Three-dimensional mask model for photolithography simulation

• US 8,938,694 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2013
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Liu, Peng, Cao, Yu, Chen, Luoqi, Ye, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): GARBOWSKI, LEIGH M
• Application Number:
  US14/081,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20140195993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 716/51
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/36 Masks having proximity correction features; Preparation thereof, e.g. optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/50 Mask blanks not covered by G03F1/20 - G03F1/34; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/70 Adapting basic layout or design of masks to lithographic process requirements, e.g., second iteration correction of mask patterns for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/76 Patterning of masks by imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70441 Optical proximity correction [OPC]
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/705 Modelling or simulating from physical phenomena up to complete wafer processes or whole workflow in wafer productions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/10 Numerical modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/18 Manufacturability analysis or optimisation for manufacturability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/30 Circuit design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/33 Design verification, e.g. functional simulation or model checking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/337 Design optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/39 Circuit design at the physical level physical level design for reconfigurable circuits G06F30/347
• 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

Abstract

A three-dimensional mask model of the invention provides a more realistic approximation of the three-dimensional effects of a photolithography mask with sub-wavelength features than a thin-mask model. In one embodiment, the three-dimensional mask model includes a set of filtering kernels in the spatial domain that are configured to be convolved with thin-mask transmission functions to produce a near-field image. In another embodiment, the three-dimensional mask model includes a set of correction factors in the frequency domain that are configured to be multiplied by the Fourier transform of thin-mask transmission functions to produce a near-field image.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a computer for creating a three-dimensional mask model, the method comprising:

identifying features to include in a mask for which the three-dimensional mask model is to be created;

simulating the effect of light passing through the mask having the identified features using three-dimensional mask topography information to produce a theoretical image;

determining initial filtering kernels for the three-dimensional mask model using the theoretical image; and

modifying the initial filtering kernels until a total difference between the theoretical image and a simulated image is minimized or below a threshold to produce final filtering kernels,

wherein the final filtering kernels are configured to be convolved with one or more mask transmission functions to produce a near-field image, and wherein the simulating, determining and modifying steps are implemented using the computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mask transmission functions include one or more of a standard thin-mask transmission function and derivatives of the standard thin-mask transmission function.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the final filtering kernels include a linear filtering kernel and at least one bilinear filtering kernel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional mask topography information was produced by inspecting a manufactured calibration mask having the identified features.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein simulating the effect of light passing through a mask includes simulating a plane wave of light and oblique waves of light passing through the mask.

6. A method implemented by a computer for creating a three-dimensional mask model, the method comprising:

identifying features to include in a mask for which the three-dimensional mask model is to be created;

simulating the effect of light passing through the mask having the identified features using three-dimensional mask topography information to produce a theoretical image;

determining initial correction factors for the three-dimensional mask model using the theoretical image; and

modifying the initial correction factors until a total difference between the theoretical image and a simulated image is minimized to produce final correction factors,

wherein the final correction factors are configured to be multiplied by a Fourier transform of one or more mask transmission functions to produce a near-field image, and wherein the simulating, determining and modifying steps are implemented using the computer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the three-dimensional mask topography information was produced by inspecting a manufactured calibration mask having the identified features.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein simulating the effect of light passing through a mask includes simulating a plane wave of light and oblique waves of light passing through the mask, and one or more of the final correction factors models oblique incidence effects.

9. A photolithography simulation system implemented by a computer, the system comprising:

a three-dimensional mask model of a type of photolithography mask, the three-dimensional mask model comprising one or more of;

a correction factor configured to modify a mathematical transform of a mask transmission function of a mask;

a correction factor configured to modify a mathematical transform of a first mask-edge function corresponding to a first angle of orientation associated with the mask;

a correction factor configured to modify a mathematical transform of a second mask-edge function corresponding to a second angle of orientation associated with the mask; and

a correction factor configured to modify a mathematical transform of a mask-corner function of the mask,

wherein the correction factors represent one or more effects of the topography of the type of photolithography mask on light passing through a mask of that type; and

a software tool executed by the computer using the three-dimensional mask model to simulate a near-field image expected to be produced by a photolithographic tool using the type of photolithography mask.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein one or more of the correction factors is a function of polarization and incident angle of light.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein one or more of the correction factors is independent of the layout of a particular photolithography mask.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein one or more of the correction factors is calibrated to a theoretical simulated image such that a total difference between the theoretical simulated image and a simulated image produced using mask layout data and the three-dimensional mask model is minimized or below a threshold.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the theoretical simulated image was produced by rigorously simulating the effects of a plane wave of light and oblique waves of light passing through a mask, such that each of the correction factors models oblique incidence effects.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the type of photolithography mask is one of a group consisting of a binary mask and a phase-shifting mask.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the three-dimensional mask model comprises a frequency-domain model.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein existing symmetry properties of one or more correction factors of the three-dimensional mask model are used to improve computational efficiency.