processor, a pattern recognition (PR) output for a PR process, including;

receiving, in the processor, a design layout, which includes a plurality of devices having a plurality of edges;

receiving, in the processor, a sample plan based on the design layout;

receiving, in the processor, a first user-generated edge input, which includes a plurality of secondary lines that are placed adjacent the plurality of edges to mimic wider edges present in a plurality of actual devices, the plurality of secondary lines generated via an offset table defining two extremes of line density of each of the plurality of edges, the two extremes being isolated and dense;

interpolating, in the processor, the two extremes to determine offsets for an intermediate density of lines for each of the plurality of edges;

generating, in the processor, a PR recipe output from the design layout, the sample plan and the user-generated edge input, wherein the PR recipe output is configured to drive the PR process;

generating, in the processor, a measurement model (MM) from the PR process;

generating, in the processor, a measurement model pattern recognition (MMPR) output for an MMPR process, including;

receiving, in the processor, a second user-generated input; and

generating, in the processor, a MMPR recipe output from the MM and the second user-generated edge input, wherein the MMPR recipe output configured to drive the MMPR process.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising generating, in the processor, a design based metrology (DBM) profile.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the design layout and the sample plan are input into the DBM profile to generate lines for PR.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the first user-generated edge input modifies the lines in the design layout for PR.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the PR recipe output is generated for a scanning electron microscope.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein actual device edges measured from the SEM are compared to lines in the design layout.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the lines in the design layout are modified from the first user-generated edge input.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the user-generated edge input is generated based on at least one of a pitch and density of edges in the design layout.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second user-generated input is input into the MM to generate MM lines for MMPR.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the second user-generated edge input modifies the lines in the MM for MMPR.

17. The computer program product as claimed in claim 6 wherein the lines in the design layout are modified from the first user-generated edge input.

18. The computer program product as claimed in claim 17 wherein the user-generated edge input is generated based on at least one of a pitch and density of edges in the design layout.

11. A computer program product for providing edge correction for pattern recognition for critical dimension scanning electron microscopy, the computer program product including a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

generating, in a processor, a pattern recognition (PR) output for a PR process, including;

receiving a design layout, which includes a plurality of devices having a plurality of edges;

receiving a sample plan based on the design layout;

receiving a first user-generated edge input, which includes a plurality of secondary lines that are placed adjacent the plurality of edges to mimic wider edges present in a plurality of actual devices, the plurality of secondary lines generated via an offset table defining two extremes of line density of each of the plurality of edges, the two extremes being isolated and dense;

interpolating the two extremes to determine offsets for an intermediate density of lines for each of the plurality of edges;

generating a PR recipe output from the design layout, the sample plan and the user-generated edge input, wherein the PR recipe output is configured to drive the PR process;

generating a measurement model (MM) from the PR process;

generating a measurement model pattern recognition (MMPR) output for an MMPR process, including;

receiving a second user-generated input; and

generating a MMPR recipe output from the MM and the second user-generated edge input, wherein the MMPR recipe output configured to drive the MMPR process.

12. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11 wherein the method further comprises generating a design based metrology (DBM) profile.

13. The computer program product as claimed in claim 12 wherein the design layout and the sample plan are input into the DBM profile to generate lines for PR.

14. The computer program product as claimed in claim 13 wherein the first user-generated edge input modifies the lines in the design layout for PR.

15. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11 wherein the PR recipe output is generated for a scanning electron microscope.

16. The computer program product as claimed in claim 15 wherein actual device edges measured from the SEM are compared to lines in the design layout.

19. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11 wherein the second user-generated input is input into the MM to generate MM lines for MMPR.

20. The computer program product as claimed in claim 19 wherein the second user-generated edge input modifies the lines in the MM for MMPR.